The type of printing you choose for your garments will depend on several factors:

2. Number of Shirts: Orders of less than 24 garments must be printed on our direct-to-garment printer. The screen print setup process is too labor intensive to make small screen printing runs feasible. Orders of 24-200 garments can be screen printed or digitally printed depending on the color and level of detail. Orders of over 200 shirts are usually best suited for screen printing, excluding full-color designs such as photographs.
   
3. Your Design: Full-color graphics with lots of detail work best with DTG printing. Our DTG printers are able to reproduce highly-detailed images with photo-quality realism. Single color designs or images incorporating large blocks of color are best suited for screen printing.

   Ideal for Screen Printing Ideal for Digital Printing Ideal for Digital Value Printing

3. Pricing: Screen print pricing is different from DTG print pricing several ways. First, screen print pricing is based on the number of colors included in your design, while digital printing is always full-color. If your design has several colors, DTG printing will likely be the most cost-effective method of printing, especially for smaller runs. Second, screen print prices drop dramatically when the number of total garments increases. Once your screen print design is on our press, economies of scale allow a high volume of shirts to be printed at a low cost. In contrast, digital printing involves less setup time and higher per-print costs. As a result, digital printing is generally more cost-effective for a small number of garments but will not be as cost-effective as screen printing for higher volume printing. Finally, Digital Full-Color Value Printing is available on a limited selection of light colored garments. This is the most cost effective method for printing small runs of full-color garments. Please note that white ink is not included with a Full-Color Value Print. Please see the entire Pricing FAQ below for Screen Printing and DTG price breaks.
   
4. The “Hand” of Your Garment: The “hand” refers to the feel of the printed image on your garment. For example, white ink screen printed on a dark garment will have a very heavy hand because lots of thick ink (its actually called “plastisol”) is needed to produce a brilliant white image. The same image printed with black ink on a light garment will require less (and thinner ink) to produce the same image, resulting in a softer hand. Digital printing on light garments has the softest hand, screen printing on dark shirts has the heaviest hand, and digital printing on dark colored garments and screen printing on light colored garments have medium hand.

How It Works

InstaShirt.com is your one-stop shop for custom printed garments. You can start by getting an Instant Quote, which includes free ground shipping anywhere in the U.S. Alternatively, you can start designing first and figure out your total cost later by updating your shopping cart by clicking on your “Size & Quantity” tab.

Before you upload your design or start designing with our free clipart and over 200 fonts, you will be prompted to choose from Screenprinting, DTG Digital Printing, or DTG Value Printing. Please see our “What Type of Printing is Best for You” explanation if you are unsure what type of printing you would like for your garments.

Once your printing method has been chosen, you will then be able to choose your type of garment. Please note that nearly all of our available garments can be both Screen Printed and DTG printed. Items not available for Full-Color Digital Printing include 50/50 and other blended items, which unfortunately do not print well with the Brother GT-782 Direct-to-Garment Printer. The Full-Color Value Print is available on a limited selection of light colored garments, including blended garments.

Once you’ve started designing, you can save your design by clicking the “Save” tab and either logging in with your previously saved email and password, or by choosing the New Customer Sign-up option. Once you have signed up for an account, you can return to the InstaShirt.com Online Design Studio at anytime and log into your account with the “Login” tab on the far right.

Using Our Online Design Studio

If you wish to change the color of your garment, use the “change product color” button on the right hand side of your designer window.

If you click on the “Catalog” tab at the top of the designer window, a new, blank garment will replace your existing garment and design. This feature is helpful if you wish to order more than one design. WARNING: YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BULK DISCOUNTING  if you attempt to order the exact same design on different styles of garments through our online store (this is a limitation to our online designer module that is currently being worked out - please Contact Us via email to take advantage of bulk pricing on orders with different types or colors of garments which incorporate the exact same design).

Please see further FAQs below for specific questions about using our online design studio. Also, see our Online Tutorials for help with specific questions about your design.

Ordering Your Custom Garments

Once you are satisfied with your design(s), use the “Size & Quantity” tab to choose the desired sizes and quantities of garments for your design(s). Once your sizes are and quantities are updated, a subtotal for your order will be shown. At this time you will also be prompted to choose RUSH SERVICE for an additional 35% if you so desire. All Rush orders are given highest priority on our printing presses and are guaranteed to ship on the third business day (or faster) following orders placed before 3:00 PM PST. WARNING: RUSH ORDERS DO NOT INCLUDE PRIORITY SHIPPING.

Use the “Checkout” tab to complete your purchase. All orders within the continental United States are are entitled to free ground shipping. Please select the “Free Ground Shipping” option to confirm this shipping method, or select another shipping option if applicable.

Once your order is placed it will be reviewed by a member of our production team. You will receive an order confirmation email within one business day and we will begin to process your order. Your garments are then professionally screen-printed or digitally printed using the highest quality, longest lasting inks available.  Digitally printed products are printed on the most advanced Direct-To-Garment Printer available in the industry, the Brother GT-782. Full Color Value Prints are generally printed on our Brother GT-541.  All prints are of the highest washability standards and will last the lifetime of the garment. Your custom printed garments are then shipped directly to your door via USPS or FedEx.

Pricing

Our prices are all-inclusive with no hidden charges or setup fees, with free ground shipping to anywhere in the Continental United States is included with every order.
Our prices are based on the following:

1. Total Quantity
2. Garment Brand and Color
3. Number of Print Locations
4. Number of Print Colors (Screen Printing only)

Price quotes display and update in real-time as you create your custom order. Just modify the quantities in your shopping cart to get an updated total. Our price break points are as follows:
Screen Printing: 24, 36, 48, 72, 96, 144, 192, 244, 300, 400, 500, 1k, 2k, 3k, 4k, 5k; for 5k+ orders please Contact Us.
DTG Printing: 10,  24,  36,  48,  96,  144,  244,  500

Minimums

There is no minimum for Full Color Digital Printing or Full Color Value Printing (which means you can order just one garment)! There is a 24 piece minimum for Screen printed items.

Turn Around Time

For most orders, standard turn around is 5-7 business days. For certain specialty items, this turn-around time may be longer. Your confirmation email will note the latest date that your items are scheduled to ship. This turn around time is highly dependent on the availability of shirts from our suppliers and on the production schedule of our print shop (our “busy season” generally lasts from March through October.) If you require your order by a specific date, please Contact Us once your order has been placed to ensure delivery by your specified date.

FOR GUARANTEED PRODUCTION TIME OF 3 BUSINESS DAYS, A 35% RUSH CHARGE WILL APPLY. Please select the Rush Order option when placing your order to ensure that your order is timely processed. Guaranteed Rush Processing is available for most t-shirts (Some specialty items may not be available from our supplies within this 3-day window.) Please allow up to 5 days for rush orders with individual names and/or numbers.
As customer service is one of our primary objectives, we will make every effort to meet your needs without charging the "rush charge."  Our work-load and production schedule changes on a daily basis, so you will want to email or call to see what our current production time is.  Adding the Rush Charge to your order guarantees three business day turn around regardless of our current schedule.

Shipping Details

All orders with standard free shipping will be sent via GROUND Service (FedEx, USPS or truckline). Rush Delivery is available for an additional charge, just select this option when placing your order. Shipments being sent outside the Continental US will be charged an additional shipping cost.  

We are located in Northern California.  Estimated shipping times can be viewed on this map:

Art Submission Guidelines

All artwork created in our Online Design Studio, as well as any of your uploaded graphics, will be subject to compliance with our Artwork Guidelines.  Please review these guidelines before submitting your order.

The maximum print size of any DIGITAL PRINT is 14x16 inches on standard adult size garments, and 10x12 inches on youth and jr. size garments, as well as ¾ sleeve jerseys.  

The maximum print size of any SCREENPRINTED design is 13x19 in (or as large as the smallest shirt allows).  Any design exceeding this size will be scaled down to fit these requirements. To make a special exception you must Contact Us via email.  

Your submitted design MUST be at least 300 pixels per inch at the FULL SIZE of the intended print, otherwise the quality of your final print may be diminished.

All file types MUST be flattened and converted into a JPEG, PNG or GIF in order to be submitted to our online design studio. Files submitted via email should be vector .eps or .ai files. If vector art is not available please supply art at least 300 pixels per inch as a .tiff, .psd, or .pdf file type.  

If you do not have a program to provide us with a proper file, you may want to consider downloading Gimpshop. Gimpshop is essentially the free version of Adobe Photoshop, and with a little practice this program will allow you to create really nice graphics.  

All screen printing is done via the SPOT COLOR method, meaning each color is printed as a solid color.  Any shading will be converted to "halftone" dots of solid color.  Any lines smaller than 1/16th of an inch may be washed out.  Simulated process is available for orders of 500 units or more. We also offer discharge printing. Please Contact Us for details.

Colors are matched as accurately as possible. Given variation in colors on computer monitors, we simply cannot guarantee perfect color accuracy unless you supply us with a Pantone # (PMS).

WE DO NOT SCREEN PRINT OVER ZIPPERS OR SEAMS.

ANY ARTWORK NOT MEETING ARTWORK GUIDELINES MAY BE REJECTED OR ADJUSTED.  ANY EXTENSIVE GRAPHICS WORK MAY BE CHARGED A GRAPHIC DESIGN FEE OF $60/HR.

Guarantee

Customer service is our number one priority, and we go to great lengths to ensure that your order is filled accurately and on time, and that you receive products and services of the utmost quality. If you are dissatisfied for any reason, be assured that we will work diligently with you to resolve any problems. Should you receive a product that is defective, we will gladly refund your money. All we ask is that you contact us the day of receipt. Please see “Returns and Refunds” below for further details. Please note that RUSH FEES ARE NEVER REFUNDABLE.

Payment

We accept online payment via PayPal, credit card or debit card. All electronic payments are transmitted securely using Secure Socket Layer ("SSL") technology.

We also accept payment via check as well as purchase orders from qualified institutions (such as Purchasing Offices). If you wish wish to establish a group account, utilize purchase orders and set up special payment options, please Contact Us.
We will begin processing your order immediately upon verification that payment has been received.

Other Questions

How do I add a print to the back of my shirt?

Adding a print to the back or to the sleeves of your shirts is easy. With the online design studio window open, simply use the “change print location” option located in the “Tools” tab at the right hand side of your screen.

Why does my uploaded graphic look blurry?

You are actually looking at a modified version of your graphic "formatted to fit your screen." Our design software has taken your graphic and sized it down based on the assumption that you have submitted "full size art” (please see Art Submission Guidelines above for more information).  The blurriness is the result of a low-resolution graphic. While this graphic file might be acceptable (but not advisable) to use for a digital printing, such a low-resolution image will not be acceptable for screen printing. If you Contact Us we may be able to fix it for you. Also see the following FAQ “How can I tell if my graphic will look good with DTG printing?”

How can I tell if my graphic will look good with DTG printing?

An easy way to determine if your graphic is acceptable is to print it on your home computer printer at the same size that you want it on your shirt. This is how your final print will look. If your graphic prints with an acceptable level of clarity and detail, then it will print fine on our DTG printer. However, if you print your graphic and it looks choppy or blurry, that is how it will look on your printed shirts.

My graphic still has white stuff on it even though the "remove white"  button was clicked? Will that be part of the print?

No.  The white specs you see on your graphic are actually not exactly white, which is why they were not completely removed by the “remove white” tool. Don’t worry, our Graphic Department will make sure none of the extraneous “white” markings end up on your shirts. We are in business to make your shirts look GOOD, and we will do all that we can to do so.

Will my graphic be printed with the colored box around it?

No. We almost NEVER print the solid-color background of a graphic. We believe that the shirt itself is the background/canvis and there is almost never any reason to add unnecessary ink to a shirt. If  for some strange reason you think your graphic should have the background, contact us ahead of time so that we may discuss it and, make the proper arangements.

Can I mix and match garment sizes and colors in my order?

Absolutely! Mixing sizes of garments (S-XL) is all part of the deal. However, our online design studio does not currently allow bulk item discounts for orders incorporating the exact same design on different styles of garments. Furthermore, changing garment styles can become time-consuming and confusing to our ordering and production departments. Therefore, please Contact Us to take advantage of bulk pricing on orders with different styles of garments which incorporate the exact same design. Please note that orders incorporating several different styles of garment can expect longer production times and a possible 5% "mixing fee." Again, please Contact Us for further details.
WARNING: YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BULK DISCOUNTING  if you attempt to order the exact same design on different styles of garments through our online store.

Do you print team names and numbers?

Yes. Adding names and numbers to your shirts is as simple as clicking the “Names and Numbers” option in the “Tools” tab to the right of your design window. Names are $4.25 each and numbers are $3.50 each.
Names and numbers will default to the Straight Varsity Upper Case font shown below. If you wish to specify a different font, please Contact Us once you have placed your order.

Do you offer blank garments?

Yes. You may order any of our catalog items as blanks, exclusive of American Apparel, Ping and Nike garments. As a garment printer, selling blanks is not our primary objective and this option is not available in our online store. Nevertheless, we offer highly competitive pricing on bulk blank garments, just Contact Us for a custom blank garment quote.

Can I get a print sample?

Yes.  We will do our best to send you a sample screen print which is similar to the print you are seeking. We also offer random screen printed samples (taken at random from whatever we are printing that day).  We do not offer DTG printing samples, however, single shirts start as low as $18 each with the print.  If you would like to order a sample of our screen printing, you may do so here.  
We do not offer screen print samples of your actual design,  because the vast majority of the time and work involved with  screen printing is in the setup and cleanup of the screens and equipment, If we had to do that part twice, your order would cost almost double what it will otherwise.   
Do you print on hats?
Unfortunately we do not currently offer printed hats. Please check back soon as we plan on offering DTG hats in the near future.

Do you offer embroidery?

We current do not offer this service, but we recommend our friends at CustomInk.com for quality embroidery services.

Do you print hats?

We will be soon.

User Agreement

What this Agreement Covers

This Agreement governs your use of the Site and the Phamily Graphics and InstaShirt.com (collectively “InstaShirt”) service (the "Service"). The Service permits customers that have an appropriate relationship either with: (i) institutions of higher learning, fraternal organizations, honor societies and other collegiate groups (collectively, "Institutions"); (ii) corporations and small businesses; (iii) elementary and secondary schools; or (iv) other organizations, to design and purchase custom merchandise properly describing that relationship. You understand that by using the Site and the Service, you have agreed to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and you agree to use the Site and the Service solely as provided in this Agreement.

Intellectual Property Rights of InstaShirt and Third Parties

InstaShirt is committed to the appropriate and legal use of the intellectual property of others, and we require our users to behave similarly. Unless otherwise noted, all materials, including images, illustrations, designs, icons, photographs and written and other materials that appear on the InstaShirt Site (collectively the "Contents") are copyrights, trademarks, trade dress and/or other intellectual properties owned, controlled or licensed by InstaShirt.

InstaShirt is the owner of the InstaShirt trademark; other trademarks made available through this Site, including logos, slogans, color schemes and design trademarks, are licensed for use by InstaShirt from Institutions and other third parties (the "Licensed Marks"). By using the InstaShirt Site, you agree to limit your use of Licensed Marks to uses that are directly related to such third parties and to comply with any restrictions or conditions imposed on the use and access of the Licensed Marks by the third parties.

Generally, products created using images available on the site should not be resold commercially. In the event that you wish to resell such products, you agree to contact InstaShirt and verify the legality of reselling such products prior to doing so. Designs created using the text tools and images available through the site are in no way the exclusive property of the customers who assemble such designs. InstaShirt retains the right to display such designs or offer them (or variations of such designs) to other customers.

Additionally, InstaShirt has the sole discretion to reject any order that it considers libelous, defamatory, obscene, profane (according to standards established by the FCC), portraying irresponsible use of alcohol or other substances, advocating persecution based on gender, age, race, disability or national origin, containing explicit sexual content or is otherwise inappropriate for InstaShirt production.

You agree to not use InstaShirt's Service to create any material that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable, or that infringes on any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights of any third party.

Privacy Policy

InstaShirt recognizes that you have a right to privacy, and we will not give or sell anyone specific information about you or any orders you have placed through the InstaShirt Service except that: (i) InstaShirt may share information about you or an order that you have placed with a relevant Institution in order to allow such Institution to review the use of the Licensed Marks as necessary; (ii) InstaShirt may provide information about you and your order to its subcontractors; and (iii) InstaShirt may share information about you with its marketing partners and affiliates for purposes of marketing InstaShirt.  InstaShirt will not send you unsolicited materials except that customers may receive occasional e-mails to announce changes in the InstaShirt service, new features and technical updates.

Limit of InstaShirt's Responsibility

InstaShirt will only be responsible for acting on those instructions sent to InstaShirt that are actually received. InstaShirt does not assume responsibility for malfunctions in communications facilities that are not under its control and that may affect the accuracy or timeliness of any electronic orders. InstaShirt is not responsible for any losses or delays in transmission of orders arising out of the use of any Internet Access Service Provider or caused by any browser software or any computer virus or related problem that may be attributable to services provided by any Internet Access Service Provider. InstaShirt is not responsible should you give incorrect instructions or if your credit-card payment is not processed by your credit-card company.

The information and materials contained in this Site, including text, graphics, links or other items, are provided "as is", "as available". InstaShirt does not warrant the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of the information and materials on the Site and expressly disclaims liability for errors or omissions in this information and materials. No warranty of any kind, implied, express or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of non-infringement of third party rights, title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or freedom from computer virus, is given in conjunction with the information and materials.

In no event will InstaShirt be liable for any damages, including without limitation, direct or indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages, losses or expenses arising in connection with this site or use thereof or inability to use by any party, or in connection with any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus or line or system failure, even if InstaShirt, or representatives thereof, are advised of the possibility of such damages, losses or expenses.

InstaShirt reserves the right to supplement DTG printing for Screen Printing, and vice-versa, where we see fit.

Indemnity

You agree to defend, indemnify and hold InstaShirt and its affiliates harmless from and against any and all claims, damages, costs and expenses, including actual attorneys' fees, arising from or relating to your use of InstaShirt's Site and the Service, your violation of this Agreement, or your violation of any rights of another.

Governing Law

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California and, where applicable, by federal law, and each party agrees to submit to the jurisdiction and venue of  Butte County, CA.