1- How long does it take to logo my custom clothing?
We operate on an industry-leading 7-day maximum turnaround for our printing and embroidered custom clothing. For details, see our [delivery services page](link), but we also offer express services, meaning we can dispatch your items within 48 hours. See our [page](link) for how to get your items in a hurry.
2- Will I see a sample of my customised clothing first?
In most cases, yes! We always send samples of artwork for you to check before we print or embroider your clothing if we feel there may be an issue. We may not send artwork proofs for small orders of 5 or fewer items. In this case, we may use our 25 years of logo experience and determine the best way to customise the items. We also will not send proofs if you use our online designer to design your own garments/logos unless our specialists see any errors that may have been made. Also, please note that any visual sight of logos is for position reference only, and if the size is given in mm on any orders or proofs, then this is the size they will be printed (subject to tolerances) regardless of the visual images. To give you an idea, see how we do it [here](link to Embroidery Approval page).
3- Will my logo look exactly the same?
We appreciate the value of getting your custom logo brand right every time, and we have invested heavily in the most up-to-date printing and embroidery equipment around to ensure the best, most consistent quality and branding of your items. Printing textiles with custom logos is a dynamic process and, by its very nature, is not exact, unlike say printing paper or other types of exact-sized media which can be printed exactly. Garments or textiles, by the very nature of the manufacturing process, are each sized slightly differently, and things like stripes on hi-vis vests may be stitched slightly differently on one vest to another vest, or the size differences between a small and an XL sized garment mean positioning of prints can be slightly different too. Garments and the printing of items do have a tolerance of around 20-30mm for size or positioning. Any of our artwork proofs we may send you could show your logo position in a certain position on the garment; this is not to be expected exactly as if we were printing paper or other “exact” types of media, and a small tolerance of position or size is to be expected as is the industry norm. Any visual sight of logos is for position reference only, and if the size is given in mm on any orders or proofs, then this is the size they will be printed (subject to tolerances) regardless of the visual images. Should you have any other queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
4- Can I make amendments to my order?
Sure, as long as your order is not using any of our express logo services, you can make amendments to your order, whether you’re having custom logo items or just plain stock. The best thing to do is get your order reference number to hand and call our team on 01325261020, and as long as it hasn’t gone too far through our production process, it should be fine. Our express logo service does not allow for changes as the whole process happens so quickly.
5- Can I make changes to my order?
Sure, as long as your order hasn’t passed through the process completely, we will do our best to accommodate any changes. It is best to call us on 01325261020 and please find your order reference number to quote to us. This will enable us to track it through our system quicker and make any changes.
6- My logo has a white background, can it be removed?
Yes, certainly with embroidery. Printing is usually a yes but it depends on the quality and complexity of the logos you send us. If normal designs have a white background, our designers may remove it automatically. Our designers have to see it to be 100% sure, but as ever, if you state that you need the white background or any of the logo removing when placing your order in the notes box at checkout stage, we will send you a proof and will call you if we have any queries before we logo.
7- How do I send you my logo?
You can send your logo via email to sales@dittocc.co.uk. We accept virtually any type of logo, and our preferred formats are .EPS, .PDF, .JPG, .PNG, .BMP, WORD. Please ensure a crisp, clean image is supplied or the print quality will suffer. Basically, if it looks good on your screen when as big as will fit on your monitor, then usually, this is good enough. If you only have it small on your screen, then by the time we increase the size of it, it will deteriorate. See examples of Acceptable Image or unacceptable Image below.
8- Do you send sample clothing?
We can send sample clothing for you to try for size, which is chargeable at the sample rate and credited in full on return. Please note, some manufacturers charge us a restocking fee for any special order items we have to purchase. We may have to pass this charge on to you should any samples be non-stock items. But we will let you know about this at the point of enquiry.
9- How can I pay?
We accept all major debit and credit cards via our secure servers or telephone. Bacs payments are accepted as below. Please send us a proof of bacs remittance so we can process your order as soon as possible. You can also post a cheque to our address, but any order will only be processed once the cheque has cleared. Our Bank address is NatWest, 25 High Row, Darlington, DL3 7QP. Bank Details: Ditto Custom Clothing Ltd Sort Code: 52-30-18 Account Number: 41786491.
10- What about delivery?
We offer FREE delivery on all orders over £150.00 Excluding VAT and varying rates of delivery from Tracked 24 or Tracked 48 with Royal Mail. For Bulk orders delivery, please get in touch for arrangement.
11- How do I return my items?
Please ensure you follow our [returns procedure](link) to enable it to go smoothly. Please also make a note of our cancellation policy [here](link), in our terms and conditions.
12- How much are your design set up charges?
We offer FREE set up charges for large bulk orders for the first design. If having multiple designs, then design charges are reduced pro rata. Our embroidery design charges are amongst the lowest around and usually £5.00 plus VAT. We will always inform you of any set up charges to be clear and transparent without any “hidden” charges.
13- do you use Pantone reference numbers?
We can print to almost all Pantone ref numbers. Please let us have them at the time of enquiry. Please be aware that some Pantone refs do not print exactly the same on textiles as they do on crisp white paper, but again, we will send you electronic samples for you to check. Should you have any concerns, please ask us for a pre-production actual sample to be posted to you (chargeable). Please remember, all colours can display differently on all monitors, so if in doubt, request a sample. A quick Pantone guide or picker is [here](link) and is for guidance only.
14- What about VAT relief?
VAT relief for charities, please get in touch at 01325261020 or email us at sales@dittocc.co.uk
15- Bobbling or Pilling on my Clothes?
Almost all garments will bobble, and pilling on clothes can cause your garments to look well past their best. Those little balls of fluff can be quite noticeable and take a bit of time to get rid of. The biggest reason for bobbling is abrasion when wearing or when washing/drying. Modern fabrics undergo rigorous tests before being produced into garments by thousands of meters, and each of these rolls undergoes pre-brushing and bobbling tests to reduce the amount of bobble by the end-user.
If a garment is cared for and washed and dried properly, you can reduce the amount of pilling/bobbling, though not eliminate it completely, as there is never any guarantee that a garment will not bobble due to the many variables involved with different people.
However, there are some simple steps you can follow to help stop bobbling on clothes in the first place.
16- Why Do My Clothes Bobble?
It’s both useful and interesting to know why clothes bobble before you start looking at prevention. Bobbling happens when friction causes the fibers on the clothes’ surface to rub together. This is why the underarm area and down the side of jumpers and cardigans are often the worst-hit. Wool, cotton, polyester, and nylon can all be affected by bobbling, while linen and silk tend to avoid the problem.
17- How to Prevent Clothes Bobbling?
Thankfully, there are a few simple tips you can follow to stop clothes from going bobbly:
1. Use a Gentle, Liquid Detergent: Powders can sometimes rub up against clothes as they dissolve in the washing machine.
2. Wash Your Clothes Inside Out: That way if bobbling does occur, at least it’ll be on the inside of the garment.
3. Separate Your Clothes Before Washing: Be careful not to wash terry cloth items with polyester, for example, as any lint will cling to broken fibres. Delicates shouldn’t be washed with harsher fabrics like jeans as these could cause abrasion.
4. Don’t Overload the Washing Machine: If there are too many clothes in the drum, they won’t move freely, and there’s more chance of damage to the clothes’ surface.
5. Wash on the Correct Cycle: For example, if you’re washing a jumper, you’ll probably want to wash it on a short, delicate cycle.
6. Use a Fabric Softener like Comfort or Lenor: This conditions the fibres so there’s less abrasion.
7. Consider Hand-washing: If you have the time, the gentlest way to wash your clothes is by hand using a specialist detergent.
8. Brush Your Clothes Regularly to Smooth Out the Fabric: Some people use razor blades or “anti-pilling defuzzer machines to remove excess bobbling.
18- Can I Supply My Own Items for Logos?
Yes, of course, you can send in your own items, but we advise you to speak to us first to ensure they are suitable for whatever decoration we may add to them. *We do not accept any liability for any items not supplied by us, that may be damaged in the process of adding logos. Of course, we take great care to make any customer-supplied items we decorate return to you in the same quality, but mistakes do happen. There are many thousands of items in the garment market, all different specs, that we can’t guarantee all are suitable for every logo type. The ones we supply have been specially chosen to be suitable for whatever method of printing or embroidery we can apply, and we would always recommend using ours to avoid the potential of costly damage to your own items. If in doubt, please call us on 01325261020.
19- My Parcel Has Not Arrived Yet?
If you used our Courier services, you should have received a tracking number; this could help. If not, just call us on 01325261020. If, however, you chose Royal Mail Tracked 24 or Tracked 48, then please see the link below to Royal Mail’s terms for missing or delayed deliveries.
20- Do You Supply Bespoke Uniform Contracts?
Yes, we do. We have been supplying bespoke uniform contracts for major multiples and anyone with higher numbers of staff for over 7 years.
21- Can Embroidery be Done on Any Garment?
We can supply most things with embroidery, such as embroidered towels, embroidered polo shirts, embroidered sweatshirts, embroidered hats and bags, embroidered hi-visibility workwear, and most other workwear can also be embroidered. We set and design all the logos in-house so have full control over the entire process.
*Please see important information regarding tolerances of logo positions here (please attach position PDF)*
Our saying is that if we can get a needle through it, we can probably embroider it.
Washing My Garments
All our garments should only be washed as per the washing instructions on the garment care label if the items have no logos applied. Do not use the same instructions if logos have been added because the manufacturer would not have considered the logo type.
We recommend no higher temps than 30 degrees for any item with customization. If the garment distorts, stretches, or shrinks at 40 or 50, then the embroidery threads we use are up to a 90-degree wash we cannot recommend this as it will make the embroidery look puckered as it won’t distort the same amount as the garment.
– Turn imprinted garments inside out when washing
– Do not tumble dry
– Do not iron transfers, even with a cool iron
– Iron the reverse of the garment when possible
– Do not use bleach or harsh chemicals
We cannot replace any items that have shrunk or been damaged in any way by incorrect washing. We recommend the garment to be washed inside out to enable longevity from abrasion. Embroidery will generally last longer than any print method. Although we use the best quality print materials, all prints whatever type you use will fade with time and have a maximum longevity with the wash process. So if you feel your garments will need a heavier duty wash than 30 or 40 degrees, then embroidery will be the choice, though is not cost-effective for large size logos, and can pull and distort.
22- Garments Bobbling:
Almost all garments will bobble, and pilling on clothes can cause your garments to look well past their best. Those little balls of fluff can be quite noticeable and take a bit of time to get rid of. The biggest reason for bobbling is abrasion when wearing or when washing/drying. Modern fabrics undergo rigorous tests before being produced into garments by thousands of meters, and each of these rolls undergoes pre-brushing and bobbling tests to reduce the amount of bobble by the end-user.
If a garment is cared for and washed and dried properly, you can reduce the amount of pilling/bobbling, though not eliminate it completely. There is never any guarantee that a garment will not bobble due to the many variables involved with different people.
However, there are some simple steps you can follow to help stop bobbling on clothes in the first place.
23- Why Do My Clothes Bobble?
It’s both useful and interesting to know why clothes bobble before you start looking at prevention. Bobbling happens when friction causes the fibres on the clothes’ surface to rub together. This is why the underarm area and down the side of jumpers and cardigans are often the worst-hit. Wool, cotton, polyester, and nylon can all be affected by bobbling, while linen and silk tend to avoid the problem.
24- How to Prevent Clothes Bobbling?
Thankfully, there are a few simple tips you can follow to stop clothes from going bobbly:
– Use a gentle, liquid detergent. Powders can sometimes rub up against clothes as they dissolve in the washing machine.
– Wash your clothes inside out. That way if bobbling does occur, at least it’ll be on the inside of the garment.
– Separate your clothes before washing. Be careful not to wash terry cloth items with polyester, for example, as any lint will cling to broken fibres. Delicates shouldn’t be washed with harsher fabrics like jeans as these could cause abrasion.
– Don’t overload the washing machine. If there are too many clothes in the drum, they won’t move freely, and there’s more chance of damage to the clothes’ surface.
– Wash on the correct cycle. For example, if you’re washing a jumper, you’ll probably want to wash it on a short, delicate cycle.
– Use a fabric softener like Comfort or Lenor. This conditions the fibres so there’s less abrasion.
– Consider hand-washing. If you have the time, the gentlest way to wash your clothes is by hand using a specialist detergent.
– Brush your clothes regularly to smooth out the fabric.
– Some people use razor blades or “anti-pilling defuzzer machines to remove excess bobbling.
25- I Have My Embroidery File from My Previous Supplier, Can You Use This?
Yes, this will be fine as long as it is an industry-standard embroidery format such as DST, EMB, etc. Please note your design will be stitched in the same standard as your previous embroiderer, so if it was poor then, it will more than likely be poor now as the digitising is the same. You may wish to take advantage of our low rates to re-digitise the logo to an acceptable standard if you were not happy with your previous design.