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The t-shirt - one of America's favorite pieces of clothing. From casual to classy, tees are versatile. Have you ever thought of promoting your business with custom made t-shirts for your employees or customers? Maybe you'd like to design some shirts for yourself, your friends or family. You begin to search around town and online for custom t-shirts.

One morning not long after, you were driving along Haggerty Road in West Bloomfield or Commerce, (Metropolitan Detroit) Michigan and noticed the Mato & Hash – Custom T-Shirts & Accessories sign and came in. You could have found us at www.matohash.com or you Googled custom t-shirts online and found our contact information, so you gave us a call at 877-267-7010.

Regardless of how you found us or where in the world you live, you are now getting custom t-shirts. Think of those times when you find the perfect shirt on the rack at the mall, but better, since your custom-made designs are emblazoned on the front and back, along with your stunning color scheme.If you give us a call, you will be speaking with one of our customer service representatives or one of our artists. We will go over placement of your images, discuss inks or threads to be used, colors to incorporate, direct-to-garment vs screen-printed, number of shirts you want and more. Rest assured you will be put at ease by our staff, they will guide you through the process as a customer advocate. We would like to talk a bit about what the best design may be and ensure the best pricing has been applied to the order.

If you walked in because you noticed our sign from the street, the same conversation will take place. Some may find it easier to be in our store showroom in order to see design details and to analyze and assess the material and necessary sizes for your t-shirts. Try them on in the back if you would like. You will also get to meet our wonderful staff at the store and collaborate. Relax with TV and enjoy a refreshment in our lobby while you wait. 

The other way you can contact us is through our website. There, you can use our customizer to create the shirt you have always wanted.

Make sure to click "customize" after picking the product you want (men’s, women’s or unisex t-shirt, hoodie or bowling shirt. Kids sizes available as well). From there, you can add a stock image or your own image along with the text of your choice. You have the option to add designs and text to the front and back, while being able to completely customize font style and effects.Once we have settled on a design and finalized all the other specifics, payment of your invoice is due so we can get started on printing or embroidery.

Keep in mind that with Mato & Hash, you are getting a proof of your design before work starts. We will make sure the design and print type work well with your garment and adjust all colors for optimum visibility and quality. Many competitors simply go ahead and print/embroider without consulting the customer first. Once your payment is received and you have reviewed and approved your test print, it is time to make your custom t-shirt!Each shirt we print is inspected and ensured defect-free before being sent for completion. Our embroidered garments give off a classic look and employ the highest-quality stitching technique. If using direct-to-garment printing, your shirt will be pretreated with a water-based natural solution that helps the ink adhere and bond to the shirt. DTG prints can withstand hundreds of washes. For screen printing, as long as the shirt is clean we are ready to go. For some more detailed information on printing methods, follow this link to our prior blog post detailing DTG vs screen printing. 

One quick analogy would be comparing the DTG printer to a sonic jet as the screen printer is compared to a classic biplane from the early 1900s. Both perform great and as intended to, one is just a little quicker and modern, providing a sleeker product. In comes the shirt. Hopefully you have selected your favorite color because we are about to start embroidering or adding ink! Your shirt, along with the thread, DTG or screen printer will be prepped and inspected for the culmination of all your design and customization efforts! 

The DTG printer is easier to use for the operator and provides higher quality graphics – our machine can duplicate and repeat images with outstanding consistency.The screen printer is a bit more involved for the operator, as the screens need to be set up, the design film printed out, images transposed onto the screen and exposed, then the screen needs to be washed. After printing, the shirts must be sent through the dryer to cure the ink. 

With screen printing, orders cannot be amended on short notice due to the setup labor involved and the likelihood that the screen was reclaimed. With DTG, if you need to add to your order on short notice the digital printing process makes it possible. 

It takes your shirt between one and two minutes to print with DTG, plus 10 minutes to dry. With screen printing, your shirt will print and cure in seconds. 100 DTG shirts might take two or three hours to print, whereas screen-printed shirts are produced at a rate of 100 per hour. Your DTG print can be sized to fit the garment, adding another, deeper level of customization.

Now we review your final shirt. Does it look right? Are the images aligned and does the print look great all over? We also make sure the shirt is in good order – clean, no errant ink from printing, seams and threads all tight – just like you would want a superior t-shirt to be. When we have determined things are good to go, the process is repeated and your remaining order volume finished.

Once everything is complete, your shirts head over to our shipping department where they are packed and sent off or kept safe in-store for you to come pick up. We will bag your garments with extra care in one of our cool Mato & Hash mailing bags and seal them up nicely with a crisp, clean label on top - the icing on the cake. Then your products are handed over to one of our shipping partners: UPS, FedEx or the United States Postal Service and it is just a matter of time until your custom t-shirt arrives on your doorstep. So come on in, give us a call or check out www.matohash.com. We would love to hear from you and work together to create the custom t-shirt of your dreams! Remember to take some time to think about whether you will need DTG or screen printing, take some time to create a quality design or have our artists help you, and consider your audience. Is your shirt personal or for a group? How will it be perceived in public? The answer to these questions is up to you, now get customizing.

About the Authors 

Jon is the E-Commerce Product Specialist and has been with Mato & Hash since the beginning of 2021. He grew up about 20 minutes east of the office, holds a degree in journalism and enjoys watching and playing sports, reading, video games, cooking and spending time with his friends and family.

Leona has been the Resident Photographer/Content Creator at Mato & Hash since the start of 2020, capturing flawless product images and actualizing breathtaking photoshoots. She loves her fur babies, hiking and anything creative. She graduated with a BFA in photography from College for Creative Studies in Detroit.

Olivia is a designer from the Detroit area who's been working at Mato & Hash for over a year now developing apparel designs and web content. She loves gardening, activism, and BLTs.