print faq

Minimum order quantity::

While we technically have no minimum order, any order of 12 pieces or less is considered a sample order. All samples orders (12 garments or less) are subject to a setup or screen charge. Screen charges are waived on all standard orders of 12+ garments and the customer is able to mix and match garments to meet that 12 piece minimum, as long as the print location remains the same. We consider 12 pieces to be the standard minimum and price breaks occur at: 36, 72, 144, & 288 pieces. Please contact us for custom quotes on quantities above 500 pieces.

Screen charges::

Any order of 12+ garments per design has absolutely NO screen charges. Screen charges are only applied to orders of less than 12 garments, which we consider to be sample orders. For orders of 1-11 garments, screen charges are $20/color

Turnaround Time::

Our standard turnaround time is 7-10 business days. If your printed garments are necessary for any specific date, please pass along your due date when placing your garment order. If you need your completed garment order quicker than 10 business days, please contact us immediately.

Below are the rush charges. All RUSH orders are guaranteed.

Shipping time is not included in turnaround time. If you need your order shipped please provide us with complete shipping details when you place your order as well as your specific “in-hands” date.

These RUSH charges apply to all garments from our standard supplier or garments that we might have in stock. All RUSH orders from one of our specialty suppliers will be subject to additional charges equal to the expedited shipping applied to the apparel blanks. For example if you need a 2-Day RUSH on American Apparel garments your order will be subject to the additional Next-Day Air or Overnight shipping charged on the blanks shipped from Los Angeles.

Samples::

Sample costs are the equivalent of ordering one t-shirt. Printed samples are subject to the same processing times as regular orders. **If you are in need of a specific shirt or ink color, we strongly urge you to order a sample. Blank samples can be ordered at shirt cost. To order a sample, email us.

Shipping::

We ship via UPS or USPS depending on the size of your order and your necessary “in-hands” date. If you need an order to arrive on a certain date, please provide us with that date when you place your garment order. Shipping charges are applied after the order is shipped. We are not responsible for lost or stolen garment orders and we generally insure all completed orders over $250.

Choosing ink colors::

We have dozens of previously mixed colors in both plastisol and water-based inks. Please specify your ink colors when providing your artwork. Custom ink colors can be mixed upon request at no additional charge. When requesting custom ink colors please provide us with a specific Pantone color or a printed sample of the color you are in need of matching. We mix all colors by hand which we’ve found to be more accurate than any professional garment ink mixing system that we’ve seen, however all ink colors are subject to vary and some ink colors cure to a slightly different tone. If you are in need of a very specific color(s) we recommend ordering samples to ensure the best quality of your finished order.

Available garment options::

Fortunately for our customers we offer thousands of garment options and styles from a variety of manufacturers and suppliers. Unfortunately there isn’t a single website or catalog we can provide you with to view all of the available garment options. In addition to all the conventional garment options we offer a variety of sustainable, organic, recycled and American-made garments. Please contact us if you’re looking for specialty or a specific garment.

While most printers have a small handful of garment options and styles that they work with we specialize in custom printing and are focused on working with customers to deliver the right blend of garment style and function. We offer Bella/Canvas, American Apparel, Royal Apparel, Alternative Apparel and a variety of other specialty garment options.

Print Capabilities::

We use a traditional 6-color, 4 station human-powered manual press. We print T-shirts, sweatshirts, long sleeve shirts, polos, youth shirts, onesies, shorts, sweatpants, jerseys, handbags, totes, jackets, hats, bandannas, scarves, napkins, wine sleeves, burlap sacks, head bands, and even fabric books. Additionally we offer poster printing, also known as serigraphy paper printing. Placement of the prints are to your choosing. We can accommodate sleeves, pockets, front, back and sides. We also have extensive experience in non-traditional locations for print placement including printing off garments and printing over seams.

Artwork Guidelines::

Artwork files must be submitted at full size and at 300 dpi or higher. Designs and illustrations are preferred in vector format as Adobe Illustrator or eps files. We accept the following file formats: eps, ai, svg, pdf, psd, tiff, and hi-resolution jpgs. Vector files and color-separated artwork is strongly encouraged. All fonts must be converted to outlines or the font file(s) must be included with artwork. If you have questions regarding your artwork’s ability to be printed please contact your graphic designer or our art department.

Design Capabilities::

We are experienced graphic designers and offer a variety of custom graphic apparel designs for our customers. Please see our design gallery for samples of our work. Our standard graphic design rate is $50/hr. If you’re having trouble determining exactly what you want, please contact us to discuss your design needs.

Ink Blends::

Offbeat Press offers manual 2, 3, or 4-color ink color blends – based on the dimensions of the artwork. Blends can be done with either plastisol or water-based inks. Please contact us for more information about ink blends. Ink blends are available for an additional $.25 per color. For a 2-color blend, add $.25/shirt. For a 3-color blend, add $.50/shirt, etc.

Print Size::

Standard size for our apparel screens are 13” wide x 14.5” tall, however some women’s shirts and most youth shirts cannot be printed to that size. Additionally we do offer oversize printing at no extra cost. Oversized printing can be up to 15”x18” possibly larger based on garment specs, garment color(s) and ink colors.

Art Poster Prints::

We also offer hand-pressed, screen printed art posters. Our standard print size is up to 17” x 23” with up to 8 ink colors. Please contact us for a custom quote involving poster printing with 8+ ink colors. Our standard poster paper is Poptone available through French Paper. Various other paper options are also available, please contact us for more information.

Contract Printing::

Please contact us about our customer provided garment contract printing.

Embroidery::

Please contact us about our embroidery service.

The difference between water-based inks and conventional inks::

There are a variety of differences between conventional (plastisol) and water-based ink systems. The most noticeable difference is that water-based inks are softer than conventional inks because they soak into the garment while plastisol inks sit on top of the garment. Water-based ink consistency is also less viscous and cures partially through evaporation making the ink much more complicated to work with. Though we’re always experimenting with new techniques we have spent countless hours and late nights studying the nuances of water-based ink.

Plastisol ink is a much more versatile ink. Plastisol ink can be printed on and adhere to virtually any imaginable garment. There are special ink additives used to activate ink curing when printing on specialty fabrics. If you have a specialty fabric order we encourage a sample order to ensure the garment and ink quality meets both your needs and our specifications.

Printing on dark shirts with water-based inks::

This is called discharge printing. Water-based ink technology has evolved to allow for professional-grade inks to print effectively on light and dark colored shirts and a variety of fabrics. Water-based screen-printing requires garments with a high percentage of cotton. We have a large amount of experience in water-based printing & discharge printing.

Water-based ink Quality::

Water-based inks do not crack, fade or wash out. Water-based inks offer both environmental benefits and quality benefits over standard inks. Water-based inks are created for professional garment printing, they are permanent and will not wash out. The inks themselves will fade like any other garment through normal exposure, washing and wear. After garments are printed they are heat & air cured in our professional garment dryer.

Washing requirements::

It is recommended to wash all printed garments inside out. Water-based inks require no additional washing requirements. Please follow the laundering instructions on your individual garment(s).

Water-based inks cost::

Yes water-based inks are more expensive, more complicated to work with and take more time and attention during the printing process. Prepping water-based & discharge inks for printing can be a time consuming process and while we don’t charge a water-based setup fee, we do charge more for the printing of water-based inks.

Payment Policy::

Payments are requested in full at the time of the order unless other payment arrangements are made. We accept Cash, Check, Visa & Mastercard payment.

Misprint Policy::

We inspect our shirts before and after printing to ensure the highest quality, but we are human. We do our best to provide the best printed-shirt possible. All of our shirts are hand-printed with by us and sometimes there are some print or color variances. Through our specialty printing processes, there is a possibility that not every shirt will be exactly the same. The subtle differences between each printed shirt is part of the brilliance of manual screen-printing. From time to time human error surpasses our limits of professional printing and misprints occur. We do not charge for misprinted shirts. Misprints that exceed 3 shirts or 3% of the original order or 5% of water-based orders and those orders surpassing our quality levels may be replaced at our expense. If you have a complicated order and are in need of an exact number of shirts, we recommend that you order a few extra – especially for water-based printing.

We are not responsible for any imperfections in provided garments (contract printing) and cannot offer misprint replacements on provided garment orders.

Print Disclaimer::

Our beliefs are quite diverse, but we do reserve the right to not print material we find to be of a questionable nature or go against our ethics.