Frequently Asked Questions

The Printing Needle is a family owned custom apparel shop at 11642 Knott St Ste E-19, Garden Grove, CA 92841, printing since 2016 and rated 4.9 stars on Google. We offer screen printing, embroidery, DTF transfers, DTG printing and graphic design. We serve Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties and ship nationwide.

Use our instant quote page: pick the method, garment, sizes, colors and print locations, upload your art, and you see a real price in about a minute with no phone call. For complex jobs, call (714) 766-4601, email Sales@PrintingNeedle.com or use our contact page and we will build the quote for you.

You can order online through the instant quote or our Design Studio, call (714) 766-4601, email Sales@PrintingNeedle.com, or walk in to our Garden Grove shop Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm. Every order gets a free digital mockup to approve before anything is printed.

The Design Studio is our free online tool for placing your logo, art or text on a garment and seeing how it looks before you order. Choose a style and color, add your design, then send it to us. We still send a free digital mockup for your approval before production starts.

Upload your file right in the instant quote or Design Studio when you order, or email it to Sales@PrintingNeedle.com. Every order needs artwork or a design request so we can build your mockup. If you only have a sketch, a photo or an idea, send that and our design team can help.

No minimums. Screen printing is usually cheapest at 24+ pieces because the setup is spread across more shirts, and screen print orders start at 12 pieces. Under that we quote DTF or DTG too, which have no setup fees and can print a single piece, so you can order 1 shirt or thousands and pick the better option.

For about 10 shirts, DTF or DTG is usually the most affordable choice because neither has a screen setup charge. Screen printing becomes the better value at 24+ pieces, especially for simple 1-3 color designs. Our instant quote compares the options for your exact garment and design so you can choose.

Price depends on quantity, the garment style and brand, the decoration method, the number of print locations, and for screen printing the number of ink colors. Larger quantities lower the price per piece, and plus sizes cost a little more. Screen printing has a one-time setup per color, and your instant quote shows every charge before you order.

Screen printing has a one-time setup per color, and embroidery has a one-time digitizing step per design; your instant quote shows both before you order. DTF and DTG have no setup fees. There are no hidden charges: the price you approve is the price you pay, plus shipping if you choose delivery.

Standard production is 5-7 business days after you approve your free digital mockup, then your order ships or is ready for pickup in Garden Grove. The clock starts at mockup approval, not when the order is placed, so approving your proof quickly is the best way to get your shirts sooner.

Rush production is available at 3-5 business days or 24-72 hours after mockup approval, and you can pick up at our Garden Grove shop the moment the order is ready. If you need shirts even faster than that, call (714) 766-4601 and we will tell you honestly what we can do.

Yes. Rush options are 3-5 business days or 24-72 hours after mockup approval, and you can select rush in the instant quote. Rush costs more than standard production. For anything faster than 24 hours, contact us at (714) 766-4601 or Sales@PrintingNeedle.com before you order so we can confirm the date.

Yes. We ship custom apparel nationwide across the US, and many of our orders go out of state. You choose shipping or pickup at checkout, and you get tracking once your order ships. Production time is the same either way: 5-7 business days after mockup approval, plus transit time.

Yes. Local pickup is free at our shop, 11642 Knott St Ste E-19, Garden Grove, CA 92841, during business hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm. We email you when your order is ready for pickup, and you can choose pickup at checkout.

We serve Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, roughly a 50 mile radius from Garden Grove, with free local pickup. Outside that area we ship nationwide. Schools, churches, teams and businesses across Southern California and the rest of the US order from us online.

Vector files work best: AI, EPS, SVG or a vector PDF. High resolution PNG files at 300 dpi at the actual print size also work well, ideally with a transparent background. JPGs and low resolution images can often be used after cleanup. If you are not sure, send what you have and we will check it free.

Yes, always. Every order gets a free digital mockup showing your design, placement, colors and garment before production starts. Nothing is printed until you approve it. Please check it carefully, because an approved mockup is final and production time starts from that approval.

Yes. For screen printing we mix ink to your PMS (Pantone) colors, and for embroidery we choose the closest thread colors. Tell us your PMS numbers when you order. Exact Pantone matching on fabric is not guaranteed, because the garment color and material change how ink looks, but we get very close.

Yes. Our graphic design team reviews every file free, sets simple text free, and can clean up, redraw or vectorize a logo, or create a design from your idea. Any larger design work is quoted before we start, and you always approve a mockup before production.

Yes. Screen printing can reproduce photos, gradients and shading using halftones and simulated process printing. For very detailed full color art on small quantities, DTF or DTG is often the better value. We recommend the best method for your design when we review your art.

Screen printing is better for 24+ pieces and simple designs: it is the most durable, has the lowest price per shirt at volume, and offers soft-hand plastisol, water-based and discharge inks. DTF is better for small runs, full color art and mixed fabrics, with no setup fees. Our instant quote lets you compare both.

DTF prints your design onto a film that is heat pressed onto the garment, so it works on cotton, polyester, blends and dark colors. DTG prints ink directly into the fabric and gives a soft, photo-quality result, best on 100% cotton. Both handle full color art with no setup fees and no minimum.

Choose embroidery for polos, caps, beanies, jackets and bags, or anywhere you want a premium, long lasting logo, such as uniforms and company apparel. Choose printing for large designs, many colors on tees and hoodies, or a soft feel. Many clients embroider a left chest logo and print a large back design.

Our standard is soft-hand plastisol, which gives bright, durable prints. Water-based and discharge inks are premium options for an even softer, vintage feel. On colored garments we print a white underbase so colors stay bright; white garments need no underbase. Specialty inks like metallic and puff are also available.

We print on thousands of blank styles, including Gildan, Bella+Canvas, Comfort Colors, Next Level, Independent Trading, Jerzees and Hanes, plus Port Authority polos and Smart Blanks basics. Tees, hoodies, crewnecks, long sleeves, polos, caps, beanies and bags are all available. Browse styles in the instant quote.

Yes. You can bring your own shirts, hoodies or other garments and we will decorate them. Tell us the garment type and color so we can plan the print or stitching. Select the bring your own garments option in the instant quote or tell us when you contact us.

Most styles come in adult S through 2XL or larger, and many offer youth sizes, depending on the brand. You can mix sizes and garment colors in one order. Sizes 2XL and up cost a little more because the blank garments cost more, and the instant quote shows this clearly.

Yes. We embroider snapbacks, dad caps, trucker caps, beanies and more, and we offer 3D puff embroidery for a raised look on the front of caps. Embroidery is the standard choice for hats because it lasts and looks premium. Send your logo and we will digitize it and send a mockup to approve.

Our embroidery can stitch logos with more than 12 thread colors, so most multicolor logos work well. Very small text and fine detail may be simplified so it stays readable in thread. Each design is digitized once into a stitch file, and we keep it on file for your reorders.

A DTF gang sheet is one large film filled with as many of your designs as fit, so you can press them onto shirts yourself. Build yours online with our gang sheet builder: upload your art, arrange it and order. Upload high resolution PNG files with transparent backgrounds, ideally 300 dpi.

DTF gang sheets are usually ready in 2-3 business days, and rush is available. You can pick them up at our Garden Grove shop or have them shipped anywhere in the US. Learn more on our DTF transfers page or call (714) 766-4601 with questions.

Yes. We offer a 10% community discount for schools, PTAs, teachers, churches, nonprofits, youth sports, first responders, medical staff and military. Mention it when you request a quote or reach out, and we apply it to your order. It is our way of supporting the communities we serve.

Yes. We print fundraiser shirts for schools, PTAs, churches and teams, with no minimums and a free mockup before printing. See our fundraising page for how to plan the timeline and quantities, and ask about our 10% community discount when you order.

Yes. We decorate staff shirts, embroidered polos, hats, jackets and event giveaways for businesses of every size. Reorders are easy because we keep your art and stitch files on file. Get a price with our instant quote or email Sales@PrintingNeedle.com for larger programs.

Call (714) 766-4601 or email Sales@PrintingNeedle.com with your previous order number, the quantities and sizes you need, and any changes. We keep your artwork and embroidery files on file, so we can match the job exactly. You will still approve a mockup before production starts.

Use our Track My Order page: enter your order number plus the email or phone number on the order. You will see the current production stage, and you can view and approve your mockup there. We also email you when your proof is ready, when your order is ready for pickup, and when it ships.

Orders are paid in full when you place them, either at checkout online or through the secure invoice link we email you. Then we send your free digital mockup, and production starts once you approve it. Questions about payment? Call (714) 766-4601 or email Sales@PrintingNeedle.com.

You can cancel before production starts. Because every item is custom made, decorated items cannot be returned for change of mind. If anything is defective or wrong because of us, report it within 7 days of delivery and we will make it right with a reprint or refund.