Additional Resources and Art Guidelines

OUR ORDERING PROCESS

BEFORE ORDERING, DETERMINE THE TYPE OF PRINTING YOUR PROJECT REQUIRES.

CUSTOM PRINTING

We provide the apparel.

CONTRACT PRINTING

You provide the apparel.

DESIGN STUDIO

Skip the steps below and Design and order entirely online.

START DESIGNING!

STEP 1

BUILD A QUOTE

In order to build a quote we need to know what you need and what quantity, if your artwork is print ready, if your order needs finishing, such as tagging and bagging, and if you want it picked up or shipped.

STEP 2

APPROVE MOCKUP

Approve your mock up and final artwork. Please be sure to look over all details of the mock up before approving the proof.

STEP 3

ORDER BEGINS

Once the quote is approved your order process begins. The process takes between 10-15 days.

STEP 4

RUN THE PRESSES!

Now the order is finally in production. Artwork needs to be prepped, film needs to be output, screens need to be burned and finally we print your wonderful products. Leave this up to us!

STEP 5

INVOICE & PAYMENT

Once all the details are sorted out. We will send you an invoice based on your order. If you approve it, then we can proceed with your order. We ask for 50% payment upfront before we can start on any order.

STEP 6

PICK UP OR SHIP

Your order is ready! You can choose to pick up at our Costa Mesa Location or choose for us to ship your goods. *Please note that shipping time is not included in production turn around time.

PRINT CAPABILITIES, INKS & TREATMENTS

Team Color has multiple automatic machines, manual machines and dryers to handle your order, whatever scope and size. We use plastisol, water base, discharge, puff, high density, metallics, foil and reflective inks. We also do heat transfers and embroidery. We print and embroider on shirts, hats, bags, piece printing, and masks. Bring in a sample, we’ll figure out how to create your final product.

7

Automatic Machines

4

Manual Machines

5

Dryers

30K+

Prints Daily

40k+

Square Foot
Facilities

AUTOMATIC PRESS VS. MANUAL PRESS

With our 8-14 color automatic presses we can print up to 30K prints per machine per day, depending on the amount of colors.

Our manual machines are great for smaller jobs with fewer colors, so Team Color has you covered either way!

STANDARD PRINTING

Since 1984 quality craftsmanship has been Team Color’s standard, though there has never been anything standard about our printing process. Our years of screen printing gives us the knowledge of knowing which inks work best on any given garment. For our “Standard” printing process we print with phthalate free plastisol and water based inks.

WATER BASED & DISCHARGE

To print on colored garments in the past, screen printers only option was to put down a base layer of white plastisol ink, flash cure it and then print more plastisol ink on top. The end result was a heavy and thick feel or “hand” to the garment.

Discharge ink is a water-based ink formula that has an extra heat sensitive activator mixed in with it. When run through our high temperature dryers, the discharge chemical removes dye from the fabric under the printed design. This allows us to print on dark fabric without putting an extra layer of ink down, resulting in a vibrant design while maintaining a soft natural “hand” of the print. This process can be used with other inks to get the best results for your artwork.

HIGH DENSITY & GELS

High density inks are laid down in thick layers creating an eye-catching 3D print. After going through the dryers, they cure with crisp, sharp edges. High Density inks are generally black and white, while “Gel” is clear. This process can add great dimension to your artwork and works well in combination with other inks and treatments.

PUFF & SUEDE

Puff inks were used extensively in the past for standout creations, especially for school logos, however Puff has made a strong comeback particularly in streetwear. It reacts with the heat of our dryers causing a foaming agent to expand the ink and give it the “Puffy” look you want.

Suede ink is an additive. When added to any color of phthalate free plastisol ink, it transforms the flat ink into an ink capable of feeling and looking like suede leather. Super cool.

METALLICS, FOIL & REFLECTIVE

Metallic ink is a specialty ink that has tiny metal pieces in it, usually copper, bronze, zinc or aluminum. After the ink dries it has reflective properties that reflect tiny points of light creating a metal flake shine on the print.

Foil sheets come in various limited colors backed on paper, allowing us to use a heat transfer machine to lay the foil onto the garment, giving the design a mirror-like shine. Our gold and silver foils are most popular.

ART GUIDELINES

QUALITY OF ARTWORK

Team Color requires all submitted art files to be in Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop. If done in Adobe illustrator make sure text is converted to outlines and any Photoshop images are embedded. If images are linked you must also supply linked images. Adobe Photoshop files must contain all layers and be 300dpi at print size or larger to print crisply.

Team Color will not proceed with orders if artwork is of poor quality. If your art is not print ready our art department can typically revise or recreate at our hourly art rate. We can estimate a time frame to prepare the artwork for print. If you aren’t sure your art is print ready feel free to send it over and we can take a look.

VECTOR FILE

Adobe Illustrator

RASTER FILE

Adobe Photoshop

VECTOR VS. RASTER FILES

Vector files (Adobe Illustrator) are scalable and can be enlarged to any size without losing quality. Raster files (Adobe Photoshop) are made up of pixels which can not be increased in size without degrading quality. Raster files must be 300dpi at print size or larger to print crisply.

Vector Files: .ai .pdf .eps .svg
Raster Files: .psd .png .jpg

INCLUDE PANTONE COLORS

We use Pantone Solid Coated books for matching colors of ink and thread to your designs. To get the most accurate reproduction include the pantone colors in your file. You can easily convert a pantone color in illustrator and photoshop but it’s always recommended to check it to the physical pantone book since computer monitor screens all display differently.

SIMULATED PROCESS PRINTING

Simulated Process Printing is a technique we have perfected over the years. This process allows for printing full-color high resolution graphics, especially photo-realistic images, on dark or light tees. Most of our simulated process prints are 6-8 colors, although some designs are printed using 10 or more colors. Mix this with a discharge underbase and you’ll get a nice soft print as well. Additional Art Department time charges will apply to separate your image for screen printing.

ART DEPARTMENT TIME

Team Color has a full graphic design department. If you don’t have artwork, or your art is not print ready, we can create or re-create for you on an hourly basis. Any artwork that is not print ready can incur an hourly art charge. From a sketch on a napkin, to editing a photo for screen print, Team Color can bring your great ideas to life.

FILE UPLOAD

Files smaller than 10mb can be emailed directly to our Art Department at artdepartment@teamcolor.com. If your file is larger than 10mb use WeTransfer to upload files. There’s no need to sign up to WeTransfer, just click their free option and drag and drop your files and then send to artdepartment@teamcolor.com.

EMBROIDERY

EVERY STITCH COUNTS

Team Color uses the latest techniques and equipment to create quality embroidered goods. Add an embroidered detail to your shirt or hat. Our innovative staff will help you take your designs to the next level with design and digitizing support.

When it comes to embroidery, every stitch counts. More stitches means more detail. The first step is to be sure your artwork design is a good simplified candidate for embroidery. The next step is where we convert your artwork to a digital file or .dst. This is the point where we make sure every stitch is in the correct position and the most effective for the particular garment or substrate. The next step is picking your thread color and style of stitching effect.

FINISHING

Team Color can change and customize your interior labels. We can take out labels and screen print in your custom design. Another popular embellishment that adds a lot of value to a product is an exterior sew on label. We can take provided labels or can source you printed or woven labels to then sew on to your garment. Our finishing department can also fold, bag and tag your order.

INTERIOR BRANDING

Requesting custom neck labels is wildly popular with our customers these days, in fact many garment manufacturers include tear away labels to make the process easier. We can tear away or cut out inside labels and screen print in your custom name and information, including sizes, on the inside back of the garment.

If this is your first time printing inside neck labels, contact us early in the ordering process so that we can give you all the legal info that you need to have in place of the original label, including your legal brand name or RN, country of origin, fabric content, and wash instructions. You can learn more about federal labeling laws here.

SEW ON LABELS

Another very popular embellishment, to add brand identity value to the exterior of your garment, is to add a sew on label on the outside. Popular exterior placements include shirt bottom hems, sleeve hems and shoulder seams. Just let us know how we can assist you in adding this valuable finishing touch.

HANG TAGS

Attaching a hang tag is a great way to include extra branding and style. For retail you can include a barcode, SKU and any other details that you need. Tell us how you want to apply them or discuss with us. Be creative!

FOLDING AND POLY BAGGING

Another great way to add value to your product and keep it clean and neat for your customers, friends, company, or retailers, is to take advantage of our folding and bagging service. We recommend poly bagging and sealing your garment. We can also add size, SKU and MSRP stickers to your garment bag to get it ready for boxing, shipping or pick up.

FULFILLMENT

Finally, Team Color prepares your finished order for your delivery or pick up. You can easily pick up your finished order at our Costa Mesa facility or have it delivered to you or whatever location you prefer, including your retail location.

PRE-PACKS

Our fulfillment department can package your order in “pre-packs” and label boxes to your specifications. Pre-packs are packaged, based on the quantity of each design’s size and color you specify. This is a great way to simplify your inventory distribution before it even leaves our facilities, and to expedite and untangle the process on the receiving end as well.