What Should I Ask Before Placing a First Order?

Ask five things above all: is the minimum per order or per size, what are the setup costs and when do they repeat, when does the lead time clock actually start, which decoration method genuinely suits my artwork, and what file do you need from me. Those answers determine your price and your deadline far more than the choice of garment does, and every one of them is easier to resolve before you commit than after.

Is the Minimum Per Order or Per Size?

These are wildly different things and the wording is often vague. A 50-piece minimum per order means you can order 50 garments in any mix of sizes you like. A minimum per size would mean 50 smalls, 50 mediums and so on, which for most first-time buyers is an entirely different scale of purchase. Velocity Wear's minimum is 50 pieces per order with sizes mixed freely within the run. Establish which model you are dealing with before you get attached to a quote.

When Does the Clock Start?

The single most common cause of a missed deadline on a first order is assuming production begins when you pay. It does not. Production starts at artwork approval, which means every day you spend deciding on a proof is a day off your own schedule. As qualitative guidance, screen printing and embroidery typically run around 10-15 working days from approval, while sublimation and more complex jobs run nearer 15-20, and UK tracked delivery usually adds a further 2-5 working days after dispatch. Work backwards from your event date and put your own approval deadline in the diary.

What Are the Setup Costs, and When Do They Repeat?

Setup is the part of the bill that has nothing to do with how many garments you buy. Screen printing charges per colour, because each colour needs its own screen prepared and aligned, and that includes the white underbase needed on dark garments. DTF has no per-colour setup at all, which is why it wins on short, detailed, full-colour runs even when the per-unit figure looks higher. Embroidery has a one-off digitising step to convert your logo into a stitch file. The follow-up question matters just as much: setup is charged again on any subsequent run, so a top-up order pays it twice. Ask where the price breaks fall too, because bulk discounts climb towards around 35% and a quantity sitting just under a band is money left on the table.

Which Method Suits My Artwork, Honestly?

A supplier who tells you your gradient will not screen print well, or that your strapline is too small to embroider legibly, is being useful rather than difficult. Each method has real limits: sublimation only works on polyester and only on light bases, DTG is cotton only, embroidery needs fine detail simplified and cannot reproduce gradients, and screen printing gets expensive as the colour count climbs. Describe the artwork and the garment together and ask which combination the supplier would choose if it were their own order.

What File Do You Need From Me?

Supplying the right file at the start removes a whole category of delay. Vector artwork is the ideal for screen printing and embroidery, with fonts converted to outlines so nothing substitutes. For digital methods, a transparent PNG at the size it will print is usually fine. What does not work is a logo lifted off a website, or a JPEG on a white square that will print as a white square. If all you have is a low-resolution file, say so early: redrawing is a normal step and takes time you would rather spend before the clock starts, not after.

What Will I Actually See Before It Is Made?

Ask what the proof shows and, more importantly, what it does not. A digital proof or a Design Studio preview confirms placement, scale and layout on the garment, which is exactly what you should be checking. It is not a colour match, because no two screens display colour identically and fabric renders differently from a backlit display. If exact colour matters, ask for the ink or thread reference being used rather than judging it on your monitor. Check the spelling on the proof too, character by character, because approval transfers responsibility for it to you.

The Short Version to Take Into a Conversation

If you only ask a handful of things, ask these.

• Is the minimum per order or per size, and can I mix sizes within the run?
• What is the setup cost, what triggers it, and does it apply again on a repeat run?
• Does the lead time start at order or at artwork approval?
• Which decoration method would you choose for this artwork on this fabric, and why?
• What exactly does the proof confirm, and what is out of scope on it?

“"Every expensive surprise on a first order was a question somebody decided not to ask because it felt obvious."”

What to Do When It Arrives

Open the boxes on the day they arrive, not the week of the event. Count the pieces against the size split you ordered, check a garment from each size and colour, and look at the print or embroidery in daylight rather than under office lighting. If something is wrong, raising it immediately is very different from raising it a month later. On a first order this is also where you learn what to ask next time, which is the real value of getting the first one done properly. Use the free Design Studio to lay the artwork out on the garment before you approve, and the instant price calculator to see how method and quantity move the number before you commit.