Avoid costly mistakes and get the best results for your team, business, or event.
Ordering custom apparel sounds simple until you realize there are dozens of options to choose from. T-shirts, polos, hoodies, hats, screen printing, embroidery, sublimation, performance wear, cotton, polyester. The list goes on.
At Sandlot Apparel Decorating, we help customers throughout Michigan’s Tri-Cities and Great Lakes Bay Region navigate these decisions every single day. Whether you’re ordering uniforms for employees, spirit wear for a school, shirts for a fundraiser, or apparel for your growing business, asking a few important questions upfront can save both time and money.
Before placing your next order, make sure you ask these five questions.
1. Who Will Be Wearing the Apparel?
This may sound obvious, but it’s the most important question of all.
A construction crew has different needs than a golf outing. A youth baseball team needs something different than a corporate sales staff. A charity 5K participant expects something different than a fishing charter customer.
Consider:
- Age of the wearer
- Work environment
- Activity level
- Climate and season
- Frequency of use
For example, a business looking for professional employee uniforms may benefit from embroidered polos and jackets, while an event organizer may prefer affordable screen printed t-shirts for hundreds of attendees.
Understanding the end user lets you choose the right garment before you even start thinking about decoration. And wait, there’s more.
2. How Will the Apparel Be Decorated?
Not all decoration methods are created equal. The right choice depends on your logo, budget, garment selection, and intended use.
Screen Printing
Best for:
- Event shirts
- Company t-shirts
- Fundraisers
- School spirit wear
- Large quantity orders
Embroidery
Best for:
- Employee uniforms
- Corporate apparel
- Hats
- Jackets
- Golf apparel
Sublimation
Best for:
- Athletic uniforms
- Fishing shirts
- Performance apparel
- Full-color graphics
Many customers searching for screen printing near you or embroidery near you aren’t actually sure which process makes the most sense for their project.
That’s where working with a full-service decorator matters. Instead of forcing your order into a single decoration method, Sandlot Apparel Decorating helps identify the solution that provides the best appearance, durability, and value.
3. What Is Your Budget?
Being upfront about your budget helps avoid unnecessary surprises. Several factors affect apparel pricing:
- Garment brand and quality
- Quantity ordered
- Number of print locations
- Number of ink colors
- Embroidery stitch count
- Personalization requirements
Many customers assume the lowest-cost shirt is always the best option. In reality, spending an extra dollar or two per garment can often result in:
- Better durability
- Better fit
- Better appearance
- Higher employee satisfaction
- More frequent use
Custom apparel should be viewed as an investment in your brand, team, or organization, not simply a purchase price. Our team of professionals at Sandlot can help you navigate this.
4. How Long Do You Need the Apparel to Last?
Not every order has the same lifespan. Ask yourself: is this apparel for a one-day event, or will employees wear it every day for years?
A fundraiser shirt may only need to look great for a few washes. A company uniform may need to withstand hundreds of wash cycles. A sports uniform may endure an entire season of competition.
Durability should always influence both garment selection and decoration method. For example:
- Screen printing delivers excellent long-term value
- Embroidery provides exceptional durability and a professional appearance
- Sublimation creates permanent graphics that won’t crack or peel
- DTF touches on all of the above and is great for smaller quantities
Understanding how the apparel will be used helps determine the right combination of garment and decoration.
5. Does Your Decorator Offer More Than One Solution?
This question is often overlooked.
Some shops only offer screen printing. Others focus primarily on embroidery. When you work with a decorator that only offers one service, every project tends to receive the same recommendation.
At Sandlot Apparel Decorating, we’re proud to be a full-service apparel decorator serving the Tri-Cities and Great Lakes Bay Region. We offer:
- Screen printing
- Embroidery
- Sublimation
- Digital options (DTF)
- Promotional products
- Banners and stickers
- Team stores
- Corporate apparel programs
- School spirit wear
- Event apparel
Because we offer multiple decoration methods, our recommendations are based on what works best for your project, not what happens to be available in-house. Our whole team works for you, the customer.
That means better results, better value, and a better experience from start to finish.
The Bottom Line
Choosing custom apparel shouldn’t be complicated. By answering these five questions before placing your order, you’ll avoid common mistakes and make sure your project delivers the results you’re expecting.
Whether you’re searching for screen printing near you, embroidery near you, team apparel, employee uniforms, spirit wear, or promotional products, the team at Sandlot Apparel Decorating is here to help.
Our experts can guide you through garment selection, decoration options, artwork preparation, and budgeting so you receive apparel that looks great and represents your organization professionally.
Ready to Start a Custom Apparel Project?
Contact Sandlot Apparel Decorating today for a free consultation, and discover why businesses, schools, sports teams, and community organizations throughout the Tri-Cities trust Sandlot for their apparel decoration needs.
You got this. And most importantly, now you know a guy. His name is Sandlot.