Most people pick a custom apparel shop based on whichever one came up first in Google. Then they spend the next two weeks managing a sales conversation that should have been a 30-minute phone call. This list gives you the 10 questions that surface a shop's actual capability — ask them up front and you'll know within 15 minutes whether the shop is going to be smooth or painful.
1. What decoration methods do you do in-house vs. subcontract?
The honest answer matters. A shop doing screen printing in-house but subcontracting embroidery means longer turnaround AND less quality control on the stitched portion. A shop doing all four major methods (screen printing, DTF, embroidery, laser-cut leather patches) under one roof can deliver a multi-piece team kit on one timeline. Subcontracting shops can't.
2. Do you charge setup fees? What are they?
Traditional screen printing involves $20-40 per ink color in setup fees. Some shops disclose this. Some hide it until the final invoice. Modern shops using DTF charge zero setup because the process eliminates the screen-burn step. Get this answer in writing before you approve any quote.
3. What's your minimum order quantity?
Some shops will tell you 24 or 50 pieces is the minimum. Sometimes that's a real production constraint; sometimes it's just how they make small orders unprofitable enough that they go away. Modern shops with flexible production can run a one-piece order at honest pricing. If you're under 24 pieces, ask the question explicitly: "Is there a minimum charge or a per-piece minimum?"
4. What's your standard turnaround? What about rush?
5-7 business days from artwork approval is the Boise-area standard for routine orders. Anything longer means the shop is over-capacity or under-staffed. For rush: ask specifically "Can you do 24 hours? Same day? What's the surcharge?" Shops with DTF capability can typically run same-day on most full-color jobs. Shops with screens-only typically can't promise faster than 3-5 days. Our rush page lays out exact timing.
5. Do you publish per-piece pricing?
Visit their website. If you can find typical per-piece pricing for common items (a Gildan 64000 with a left-chest embroidered logo at quantity 25, for example), the shop competes on price. If every page routes to "Request a Quote", they compete on the sales process. Both are legitimate businesses; you just need to know which is which before you engage.
6. Can you send me a sample of recent work in my category?
A real shop keeps production samples around. They'll either send a photo or let you stop by and see one in person. Be wary of shops that send stock-image product photos rather than actual recent work — that's a red flag for outsourced production.
7. What's your weekend availability for rush orders?
Most Boise print shops are Mon-Fri 9-5 and closed weekends. That's fine until you realize Friday afternoon that you need shirts for a Saturday event. Ask whether they take weekend rush calls. If the answer is no, build that into your timeline.
8. Will you send me a digital mockup before you print?
Every legitimate shop does free digital mockups before production. Make sure they specifically commit to this — "yes, we'll send you a PDF mockup for approval before we print anything." Some shops will skip this on small orders to save time, which means you don't see what you got until you pick it up. Insist on the mockup.
9. What happens if there's a quality issue?
Ask straight up: "If I'm not happy with the print quality on a piece, what do you do?" Honest shops will tell you exactly — usually they re-print at no cost if the issue is theirs, or work out a partial refund. Shops that get cagey about this question are shops you don't want to find out the answer from after the fact.
10. Who runs the shop and how long have they been doing this?
Owner name, years in business, family-owned vs. franchise. None of these factors guarantee quality, but they tell you what kind of operation you're dealing with. A 7-year family-owned shop with the founder still on the production floor is a different animal than a franchise location that turned over twice in the last 18 months. Both can be great; both can be terrible. Just know what you're picking.
What our answers look like
For full transparency — here's how we'd answer these for Eagle Ridge Apparel:
- In-house decoration methods: Screen printing, DTF, embroidery, laser engraving, leather patches, UV printing. All six. None subcontracted.
- Setup fees: Zero. None on any service.
- Minimum order: None. We'll print a single piece.
- Turnaround: 5-7 business days standard. Rush: same-day pickup if in by 10 AM MT, flat 25% rush fee.
- Pricing: Published per-piece pricing on every service and product page.
- Samples: Yes — we'll send recent work photos or you can stop by 2700 E Lanark St, Meridian to see live samples.
- Weekend rush: Yes — text or call (208) 954-9492 weekends for time-sensitive event orders.
- Digital mockups: Always free, always before we print anything.
- Quality issues: If the print is wrong on our end, we re-print at no cost. Always.
- Who runs it: Family-run, Idaho-owned since 2019. Founders on the production floor daily.
Ready to ask us those questions?
Text or call (208) 954-9492 with your spec — quantity, decoration method, deadline. Real per-piece pricing back to you in 30 minutes during business hours, and yes, that includes Saturday for rush event orders.