Resources
Care instructions
Decorated apparel does not need special treatment. It needs one habit, applied every time — and that habit is the difference between two years and five.
Wash it like this.
Four habits on the left, four mistakes on the right. The left-hand column is the difference between two years and five.
Always
The four rules
- Wash cold, inside out, with like colors.
- Tumble dry low, or hang dry if you can.
- Skip fabric softener on anything printed — it sits on top of the ink and dulls it.
- Never iron directly over a print, a transfer or a stitch.
Never
Do not, ever
- Hot washes. Heat is what lifts a transfer edge and shrinks cotton out of shape.
- Bleach, on anything decorated. It takes the color out of the ink as well as the fabric.
- Dry cleaning a printed garment. The solvents attack the adhesive.
- Stacking a wet decorated garment on top of another one. They can transfer.
By decoration method.
What each process asks of you, and why.
Embroidery
Thread outlasts the garment. Press around the stitching rather than across it, and it will still look right when the fabric gives out.
Screen printing
Properly cured ink fades with the shirt rather than cracking. Inside out and cold is all it asks for.
DTF transfer
A transfer sits on top of the fabric, so heat is its enemy. Cold wash, low dry, no ironing over it.
Vinyl
Heat lifts an edge. Cold wash, hang dry where possible, and never put an iron anywhere near a number.
By garment.
The same rules, plus what is specific to each kind of thing we decorate.
T-shirts
- Machine wash cold, inside out, with like colors. Tumble dry low.
- No fabric softener on printed pieces — it sits on top of the ink and dulls it.
- Never iron directly over a print or a stitch. Press from the inside if you have to.
Polos and uniforms
- Machine wash warm, tumble dry low. Performance knits dry fast and do not need a hot cycle.
- Skip the fabric softener — it clogs the wicking finish.
- Press around the embroidery, never across it.
Hoodies and jackets
- Machine wash cold, tumble dry low. High heat is what shrinks a hood out of shape.
- Zip the jacket before washing so the zipper cannot catch the face of the fabric.
- Do not dry-clean anything with a printed transfer on it.
Hats and caps
- Spot clean by hand with cool water and a soft brush.
- Never put a structured cap through a washing machine or a dryer — the buckram front collapses.
- Air dry over a bowl or a ball so the crown keeps its shape.
Aprons
- Machine wash warm. Aprons are the one item worth washing hot when a service is over.
- Tumble dry medium. Some shrinkage in the first wash is normal on cotton canvas.
- Untie the strings before washing so they do not knot around the drum.
Workwear
- Follow the manufacturer's label exactly on anything rated FR or high-visibility — the rating depends on it.
- Industrial laundering is fine on standard workwear. Tell us if that is your plan so we pick the right thread.
- Wash high-visibility pieces separately; grit from other loads dulls the reflective tape.
Anything rated flame-resistant or high-visibility follows the manufacturer’s label exactly — the rating depends on it, and our guidance does not override it.
Time for a reorder?
Your file and your screens are on our shelf, so a repeat run skips setup and starts straight away.
Talk to a real person: (800) 123-4567