It happens to everyone. The team made the playoffs, the reunion snuck up on you, or the boss decided on Tuesday that the whole staff needs shirts for Saturday's event. We would rather tell you straight what is possible than promise a date and miss it, so here is how our timelines work and how to get the fastest result.
Our turnaround times
| Product | Standard | Rush (+25%) |
|---|---|---|
| Printed shirts, hoodies, sweatpants | 7 to 10 business days | 5 business days |
| Yard signs and banners | 5 to 7 business days | 3 business days |
| Vinyl decals and lettering | 3 to 5 business days | Next business day |
| Embroidered hats and polos | 10 to 15 business days | Ask first |
The clock starts when the deposit is paid and the mockup is approved, not when you first open the designer. Embroidery takes longer because it goes to our embroidery partner and back, so if your event is less than three weeks out, go with printed shirts and printed hats instead of stitched ones.
What "5 business days" really means
Business days are weekdays, not counting holidays. So if you approve and pay on a Monday, a rush shirt order is typically ready the following Monday. If you approve on a Thursday, it is usually ready the next Thursday. Weekends do not count, so an order placed on a Friday afternoon effectively starts on Monday.
Holidays matter too. Around Thanksgiving, the winter holidays and the end of the school year, everyone in Bergen County is ordering at once, and suppliers close for holidays. Give yourself a few extra days during those stretches.
What rush costs
Rush is 25% on top of the order total. For example, 24 colored Gildan tees with a front print are $21.00 each, or $504.00. With rush, that is $630.00. For a single shirt at $23.00, rush makes it $28.75. Whether that is worth it depends on how much the date matters. For a team photo or a memorial, it usually is.
Five things that actually speed up an order
- Have your artwork ready. The most common delay is waiting on a usable logo. A PNG with a transparent background or a vector file is ideal. Our artwork guide explains what works.
- Have your sizes ready. Collect the full list before you start, not after. Adding three shirts after the order is in can push the whole thing back.
- Approve the mockup quickly. You build and approve your own mockup in the designer, so there is no waiting for a proof by email.
- Pick common colors. Black, white, navy, gray, red and royal blue in standard sizes are the most likely to be in stock and arrive quickly from our blank suppliers. Unusual colors in unusual sizes are where surprises happen.
- Pick up instead of shipping. Shipping adds a few days in transit. Contactless pickup at our front door in Paramus means you have the order as soon as it is done.
What slows an order down
- Changing the design after approving it.
- Low-resolution art that has to be recreated.
- Specialty blanks or uncommon sizes that are out of stock.
- Embroidery on a tight deadline.
- Holiday weeks.
When the date is really tight
Use the "Need it by" date field when you order, and text us at 201-948-4433 if the date is closer than our rush time. Sometimes our schedule allows it, and sometimes it does not. If it does not, we will tell you before you pay, not after. A few options that can help:
- Split the order. Get the players' shirts on rush now and the parent shirts on standard time later. There is no minimum, so a second order is no problem.
- Go simpler. Front only instead of front and back saves you a step and money.
- Swap embroidery for printing on hats and polos if the event cannot move.
- Use a sign or banner too. If the shirts cannot make it for the event, a banner with rush is 3 business days and still gets the team in the photo.
Signs and vinyl in a hurry
Yard signs and banners can be ready in 3 business days with rush. Vinyl decals, window lettering and truck door lettering can be ready the next business day with rush, which is handy for a new work truck or a store opening. Build those in the sign designer and vinyl designer.
A real example timeline
Say a Paramus travel team finds out on a Sunday night that they made a tournament the following Saturday, and they want matching shirts for the team photo. Here is how that week could go:
- Sunday night: the team parent gets the logo file from the coach and collects sizes in the team chat.
- Monday morning: the parent builds the shirt in the designer, checks the rush box, approves the mockup and pays the deposit.
- Following Monday: five business days later, the order is ready.
That misses Saturday. Rush is fast, but it is not magic, and this is exactly the case where you should text us before ordering. Depending on the week, we may be able to fit it in sooner, or we may suggest a banner for the photo and shirts for the next game. The honest answer up front is better than a disappointed team on Saturday.
The same tournament with ten days of notice is easy: order Monday with rush, pick up the following Monday, and you have the whole week as a cushion.
Plan ahead next time
A few dates sneak up on Bergen County families every year: spring sports opening days in March and April, graduation and moving-up ceremonies in June, back-to-school in September, fall festivals in October, and holiday gifts in December. If one of those is on your calendar, put a reminder three weeks before it. Standard turnaround saves you the 25%, and you get your pick of colors and sizes before suppliers run low.
Picking up your rush order
We email you as soon as the order is ready. Then book a pickup time, and the address comes with your confirmation. Pickup is contactless at our front door in Paramus, usually a short drive from anywhere in central Bergen County. See our areas we serve for drive times from your town.
Next time, plan three weeks ahead and skip the rush fee. But when it is the last minute, we will do what we can.