Frequently Asked Questions

Here you can find answers to common questions about artwork, payments, file specifications and more.

Printing Glossary
General Questions
Payments & Fees
Artwork Requirements
Screenprinting Questions
Section Five

Printing Glossary

  • Screen Charge

    MOVE OR DUPE TO FEES? "Screen Charge" refers to the service fee we charge to make your screen(s). For an explanation of when these apply and how much they are, see Setup Fees below.

  • What does "1/2" mean on my invoice?

    MOVE TO FEES?? This means "1 color" with "2 imprints." For example, if you had a white shirt that received a small black print on the front left chest area, and a larger black print on the back, this would be a 1/2 print: "1 color" (black), with "2 imprints" (front left chest, back).

  • Flash

    The term "flash" refers to a specific piece of screenprinting equipment called a flash dryer, used to lightly heat or cure an application of ink while it is still on the press. Typically a flash is used to prepare the shirt for a second print; for example, in a two-color design, we print the first color, the press rotates so that the shirt is underneath the flash dryer which lightly cures the ink, then passes to a second station where it receives the second color (visuals for this stuff would help).

  • Print-flash-print (PFP)

    The term "print / flash / print" refers to a "double print" of the same color, typically a light-colored ink on a dark-colored garment. The most common "print / flash / print" is two coats of white on a black, navy, or dark-colored shirt. This printing method is used when the customer desires maximum opacity in their print.

  • Opacity

    The term "opacity" refers to ... a "full opacity" print is one that doesn't allow any of the garment color to be visible.

  • HTV

    The term "HTV" is an acronym that stands for heat transfer vinyl, which is a decoration method typically used for individual names and numbers on sports jerseys. It can also be used for simple "one-off" shirt designs, hats, towels, and difficult-to-reach items like backpacks, suitcases and purses.

  • Turnaround Time

    Turnaround time refers to the amount of time it takes to complete your order. This varies according to the type of printing process we use to make your order, by how busy we are at the moment, by how much lead time you give us on the order, as well as the quantity of your order.

General Questions

  • Where are you located?

    We are located at 1358 Tower Sq. #2 in Ventura, California, off of Callens Road and Market Street. For directions, see our pin on Google maps.

  • What are your hours?

    *If possible, please text, call, or email to give notice of when you intend to stop by
    Monday-Friday: 9:00am to 4:30pm
    Saturday: By appointment
    Sunday: Closed

  • What services do you offer?

    We offer a variety of services including but not limited to screenprinting, embroidery, web design, heat transfer vinyl, dye sublimation, direct-to-film printing, direct-to-garment printing, copywriting, and graphic services.

  • Do you charge setup fees?

    Standard setup is $40 per screen / color / area, but we’ll often reduce or even waive setup if the quantities are significant. Different printing processes require different setup fees...

  • How long does it take?

    Standard turnaround is within 10 business days, but turnaround times may vary. If you need guaranteed faster service that’s considered “rush service” and extra fees apply.

Payments & Fees

  • Which forms of payment do you accept?

    We accept cash, checks, and all major debit & credit cards (VISA, Master Card, AMEX, Discover). We do not accept Zelle, CashApp or VenMo.

  • Do you offer discounts for cash or check payments?

    We offer a 3% discount for cash and check payments.

  • When is payment due?

    For customers not on NET 30 terms, unless otherwise specified, we require full payment on all invoices before production begins.

  • What is your return policy

    Returns accepted for damaged products only ie bad prints, damaged shirts. Returns will not be accepted for size exchanges. Please notify us via email to authorize return. A restocking fee of $6 for returns will be charged for returns without authorization.

  • How can I pay my invoice?

    There are three ways to pay your invoice:
    1. Via secure payment link on our website
    2. Send a company check payable to "Ventura Creative Services" at 1358 Tower Sq. #2, Ventura, CA 93003
    3. Bring a company check or cash in person to 1358 Tower Sq. #2, Ventura, CA 93003.

  • Do you offer NET 30 payment terms?

    Repeat customers in good standing are eligible for NET 30 payment terms.

Artwork Requirements

  • Where are you located?

    We are located at 1358 Tower Sq. #2 in Ventura, California, off of Callens Road and Market Street. For directions, see our pin on Google maps.

  • What are your hours?

    *If possible, please text, call, or email to give notice of when you intend to stop by
    Monday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
    Tuesday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
    Wednesday: 9:00am to 3:00pm
    Thursday: 9:00am to 3:00pm
    Friday: 9:00am to 2:00pm
    Saturday: By appointment
    Sunday: Closed

  • Question 3

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Screenprinting Questions

  • Can I bring my own garments?

    We are located at 1358 Tower Sq. #2 in Ventura, California, off of Callens Road and Market Street. For directions, see our pin on Google maps.

  • What are your hours?

    *If possible, please text, call, or email to give notice of when you intend to stop by
    Monday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
    Tuesday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
    Wednesday: 9:00am to 3:00pm
    Thursday: 9:00am to 3:00pm
    Friday: 9:00am to 2:00pm
    Saturday: By appointment
    Sunday: Closed

  • Question 3

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Section Five

  • Where are you located?

    We are located at 1358 Tower Sq. #2 in Ventura, California, off of Callens Road and Market Street. For directions, see our pin on Google maps.

  • What are your hours?

    *If possible, please text, call, or email to give notice of when you intend to stop by
    Monday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
    Tuesday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
    Wednesday: 9:00am to 3:00pm
    Thursday: 9:00am to 3:00pm
    Friday: 9:00am to 2:00pm
    Saturday: By appointment
    Sunday: Closed

  • Question 3

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Do you have minimums?

Yes. The MOQ (minimum order quantity) for screenprinted jobs is typically 24 pieces on a single-color job (for example a white logo on a black shirt), and typically 36 pieces if your job is multi-color (for example red, white, and blue on a black shirt). Back to top

Can we mix and match different styles on the same order?

Yes, you can print the same design on any combination of garments so long as we aren't changing the printing colors. For example, if you have a 24-piece single-color job with a black design on the front chest, you could run 24 white t-shirts; or 12 white t-shirts and 12 yellow v-necks; or 8 tank tops, 8 hoodies, and 8 t-shirts; etc. However, if the color of the design needs to change, this is different (see "on-press color changes" below). Back to top

What are on-press color changes?

An "on-press color change" occurs when the same screen requires two or more colors in one order. For example, you want 20 black t-shirts with a white logo, and 20 black t-shirts with a gray logo. This is an "on-press color change" and costs $15 per color... Back to top

Turnaround Time

Once the quote and artwork is approved, our turnaround time is approximately 4-7 business days. Depending on our schedule, we can also offer rush services for those that need their orders sooner. Please submit these requirements at least 7 business days prior to your deadline. If we do not receive these requirements within the time frame, your order is subject to be delayed.

What is "Press-Ready" Artwork?

The qualifications for press-readiness vary depending on the printing process. For screenprinting,

Requirements:
-Finalized Artwork
-Finalized Garment Selection (style, quantity, size, and colors)
-Payment

Customer responsibility: Throughout the process of an order, various issues can pop up regarding the artwork or garments that you will need to address. (For example: if a certain garment color is out of stock, we would contact you and ask for an alternative option.) If we do not hear from you and do not resolve these issues in a timely manner, the turnaround time can be subject to delays. In cases where our distributors have back ordered or discontinued certain garments, we can offer substitute garments for the out of stock items, or we can wait until the stock is replenished. Please keep in mind that turnaround time may be affected, resulting in delays.

Artwork

With every order, we will provide a digital mock up and 1 revision. If additional mock ups are needed, the hourly artwork fee will be applied. It is the customer's responsibility to check the mock up for any misspellings or other errors. This especially applies to designs that have a list of names. If everything looks right, please confirm with us that the artwork is ready for print. If we do no hear from you in a timely manner, the turnaround time can be subject to delays.

Digital mock ups give a general idea of what the product will look like, but do not exactly translate to the final product. If you have specific dimensions, Pantone colors, and print placement details in mind, please let us know. With these parameters, we will do our best to get as close as possible. If these details are not given to us, we may use our best judgment and will not be held responsible.

Screen Setup

When customers pays for a screen setup, they are paying for the labor of applying the image to a screen, as well as setting up the job. The customer owns the artwork given, not the screen(s) itself. After a job is completed, we will reclaim the screen to be recycled for new jobs.

Garments

After every job, we breakdown the screens, thus the minimums would apply to reorders are well. So please order a few extra garments if you feel that you may need them.

Choosing the garment is the customer’s responsibility. We cannot guarantee that the customer will like the garment they have chosen, but will guarantee the print. Customers are expected to do their own research (we can provide you with the resources) on garments in regards to size, color, and style. We encourage our customers to come in to our shop and examine available samples. If we do not stock a particular item, you may purchase a sample and have it shipped to our shop.

Customer Supplied Garments

We have a standard misprint allowance of 2-3% per order and will not be held responsible for the misprints. You will not be billed for misprints, but please order a few extra shirts to compensate for this if exact quantities are required. We require our contract screen printing clients to provide a detailed list of items such as: style number, size breakdown, and color with each order.

Misprints

The art of screenprinting is a manual process. Sure, we have the latest technology in automated printing, however there are countless variables that can make this process an imperfect one. Loading a t-shirt into our machine is a manual process, thus print locations will vary slightly from one to another and may not be perfectly straight. We do our best to print consistently, but the fact is that the garments themselves are imperfect.

This is the reality of screenprinting. In some cases, if we misprint on a garment we will not charge you for that item. We recommend ordering a few extra pieces if you need exact numbers to stay on the safe side. In some rare cases that we have made a big error (like printing on the wrong garments, printing the wrong design, or printing on the wrong location), we will reprint the job for you.

What type of shirts can you get?

Almost any kind you can think of, ranging anywhere from $1.50 and up depending on the quality and quantity of shirts. Typical jobs run on Hanes, Next Level, AAA, Gildan... Independent Trading Co. has really good fleece for hoodies or crewneck sweatshirts.

What type of inks do you use?

We mostly low-impact plastisol inks on manual presses, but we can do water-based or discharge printing on depending on the job.

Do I own my screen(s)?

No. When you pay screen setup fees, said fees only cover the labor involved with putting your artwork onto the screen(s). See above.

Can you create a logo if we don’t have one, or can you recreate our logo?

Yes. Standard pricing for design work is $25/hr with a one-hour minimum. Most logos can be press-ready in one to three hours.

What exactly is a “basic website”?

A “basic website” usually consists of 1-4 pages including at least a homepage and contact page. It could also have a “services” or “portfolio” page, or maybe a “news” page for example. Basic websites work across all devices and start at $500?

Do you guys do SEO?

Yes, but a lot of people have a misconception of Search Engine Optimization... it’s like anything else, you don’t get to the top overnight. It can take months or even years depending on how you choose to maintain your site, but we strive to build our sites following as many best practices as possible, for example we try to ensure W3C compliance and keep page requests and overall weight as low as possible.

Will we be able to edit our site?

Basic Websites can include a limited amount of client editability, for example a “blog” or “news” page, or maybe a list of services your company offers.