Screen printing presses, printed tees and ink buckets on a print shop floor

Santa Fe Springs, CAPrinting since 2010

Local Screen Printer vs Online T-Shirt Sites

Short answer: pick a local shop when you want a real person, a proof you approve before anything prints, and an order you can pick up yourself. Here is exactly what that looks like at French Press Custom, so you can compare it with any option you are considering.

Price Your Order Live (562) 407-3800

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Ordering From a Local Shop

What Ordering From Us Looks Like

Six things that are true of every order at French Press Custom.

You talk to a real person

Call (562) 407-3800 or email sales@frenchpresscustom.com (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm PT). The sales team reads your artwork, asks about your date and garment, and answers the questions a form cannot: which method fits, which blank, how a color will look on a dark shirt.

You see and approve a proof

Before anything is printed you get a digital proof showing placement, size and ink colors on your garment. Nothing runs until you approve it, so a wrong color or a typo gets caught on screen, not on the shirts.

You can pick it up in Santa Fe Springs

Finished orders are picked up at our shop, 14130 Rosecrans Ave, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670, Mon-Fri 8am-4pm PT. You can also drop off garments or artwork and look at printed samples in person. Ask the team about delivery or shipping if pickup does not work for you.

You can price it yourself, live

The quote calculator prices your exact garment, quantity, colors and print locations with the same pricing engine our estimates use. No email back-and-forth just to get a number, and the cost guides publish the same figures by quantity.

One shop does every method

Screen printing (from 36 pieces per design), embroidery (from 24 pieces), DTF transfers (from 12 pieces), heat transfer vinyl and DTG all run in the same building. DTG has no minimum. The team recommends the method that fits your quantity, not just the one a website happens to sell.

Your artwork stays on file

We keep your artwork on file, so a reorder of the same design starts from the art you already approved. Vector files print best; a high-resolution PNG is fine too, and designs made with ChatGPT or another AI tool are welcome. We check every file is print-ready before it reaches the press.

How to Decide

Which One Fits Your Order?

Both are legitimate ways to get custom shirts. The right one depends on how you like to work.

A local shop fits when you want…

Someone to look at your artwork and recommend a method and garment
A proof to approve before production starts
To see printed samples or the garment in person
To pick the finished order up yourself
One shop for screen printing, embroidery, DTG and DTF

An online site fits when you want…

To design and check out entirely in a browser, at any hour, without talking to anyone. That is what those sites are built for.

You can get some of the same convenience here: the quote calculator prices your order live, any time, and a person follows up during shop hours.

From Quote to Pickup

How an Order Works Here

Price it

Use the instant quote calculator, or send your details and artwork.

Talk it through

The sales team confirms the garment, method, colors and your in-hands date.

Approve

You approve the estimate and pay the 50% deposit, then approve your proof.

We print

Production runs in our Santa Fe Springs shop; turnaround is about 2-3 weeks after the artwork is approved and the deposit is paid.

Pick up

The balance is due before pickup. Collect your order Mon-Fri 8am-4pm PT.

A bulk tee run stacked and counted on our Santa Fe Springs shop floor.

Want the numbers first? See the screen printing cost guide, DTG cost guide, or how to choose a screen printer.

Common Questions

Local Shop vs Online: FAQ

Should I use a local screen printer or an online t-shirt site?

It depends on what you need. If you want to talk to a person, approve a proof before anything prints, see samples, and pick the order up yourself, a local shop is built for that. At French Press Custom in Santa Fe Springs you can call (562) 407-3800, approve a digital proof, price the job live at /quote, and pick up at 14130 Rosecrans Ave, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670. If you would rather design and order entirely in a browser without talking to anyone, an online site is built for that instead.

Can I talk to a real person about my order?

Yes. Call (562) 407-3800 or email sales@frenchpresscustom.com, Mon-Fri 8am-4pm PT. The sales team handles every order, from choosing the garment and print method to checking your artwork and confirming your date.

Will I see a proof before my shirts are printed?

Yes. You approve a digital proof showing placement, size and ink colors before production starts. Nothing is printed until you sign off.

Can I pick up my order instead of having it shipped?

Yes. Orders are picked up at 14130 Rosecrans Ave, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670, Mon-Fri 8am-4pm PT. Ask the team about delivery or shipping if pickup does not work for you.

How do I get a price without waiting for a quote?

Use the instant quote calculator at frenchpresscustom.com/quote. It prices your garment, quantity, ink colors and print locations with the same pricing engine our estimates use, and the cost guides publish those figures by quantity.

What is the minimum order?

Screen printing starts at 36 pieces per design, embroidery at 24 pieces, and DTF transfers at 12 pieces. DTG (direct-to-garment) has no minimum, so a single shirt is fine.

How long does an order take?

Standard turnaround is about 2-3 weeks after the artwork is approved and the deposit is paid. If you have a date to hit, tell the team when you order and they will confirm what the schedule allows.

I made my design with ChatGPT. Can you print it?

Yes, upload it with your quote request. Designs made with ChatGPT or other AI tools are welcome. We check every file is print-ready (resolution, edges, colors) before it goes to press, and if it needs any cleanup to print well we tell you before you approve anything.

How does payment work?

A 50% deposit starts the order once you approve the estimate, and the balance is due before pickup.

Shelves of folded printed t-shirts sorted by color in a print shop

Price It Live, Then Talk to a Person

Get a number from the calculator in a minute. Made your design with ChatGPT? Upload it, we will check it is print-ready.

Instant Quote Calculator Call (562) 407-3800