Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Is there a minimum order for screen printing, embroidery, and team uniforms ?
Yes. There is a minimum order of 12 pieces for screen printing and embroidery. There is a minimum order of 10 pieces for team uniforms.
How long does my order take to print?
Standard production turnaround is 5 - 7 working days upon receipt of artwork approval, complete order, and payment. Orders recieved after noon (12pm CT) are logged onto the following business day's production schedule. Allow 1 - 4 days for UPS Ground delivery depending on zip code. All completed orders ship from Austin, Texas.
Orders can not go into production without final artwork approval. Please keep this in mind if there are defined due dates for your order, as rush charges may be incurred.
What is a "Rush Order" charge?
Jobs that require turn-around in less than 5 days (NOT INCLUDING SHIPPING) are considered a rush order. Rush orders must be paid in full before production begins.
2 Day Rush Charge - 50% of total order
4 Day Rush Charge - 25% of total order
What if I don't like the artwork design?
All artwork goes through a thorough approval process to make sure the customer is satisfied with the final design. Once artwork is approved, Tite Tee's is no longer responsible for any last minute revisions. Final artwork approval should not be made until completely satisfied. If in doubt call your customer service representative at (877) 925-6999.
How much will Shipping cost?
All items are shipped UPS Ground, unless otherwise requested. Wrong addresses or unspecified "residential" addresses are subject to a $10.00 charge for each UPS change of address.
UPS Ground Rates
UPS Ground Time-In-Transit
International Shipments: $25 service charge plus Freight via United States Postal Service
All items shall be "bulk" packaged in bundles of a dozen per size, color, style, and design. Individual folding, tagging, bagging, ect, will be charged at the current rate.
Can I cancel an order?
It depends.
In the case of an order cancellation by the customer, Tite Tee's will be entitled to full reimbursement for any costs already incurred, including shipping, penalities, or restocking charges. Items already printed, embroidered, or decorated may not be canclled and will be charged at the applicable quantity price. These costs willl be taken from the payment and the balance will be refunded to the customer.
Can I order samples?
Yes, but they are subject to deposits and costs incurred.
To order blank garment samples, please contact your sales representitive. A deposit for the full retail cost of the garment plus freight incurred will be required. Restocking charges will apply if no order is placed. Samples must be returned at the customer's cost and recieved in good condition before credit is given.
To order printed samples, please contact your sales representitive. There will be a $50 charge plus a deposit for the full retail cost of the garment, freight incurred, digitizing fees, and screen set-up charges. Art time/digitizing must be paid in full. There is no refund for printed samples.
Garment Questions
What is the difference between 6.1 oz and 5.4 oz 100% cotton T-shirts?
Fabric is measured by the thread density per square inch. 6.1 oz. 100% cotton is the heaviest shirt we offer. They are our best selling t-shirts. We definitely recommend the 6.1 oz 100% cotton for white shirts.
What is the "Ring Spun" Cotton?
Ring Spun cotton Is the softst cotton. It is a technique of spinning cotton that produces a much softer texture and feel wash after wash. They are the hallmark of our more expensive shirts and hoodines. Expect to pay more for rung spun cotton, but they are well worth the money! We especially recommend the American Apparel shirts.
Do the 50/50 (poly/cotton) blends shrink or fit smaller?
Yes. In our opinion, the lesser expensive t-shirts tend to fit smaller. The poly/cotton blend garments tend to shrink from heat in the dryer. If in doubt, we recommend ordering the next size up.
Does the 5.4 oz 100% cotton t-shirt fit smaller?
Yes. In our opinion the lesser expensive t-shirts tend to fit smaller. If in doubt, we recommend ordering the next size up.
Screen Printing Questions
What is screen printing?
Screen printing is the phenomenon of printing images onto garments. For a more in-depth look into the process of getting the design onto the garment visit our screen printing page.
Is screen printing permanent? Does it wash out?
Screen printing is permanent. You should throw the t-shirt away before the ink washes away!
Can I screen print on the pocket? sleeve? leg? or butt?
We do not screen print directly on the pocket. Pockets designs are printed 1/2 inch - 1 inch above the pocket. Yes we screen print other areas of garments. Sleeves and legs are limited to 16 inches in length.
How is screen printing priced?
Screen printing is priced by the number of colors in the design, the number of placements where the design is printed, plus the garment itself. Each screen has a $24 set up charge for the first design location and $15 for the second design location. For example, a design with 4 colors on the front and back has $96 in screen set up charges on front and $60 in screen set up charges on the back.
Screen printing is printed in volume. The more you purchase the lower the individual cost of the screen printed garment. Price breaks are at 12, 24, 48, 72, 100, 250, 500, and 1000+.
What is an "under-base" in screen printing?
A white ink primer "under-base" is printed first on dark colored garments. Dark garments will show through light colored inks and in order to keep the opacity of the ink's color an under-base is required. Under-basing requires a white ink screen and is considered another color. For example, a white design on a black shirt is a 2 color design - there is a white under-base and a white ink on top of the under-base. A yellow design on a black shirt is a two color design - there is a white under-base and a yellow ink on top of the under-base.
What is an Ink Color Change charge?
An ink color change occurs when the same screen requires an ink cleaning during production, in order to switch out an ink color. A $10.00 charge per color/per screen will be charged for all ink color changes. For example, a customer has requested half of the design printed with red ink and half printed with blue ink - that is one color change.
What is a "distressed" look?
The distressed look is created with an overlay that blocks out the color to give the apperance of aging or flaking and then printed with a thin layer of ink. It is similar to the very popular "Abercrombie" look. See printed example
Can I match my ink color exactly?
Our "in-house" art department works to ensure designs print as accurately as possible. Small color variances can be expected due to differences in garment colors, variances in ink opacities, and the overall blending of inks. Achieving a perfect color match to a paper or digital proof requiring a 4-color or simulated process printing is unlikely.
Fire Engine Red on a white shirt will print differently from Fire Engine Red on a black shirt. In this situation, dark shirts will require an under-base to be printed first.
It is possible to custom mix inks to a Pantone Color for a charge.
Embroidery Questions
How long should emroidery last?
Embroidery is permanent. You should throw the garment away before the embroidery wears! However, over time, several, several years and excessive washings, the area where the stitching meets the fabric may start to thin. We equate this with your favorite shirt you wash five times a week and is on it's last leg ready for scrap, so too will be the embroidery.
Can I cut the backing away from the underneath part of the design?
We do not recommend trimming the backing any closer than it is already trimmed. Backing is used to stablize the design and prevent the stitches from pulling tight when laundering.
What is digitizing?
Digitizing is the process by which a computer program takes a design and puts it into a language that the embroidery machines can understand in order to stitch out the design. It tells the machines where to sew and how much stitching is required in order to sew out the design successfully. Sometimes referred to as a digitized tape, all embroidery designs must be digitized first. Digitized tapes are permanent and can not be resized or altered. Any changes to the current tape will result in a new file and new digitizing costs. For example, designs needed at 4" for a jacket and the same design at 2" for caps are two seperate tapes.
Can I provide my own digitized tape?
Yes. Tite Tee's reserves the right to sew out a sample from the tape first to ensure it has been properly digitized and will not cause damage to our sewing needles with excessive bunching.
Does embroidery shrink?
No. At Tite Tee's we use the highest quality thread along other stablizing materials to ensure our embroidery does not shrink or pucker.
Can I embroider on thin fabrics such as handkerchiefs?
In general no, because fine fabrics run a greater risk of tearing due to the pressure applied by industrial embroidery machines and the numerous punctures from the needles.
Uniform Questions
Do you offer screen printed athletic numbers?
Yes, however we have a minimum of 10. We also offer vinyl athletic numbers that are less expensive.
Are vinyl numbers permanent? Will they come off?
When applied properly with an industrial heat press, vinyl is permanent and should not peel away from the garment. At Tite Tee's we use only Thermo-Film, the world's #1 material for single or multi-color team personalization. It is made with a patented polyester adhesive combined with lightweight urethane for use on 100% cotton, 100% polyester, and cotton/poly blends. We also offer Thermo-GRIP made for hard to imprint garments made of nylon meshes and knits, such as Dazzel Cloth.
Do you offer screen printed athletic names and is there a minimum?
Yes. Our minimum is 10 names. We also offer vinyl names that are less expensive and made with the same quality Thermo-Film, the world's #1 material for single or multi-color team personalization.
The difference between screen printing names and vinyl is that the vinyl are limited to 4 standard fronts and sizes.