Reference

Custom Apparel Glossary

Plain-English definitions of every term you'll encounter when ordering custom apparel. Jump to any letter.

A

Art file

The digital file you send us containing your logo or design. Best formats: vector AI, EPS, or PDF. Acceptable raster formats: PNG or JPEG at 300dpi or higher.

B

Bella+Canvas

Premium t-shirt and apparel brand known for ring-spun cotton, fashion-forward cuts, and soft hand-feel. Their 3001 unisex tee is an industry default for retail-style shirts.

Blank

Industry shorthand for an undecorated garment. You buy 'blanks' and then decorate them.

C

CMYK

Color mode used by printers (cyan, magenta, yellow, black). DTF and sublimation artwork should be supplied in CMYK for accurate color reproduction.

Color separation

The step in screen printing where we split your design into individual screens by color. A 4-color design requires 4 separations and 4 screens.

Cure

The heat step after printing that locks ink into the fabric. Improperly cured prints will crack or wash out.

D

Digitizing

Converting your logo into a stitch file that an embroidery machine can read. We digitize free for all embroidery orders.

DPI

Dots per inch — resolution measure for raster artwork. 300dpi at the final print size is the standard.

DTF

Direct-to-Film printing. A design is printed onto a special film, bonded to adhesive powder, then heat-pressed onto the garment. Full-color, great for short runs, works on any fabric.

E

Embroidery

Decoration method that stitches your logo into the fabric with thread. Premium, tactile, long-lasting.

EPS

Encapsulated PostScript. A vector file format we accept for artwork.

F

Flash cure

A brief intermediate cure between ink colors in screen printing. Used to prevent wet ink from smearing when the next color prints on top.

Flexfit

A hat brand known for stretch-fit (no snapback) caps. Popular for athletic use.

Four-color process

A screen-print method using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks to simulate full-color artwork. Required for photo-realistic prints via screen.

G

Garment

Any apparel item being decorated — shirt, hoodie, hat, polo, bag, jacket.

Gildan

Workhorse apparel brand. Their G500 cotton tee and G185 hoodie are industry staples for budget-focused bulk orders.

H

Heat transfer vinyl (HTV)

A decoration method using colored vinyl sheets cut to shape and heat-pressed onto a garment. Used for names and numbers on sports jerseys.

L

Leather patch

A cut piece of leather (real or vegan) with your logo laser-engraved into the surface, then stitched onto a garment or hat.

Left chest print

Standard placement for a logo on the wearer's left chest area. Typical size: 3–4 inches wide.

M

Mockup

A digital preview of your finished product — showing your logo on the selected garment in the selected color. We send one free with every quote.

N

Next Level

Apparel brand positioned between Gildan and Bella+Canvas — premium feel at a mid-tier price. Their 3600 cotton tee and 6210 triblend are very popular.

P

PMS color

Pantone Matching System — a standardized color specification (e.g. PMS 286 is a specific navy blue). Used when brand color accuracy matters.

PNG

Raster image format that supports transparency. Acceptable for DTF and embroidery if the resolution is 300dpi at print size.

Polyester

A synthetic fabric used in performance wear. Required for sublimation printing.

Puff embroidery

A style of embroidery where foam is stitched under the threads to create a raised 3D effect. Popular on trucker hats.

R

Raster

Pixel-based image (PNG, JPEG). Contrasted with vector. Raster files lose quality when scaled up.

Registration

Alignment of colors in screen printing so they line up correctly. Poor registration shows as 'halos' or misaligned outlines.

RGB

Color mode used by screens (red, green, blue). Convert to CMYK before sending art to us for print.

Richardson 112

The 6-panel trucker hat that's become industry standard for custom leather patches and embroidery. Structured front with a mesh back.

S

Screen printing

Traditional t-shirt decoration method using ink pushed through a mesh screen onto the garment. Ideal for bulk runs with a simple color count.

Setup fee

One-time charge for creating screens (in screen printing) or other per-design setup. We don't charge setup fees — one of our differentiators.

Simulated process

A screen printing technique that mimics full-color/photo-realistic prints using 4–8 inks and halftone dots. Complex but impressive on dark garments.

Sleeve print

Logo placement on the sleeve. Typical size: 2–3 inches long.

Stitch count

The number of stitches in an embroidered design. Drives embroidery pricing — a 5,000-stitch logo is cheaper than a 15,000-stitch one.

Sublimation

Decoration method that bonds dye into polyester fibers using heat. Produces a no-hand-feel, edge-to-edge print that can't crack or peel.

T

Tag print

A small print inside the garment neck, replacing the original tag. Used for branding or care instructions.

Tonal embroidery

Embroidery where the thread color closely matches the garment color — subtle, premium look.

Turnaround

Time from art approval to finished goods ready for pickup/shipping. Our standard is 5–7 business days; rush is 24 hours.

U

Underbase

A layer of white ink printed first on dark garments so the colors on top appear vibrant. Required in both screen printing and DTF for dark fabrics.

V

Vector

Resolution-independent image format (AI, EPS, PDF) — scales to any size without losing quality. The preferred artwork format for embroidery and screen printing.

Vinyl

See Heat Transfer Vinyl.

Y

Yupoong

Hat brand closely related to Flexfit. The 6606 trucker and 6089M flat bill are popular canvases for custom patches.

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