We get this question a lot and honestly, we can’t give out a price until we learn a bit more about your needs.

Our pricing is based on the following: the decoration process, the number of items that you are ordering with the same imprint (we have different price tiers for 24-49 pieces, 50-99 pieces, 100 - 149 pieces; 150 - 249 pieces, 250 - 499 pieces, 500 - 999 pieces, and more), the number of colors in the design (more colors = higher cost), the number of imprint locations (i.e. front, back, sleeve, etc.), what garment we are printing on (subject to availability), and if we are doing anything special to it (i.e. using specialty inks, retail finishing (tagging, folding, bagging), adding personalization, etc.).

The more details that you can provide, the more accurate and timely your quote will be. Keep in mind that for screen printing there is a screen setup fee which is a per color and per location charge. Extended sizes (2XL and up) cost a little more as well (usually $2 - 3 more). Finally, if you are unable to provide print-ready artwork, your project may be subject to an art fee. We are not nickel and dime you but a lot of what we do is time-consuming and we want to make sure that all of our labor expenses are covered. The best way to think about your order is that you are renting our time, focus, and expertise to produce your apparel using our state-of-the-art equipment.

If you have any additional questions or would like to request a quote, please fill out our Quote Request form.

Print-ready artwork is a high resolution (300 dpi or more) image file for single color work with halftones, a source Photoshop PSD file with all the layers intact so we can do our separations or a vector file (.ai, .eps, or .svg file) with the fonts converted to outlines and the actual vector paths present in the file. I know this sounds like a lot of technical jargon but after years of printing, files given to us in this format produce the best results.

As a way to help you out, here is what we DO NOT consider print-ready art…

1. A screenshot from your phone or picture of a monitor;
2. A Microsoft Word, Publisher, or PowerPoint file;
3. A 72 dpi jpeg or png file downloaded from the internet (Keep in mind that we can’t reproduce any trademarked or copyrighted material (i.e. Batman, Mickey Mouse, etc.)
4. an .eps file that just has an image file placed inside.

Keep in mind that we can always help create a unique design for your project. Head on over to our EZ designer page or hire us to come up with something unique and incredible.

Do you have the expressed written consent from the copyright/intellectual property holder? No? Then go buy it from their store.

Good luck!

We charge rush fees.

We understand that sometimes you may want to bring in your own garments, but please read the following carefully before doing so:

1. 1. We Only Accept What We Can’t Get Ourselves

   We will only accept customer-supplied garments if they are items we cannot source through our trusted distributors (e.g., specialty items like technical jackets, blazers, or high-end outerwear).

   If the garment is available through our distributor network, we will not accept it.

   We purchase thousands of garments each week and qualify for top-tier pricing—chances are, we can get it cheaper and faster than you can.

2. 2. Think Before You Bring

   Would you bring a raw steak to your favorite restaurant and ask them to cook it? Probably not. Supplying your own garments may seem like a money-saving move, but in reality, it adds complexity, risk, and cost to your order.

3. 3. Spoilage Happens

   The industry standard spoilage rate is 2%. For customer-supplied garments, we do not offer replacements for garments damaged or misprinted during production. You are assuming that risk.

4. 4. Inventory Must Be Accurate

   We require a detailed, accurate count and description of all garments being dropped off. No garbage bags of balled up items. No guessing games. If we can’t confirm what was received, we won’t move forward.

5. 5. Garments Must Be New

   We will only print on garments that are brand new—never worn, never washed.

6. 6. We Can’t Guarantee Print Quality

   Some fabrics or coatings interfere with ink or thread adhesion. We’re not responsible for any issues related to poor decoration on garments with unknown or unusual finishes.

Let us do what we do best—source and decorate quality garments for you. It saves everyone time, money, and frustration.

For any new order we ask for payment in full. Production begins as soon as the deposit is made. We can offer net terms for a select number of clients however they are subject to approval from our accounting department. We accept cash, checks made out to The Graphic Hive, and all major credit cards. You can even pay via PayPal or Venmo.

Prompt payment is always appreciated.

Gather, quote, approve, pay, purchase, prep, run, quality check and box.

There are a lot of steps and moving parts when you place an order with us. The ten words above provide a quick summary of how it all works but if you are interested in learning more here is the whole process in all of its glorious detail.

1. Gather - this is where you are working with our apparel consultant to gather up all the details for your order. This includes the art, the sizes, the garments and colors you’d like, and your due date. If you have a hard in-hands due date let us know so that we can work backwards to properly meet this deadline.
2. Quote - we use our apparel production management tool to provide a quote and visual mockup at the same time. This quote and mockup will be emailed to you for approval.
3. Approve/Pay - This is your opportunity to make changes and pay online.
4. Purchase/prep - Once the payment has been received it is time for us to order the blanks. Depending on availability from our distributors this could be quick or the most drawn out part of the whole process (it takes almost a week to receive anything from a West Coast warehouse). We cannot run your order until all garments arrive and have been checked in. As we check in the garments, we are also working on separating your artwork, outputting film and burning the screens. We also mix any special inks and get it on the production schedule.
5. Run Quality Check and Box- Once everything is ready and your order is next in line we register and print your order. We quality check the first garment based on the specifications of the invoice and mockup you approved back in step 3. When finished, we will bulk fold and box your order separating garments by size and type. Once everything is counted out, we will mark it as complete in our system and you will receive an email (and text if we have your cell phone number) alerting you of it shipping or if it is ready for pickup. Pickup hours are Monday - Friday from 9 am - 5 pm. Pickup outside these times can be made by emailing sales@thegraphichive.com. Please note if your order is 250 pieces or more, we may have you pick up from our shipping and receiving area which is at the rear of the building. If you have any questions throughout the entire process, please call us at 1-888-590-3310 or email your apparel consultant. Upon receipt of your order you have 5 days to inspect all garments and alert us of any issues. Art files are archived but your screens might be reclaimed after 5 days.

Our typical turnaround time is ten business days from the approval of your order. This does not include shipping time!

During busier months, this lead time might extend to fifteen business days, so if you have a firm in hand date please let us know when you first place your order. Orders with quicker than standard turn around will be subject to a rush charge.

We always do our best to hit everyone's deadline! Keep in mind that we are facing a lot of variables and issues like supply limitations and shipping delays which can throw a wrench in any well laid out plan. If any delays with your order arise, you will be alerted and a “Plan B” will be established if necessary.

We are a production shop that might go through 50 or more screens in a single week. We do our best to hold screens for 5 days after you receive your order but it is rare that they stick around much longer as the need to be reclaimed and prepped for the next order. If you know that you might be placing a second order in 2-3 weeks time, please let us know and we will set your screens aside.

Re-orders after the above time periods (especially without any advance notice) are subject to a re-order setup charge.

It is very rare that we would ever short an order without alerting you first as to what happened. We order blanks from our distributors based on your counts (we actually order 1-2 extra per size for production spoilage). Garments are counted prior to printing and counted out as we quality check each order at the end of the drier.

Everything is boxed and boxes are numbered indicating how many boxes total are in the order. Prior to calling us about a shortage, please verify the number of boxes you picked up against one of the box labels and also check how the shirts were given out. If you let the group grab their own garments, odds are someone might have grabbed the wrong size.

If you still have a discrepancy, please let us know and we will look into what might have happened.

We realize your final count might not be the true “Final” count. Depending on where your order is in production, we might be able to add onto your existing order, but this might delay your actual production date as we have to order and wait for the additional garment(s). If the extra items are needed after your order has been processed and received you may be subject to a higher per shirt price as this counts as a new order.

We also might produce the shirt via another production method like on our direct to garment printer or via heat transfer vinyl. We will work with you to figure out the most economical way to make sure everyone gets their apparel items.

Youth hoodies have the smallest imprint area due to the pocket and the design used for the bulk of the order might not have fit. We likely used a different decoration method to produce this shirt. If you order enough youth hoodies to meet our production minimum (24 pieces) we would have made a new set of screens. Unfortunately for just a few items we can’t justify the setup cost.

For screen printing with plastisol inks our order minimum is 24 pieces with a max number of 3 colors for the actual imprint. Orders of 50 or more can do 4+ color artwork on a single imprint.

If you need to do an ink change on an order you must order at least 12 garments that utilize the new ink color. (I.e. we won’t print 23 black shirts with a white imprint and 1 with a black imprint, you’d have to order 23 black shirts and at least 12 white shirts.)

For water based printing our order minimum is 50 pieces.

For simulation process and 4-color process orders our production minimum is 100 pieces.

As an alternative for high color work, you might want to utilize our direct to garment printer.