People always want to know exactly what their options are for embellishing their products here at American Tees! We hope this will be a helpful tool for you and can give you an insight to what we do here!
SCREEN PRINTING
What is Screen Printing?
Description: Dictionary.com states: the technique of creating a picture or pattern by forcing ink or metal on to a surface through a screen of fine material. However, in our opinion, that description seems pretty useless! So the way we would state it is:
Screen printing is a process where ink is forced through a mesh screen onto a surface that is typically flat. Each Color has its own screen, so the higher color count on the design, the higher the print price will be.
Maximum Design Colors: 6
Minimum Order? 12 items per design (Can be combined with different products (IE Short Sleeve, Long Sleeve, Hoodie) as long as the ink colors and design size stay the same.
Set Up Costs: None as long as minimums are met
Used on: Screen printing is a decoration method typically used on t-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, sweatshirts, sweatpants, shorts, and even can be used on polos
EMBROIDERY
What is Embroidery?
Description: Dictionary.com states: embroidery, art of decorating material, primarily textile fabric, by means of a needle and thread (and sometimes fine wire). Again, in our opinion, we could probably describe it a bit better to you!
So the way we would state it is:
Embroidery is a process where an embroidery machine, loaded with threads used specific for embroidery (not regular sewing thread), stitches custom designs which have been, what is called, digitized to stitch appropriately. The biggest thing with embroidery is that the designs must be digitized. So what is Digitizing? Simply put, the digitizing process is the act of taking digital artwork and getting it ready for machine embroidery using a software that creates files showing the embroidery machine the proper needle path. This includes, but is not limited to, when to do underlay stitches, when to do fill or satin stitches, when to change needles, stops, and foam and more. Digitizing is an art form, every digitizer can digitize a design a tad differently depending on their opinion as to how it will sew best. Digitizing is also done differently depending on the item or fabric that the logo is being stitched on. Caps have to have a completely different digitized file than flat pieces (shirts, beanies, hoodies, jackets etc- things that can lay “flat” on a table)
Maximum Design Colors: 16
Minimum Order? We do not have a minimum order for embroidery, however some of our cap vendors do have a minimum order of 12 caps at a time to ship blank caps to us.
Set Up Costs: Digitizing Cost (Price is dependent upon, size, location and intricacy)
Used on: The embroidery process works best for business apparel, like polos, wovens & dress shirts, jackets, caps, and even bags.
Direct to Film (Full Color Printing)
What is Direct to Film?
Description: Well Dictionary.com seems to be stumped on this one, so we will just take this one! Direct to Film is a process where the design is full color printed on a film that is then heat applied to the shirt via a heat press. This process is great for full color designs or high color designs and even better for orders with lower quantities. Unlike sublimation, this can be done on any color of shirt and most fabrics.
Maximum Design Colors: Full Color
Minimum Order? 6 Per Design (Can be combined with different products (IE Short Sleeve, Long Sleeve, Hoodie) as long as the ink colors and design size stay the same.
Set Up Costs: None!
Used on: T-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, sweatshirts, sweatpants, shorts, and even can be used on polos
Heat Applied Text
What is Heat Transfer Vinyl? (Or HTV)
Description: Think Commercial Cricut machine! (Never thought we would have to describe it that way!) This process is created by running rolls of heat applied vinyl through a plotter (or cutter) that has a blade on it. We will send the text to the cutter for it to cut out the names and numbers. While we do not do heat applied vinyl orders with designs, we do offer jersey names, jersey numbers and personalization like ranks, names and certification on duty gear.
Maximum Design Colors: 2
Minimum Order? None!
Set Up Costs: None!
Used on: T-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, sweatshirts, sweatpants, shorts, and even can be used on polos
Full Color SublimaTion Printing
What is Sublimation Printing?
Description: Sublimation is the process of printing sublimation ink (not regular ink from your printer) onto a special sheet of paper (called sublimation paper, clever, we know!). We like to tell people to think of sublimation like printing a picture on a yellow piece of paper on your colored printer at home. It wouldn’t look good would it? Why? Because printers only print CMYK Colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, & Black). So the background that the design is printed on will take on any color that would have been white. So it is very important to do very light colors, but even better to light gray or white when you are sublimating a full color design that needs white in the image. Check out the picture to the right to see how changing the shirt color can greatly change the image!
Maximum Design Colors: Full Color
Minimum Order? None!
Set Up Costs: None!
Used on: 100% Polyester (or very high percentage of polyester) garments typically light in color, but even better white. (See description).
Sign Vinyl
What is Sign Vinyl?
Description: Sign Vinyl has the same cutting method that heat applied vinyl has using a commercial plotter.
Maximum Design Colors: Depends on Design
Minimum Order? None!
Set Up Costs: None!
Used on: Decals, Magnets, Windows, metal, aluminum and more!
Digital Printing
What is Digital Printing?
Description: Digital Printing is something that seams super obvious, this is a process used for business cards, letterheads envelopes and even full color large format items like banners, full color signs, decals and more
Maximum Design Colors: Full Color
Minimum Order? Depends on the Product!
Set Up Costs: Depends on the Product!
Used on: Paper Products, like business cards, letterheads, envelopes, flyers, brochures etc
Patches & Alterations
What is Patches & Alterations?
Description: Think Commercial Cricut machine! (Never thought we would have to describe it that way!) This process is created by running rolls of heat applied vinyl through a plotter (or cutter) that has a blade on it. We will send the text to the cutter for it to cut out the names and numbers. While we do not do heat applied vinyl orders with designs, we do offer jersey names, jersey numbers and personalization like ranks, names and certification on duty gear.
Maximum Design Colors: Depends on Product
Minimum Order? Alterations- None / Patches- 10
Set Up Costs: None!
Used on: Patches & Alterations are typically saved for our duty gear line for
