Tell Us the Quantity You Need

Quantity is one of the most important pieces of information when requesting a custom printing quote. Printing twelve shirts and printing one hundred shirts require different amounts of materials, setup time, labor, and production time.

For screen printing, larger quantities can often reduce the cost per garment because much of the initial work involves preparing the artwork, creating color separations, coating screens, exposing screens, registering colors, and setting up the press.

Once the press is ready, additional garments can usually be printed more efficiently.

When requesting your quote, provide the total quantity you expect to order. If you are still deciding between quantities, you can provide multiple options such as 24, 50, and 100 pieces so we can help you compare pricing.

If your order contains multiple garment styles, such as T-shirts and hoodies, list the quantity of each garment separately.

Provide Your Complete Size Breakdown

Your total quantity tells us how many pieces are being produced, but the size breakdown tells us exactly which garments need to be ordered.

Certain extended sizes may have a different wholesale garment cost, so providing the exact size breakdown helps prevent changes to the quote later.

If you do not know the exact sizes yet, we can still provide an estimate based on the expected quantity. Final garment cost may need to be adjusted once the complete size breakdown is confirmed.

Choose the Garment You Want to Print

Not every T-shirt or hoodie is the same. Garment brand, weight, fabric, fit, construction, and color can make a major difference in both appearance and price.

Some customers want an affordable promotional T-shirt. Others are creating a premium streetwear release and want heavyweight garments, oversized fits, drop shoulders, garment-dyed fabrics, or specialty blanks.

When requesting a quote, let us know whether you already have a specific garment in mind. If possible, provide the brand, style number, garment color, and product name.

If you are unsure which garment to choose, tell us what you are trying to accomplish. Your project might be a heavyweight streetwear drop, employee uniform, event shirt, promotional product, band merchandise, or large-volume order.

Da Mouse Trap Graphics can help recommend a garment that fits the project and your budget.

Send Your Artwork

Providing the artwork is one of the fastest ways to receive an accurate printing quote because it allows us to evaluate the actual production requirements.

Vector artwork is preferred for many screen printing, vinyl, signage, and logo applications because vector graphics can be resized without losing quality and make it easier to prepare clean color separations.

Vector artwork is not required for every project. High-resolution PSD, PNG, TIFF, and other raster artwork may also be usable depending on the printing method and design.

If your artwork needs to be cleaned up, recreated, vectorized, separated, or prepared for production, let us know. Artwork preparation can be reviewed separately before production begins.

Tell Us Where the Artwork Will Be Printed

Print placement affects production time and cost. A shirt with one front print is different from a garment with a front print, back print, sleeve print, and neck label.

• Full front
• Left chest
• Full back
• Upper back
• Left or right sleeve
• Inside neck
• Outside neck
• Pant leg

When possible, provide the approximate artwork dimensions. A 4-inch left chest logo and a 12-inch full back design give us much more useful production information than simply saying the logo goes on the shirt.

Tell Us How Many Colors Are in the Design

For screen printing, the number of colors can directly affect the setup required for production. Each color may require its own separation, screen, registration, ink, and print pass.

A one-color logo is therefore produced differently than a three-color graphic or a detailed simulated-process image.

If you are unsure how many printable colors your artwork contains, simply upload the artwork with your quote request. We can review the design and determine the appropriate production method.

Mention Any Specialty Printing Requirements

Specialty printing can completely change how a project needs to be prepared. If you want a special texture, finish, placement, or ink, include that information before requesting final pricing.

• Puff ink
• Halftones
• CMYK process printing
• Oversized artwork
• Metallic effects
• Custom ink colors
• Specialty placements

For example, a puff ink streetwear design must account for ink expansion, garment texture, artwork spacing, and final printed dimensions differently than a standard flat ink print.

Provide a Mockup Whenever Possible

A mockup is one of the most useful tools for preventing misunderstandings before production. It allows both the customer and production team to confirm artwork placement, approximate scale, garment color, print colors, and the overall direction of the finished product.

Mockups are especially useful for apparel projects because the same artwork can look dramatically different depending on garment color, print dimensions, placement, and garment style.

Final production specifications should still be documented separately because a visual mockup may not always represent exact physical dimensions.

Tell Us When You Need the Order

Turnaround time can affect pricing, particularly when a project requires rush production, expedited garment shipping, or production schedule adjustments.

Include the date you actually need the finished products rather than only the date of your event.

If your event is Saturday but the merchandise needs to be available Friday morning, Friday is the deadline we need to plan around.

The earlier the project details, artwork, garment selection, quantity, and deposit are finalized, the easier it is to maintain an efficient production schedule.

Tell Us Whether We Are Supplying the Garments

Let us know whether Da Mouse Trap Graphics will be sourcing the garments or whether you plan to provide your own.

When we supply garments, the garment cost can be included directly in the quote.

When customers provide their own garments, additional considerations may apply because exact replacements can sometimes be difficult to obtain if a customer-supplied garment is damaged during production.

What Should I Send for the Fastest Quote?

For the fastest and most accurate custom printing quote, send as much of the following information as possible:

• Total quantity
• Complete size breakdown
• Garment brand and style, if known
• Garment color
• Artwork file
• Desired print dimensions
• Print location or locations
• Number of artwork colors
• Specialty ink or printing requirements
• Reference images or mockups
• Required completion date
• Pickup or delivery requirements

Don’t worry if you do not have every detail figured out yet. Providing the information you already know gives us a much stronger starting point, and we can help identify the remaining production decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Custom Printing Quotes

Can I get a quote if my artwork is not finished?

Yes. An estimated quote may be possible using a sketch, reference image, previous design, or description of the project. Final pricing may change after the production-ready artwork is reviewed.

Does my artwork have to be vector?

No. Vector artwork is preferred for many applications, particularly logos, screen printing, vinyl graphics, and signage, but high-resolution raster artwork may also be appropriate depending on the production method.

Why do you need the shirt quantity before giving me a price?

Quantity affects garment purchasing, setup efficiency, production time, material usage, and cost per piece. Providing an accurate quantity allows us to calculate a much more reliable price.

Can you recommend a T-shirt or hoodie?

Yes. Tell us the type of product you are creating, your preferred fit and weight, and your approximate budget. We can help identify garments suitable for promotional printing, uniforms, merchandise, streetwear, events, and other custom apparel projects.

Why is a mockup important?

A mockup helps confirm the visual direction of the project before production. It gives both the customer and production team a reference for garment color, design placement, approximate size, print colors, and overall appearance.

Can my quote change after artwork approval?

Pricing can change if the project specifications change. Increasing quantity, changing garments, adding print locations, adding colors, requesting specialty printing, changing artwork dimensions, or requiring rush production can affect the final cost.

How do I avoid delays?

Finalize your quantity, size breakdown, garment, artwork, print locations, dimensions, colors, and deadline as early as possible. Approving the final mockup and production specifications before ordering materials also helps prevent unnecessary revisions and delays.