Policies

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Personal Data

At Real Thread, we take your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information to provide the products and services you have requested from us. We will not sell your data or use it for any other purposes than this.

From time to time we would like to contact you with details of other services, content, and resources we provide. By providing us with your email address, you are opting into our terms and services agreement, and providing consent for us to contact you in regard to these items. If at any time you no longer wish to receive email communication from us, please let us know immediately by replying to the email you were sent or by clicking the unsubscribe button on any of our emails.

We do use outside third-party GDPR compliant partners like Intercom, Segment, Google Analytics, and Autopilot. For a list of all the marketing companies we work with, please email team@realthread.com.

Turnaround Time

Our standard turnaround time is currently 10 business days from the time that your order is finalized and approved. “Standard turnaround” refers to orders with standard print specifications and does not include additional service such as tag printing or speciality inks. 

Additional services and speciality printing methods will add to the standard turnaround time. Please view each add-on service on our website for the latest turnaround time for each service. If you have a specific deadline (see In-Hands Date below) that you need to have met, please notify us when placing your order. Taking more than 24 hours to approve your order will add to your turnaround time. Rush Fees may apply to orders needing a quicker turnaround time than what our standard turnaround time offers. Real Thread will not be held responsible for missing deadlines due to weather conditions, power supply interruptions, vendor shortages and errors, shipping errors, or any acts of God.

If we expect or foresee any problems in advance, we will be sure to notify you and work with you to rectify them.

Turnaround Time Example

Let’s say you're placing an order on American Apparel TR401’s (nice pick!), getting custom printed tags added onto your shirts and the manufacturer labels removed. If the standard turnaround time is 10 business days for printing, +3 day for custom printed tags, +3 days to remove the standard manufacturer label, you would be looking at 16 business days for your turnaround time on this particular order. Keep in mind that this does not include shipping time.

Payment Terms

Due In Full: ­Payment is due in full prior to being printed, however, no payment is required until you approve your digital mockup.

Net Terms: ­Orders with Net Terms (i.e. Net 15 or Net 30) can simply approve the order without payment at the time of approval. The invoice date and Net Term’s start date is generally the day your order is shipped. A final invoice will be emailed to you. Orders with Net Terms must be paid with cash, check, or money order; credit cards and PayPal are not accepted for Net Terms orders. (See Invoiced Quantity below for a complete look at how the final invoice balance is determined.)

Under/Over Run Allowance

Custom printing is an art form, especially when it comes to water based and discharge inks. We do our very best to deliver, at minimum, the ordered quantity for each and every size on your order. However, printing mistakes happen, screens break on press, shirts arrive with holes or stains from the manufacturer. For that reason, we have an under/over run allowance. This is simply an acceptable margin of error.

All orders within the Under/Over Run Allowance of the ordered quantity will be considered acceptable for delivery. For this reason, we highly recommend you order extra garments for each size. Real Thread will not be responsible for profit loss on under runs. If requested, in the event of an under run greater than our Under/Over Run Allowance, we will reprint the remaining quantity.

Under/Over Run Allowance on Contract Orders is calculated by number of impressions on the order, not the number of pieces.

Invoiced Quantity On Net Terms

IMPORTANT: Your final invoice will reflect the total quantity shipped. This total quantity will be within the Under/Over Run Allowance for your order. This means that if you order 100 oversize prints, your order will show 100 pieces, but your final Invoice after production could show an invoiced quantity between 95 and 105 pieces. This is the Under/Over Run Allowance for that order (5%). The price per piece will not change from the Order to the Invoice.

Rush Orders

Orders that require an in-hands date sooner than our standard turnaround time (per the order specs and services) are subject to rush fees. Below is the rush fee percentage schedule which indicates the percentage amount to be added to the order total, based on how many days are being cut out of our specified turnaround time. Rush orders still incur the same limitations as outlined in the turnaround time above. So, if a rush order needs an in-hands date 3 days earlier than our standard turnaround time for your order, 30% of the total order will be added as a rush fee.

Rush Orders are subject to the same Under/Over Run Allowance as standard orders. Rush time frames are based on our current production schedule and do not include shipping time. Real Thread will not be held responsible for shipping issues once your order has left our facility.

Artwork

Artwork Creation & Ownership

All artwork created by Real Thread is the sole property of Real Thread. If you hire us to create artwork for you, you are strictly paying for the labor and thought process to produce the artwork. You are not paying for the ownership and rights of the artwork. Rights to the artwork can be purchased in addition to the creation fees.

Any artwork you submit to us for printing that is not being created by Real Thread is owned by you or its rightful owner, not Real Thread. We will not reproduce your artwork, trademarked or not, without you or the rightful owner’s consent.

Art Preparation

Art not supplied in print ready format, as specified in our File Prep section, is subject to be billed at our current rate. We will always give you an estimate before doing this work. Any art preparation done is the property of Real Thread. For example, if you supply artwork for your order which incurs a $150 charge for separations on your 6 color simulated process print, you do not own the separated art file. That separated file is the property of Real Thread, although the artwork itself, is still your property.

Art Approval

All artwork must be approved online. Upon receiving your initial mockup, you will be allowed one additional set of revisions free of charge. Any additional revisions past that point will incur an additional Art Preparation fee to be billed at our current rate. Changes to the artwork after approving the mockup could push back your ship date. We will not be responsible for errors, misspelling, or otherwise in approved digital mockups and artwork.

Garments, Blanks, Shirts & Pieces

Out of Stock Items

Real Thread will not be responsible for items that are out of stock. All purchasing of products is done on an order-by-­order basis. Very few goods are stocked at our facilities. We do our best to provide you with an accurate inventory prior to your order being placed, but we cannot “hold” goods from the time you receive a quote to the time you actually place the order. Should items become out of stock, we will do our best to find a replacement and get it approved by you prior to using it for your order.

Manufacturer Defects

Real Thread is not responsible for manufacturer defects such as garment color inconsistencies, mislabeled sizes, loose stitching, label inconsistencies, or other garment defects. We do our best to inspect the garments as they are printed, but we cannot guarantee each garment. We highly recommend ordering 5% extra of each size to avoid the possibility of the aforementioned issues.

Garment Subjectivity

Real Thread will not be responsible for you not liking the garment printed on or the printed artwork. We do our very best to make sure you have selected a garment that you will expect and matches your needs, but we also expect you to do some research on your own. We do our best to provide garment size specs for each product listed on our website. If size specs are not listed on our site, we recommend you confirm and verify them on the manufacturers' site to ensure the garment is going to fit as you intend. If there's any doubt about whether you'll like the selected garment, we recommend ordering a blank sample first. Please keep in mind that ordering blank samples will push back the turnaround time. Blank samples are available for purchase but are not refundable or transferable towards a full production run.

Printing

Minimums

For the most accurate print minimums, please refer to the specific service pages on our website.

Image Sizes

All shirt sizes in an order will be printed with the same image size unless otherwise requested. Different image sizes being printed on different shirt sizes will be treated as a new order and priced as such. An image size printed within 1 inch of any seam is subject to distortion, print imperfections, and/or other small inconsistencies. These are all considered acceptable goods. We will not assume responsibility for print imperfections due to printing too closely to seams.

Seam, Collar, and Zipper Printing

We do our very best to produce the best looking prints any time we pull a squeegee. However, printing on or over any seams, collars, pockets, zippers or otherwise is subject to distortion, print imperfections, and/or other small inconsistencies. These are all considered acceptable goods and will not be considered misprints.

Wash-down

Since water-based and discharge inks actually dye fabric and are not plastic inks sitting on top of the shirt, we will not be responsible for fading or weathering of goods. Once a print leaves our facility, we are not in control of the elements a print will endure, such as wash temperature, abrasiveness, soaps, and chemicals, etc. and therefore can not guarantee the wash down and weathering of the product.

We print with the highest quality products and equipment available for water-based and discharge ink and have scores of ecstatic clients because of such. We take great pride in the quality of our work. That being said, very small amounts of wash-down on ink colors should be expected with each additional wash since the fabric will fade with additional washing.

Care Instructions

In order to ensure image longevity and vibrancy, we recommend machine wash cold, tumble dry low for all water based and discharge ink prints. Foil prints should be washed inside out and line dried. All goods should be washed before wearing.

Hand

Prior to a first wash, it is completely normal to feel a slight “hand” with discharge ink on the shirt. Once the shirt has been washed, this feeling generally goes away and the hand is very soft and smooth. If specialty or high opacity inks are requested, the hand can vary and be more apparent.

Image Placement

We will do everything we can to ensure images are printed in a consistent location on all garments within a run. However, small variations should be expected. For example, if a request is made for an image to be printed 2" below the bottom of a collar, a 3/4" standard deviation in either direction will be considered acceptable. If a request is made for images to be printed near the tag area on the back of the shirt and directly over the tag, it could have small ink coverage inconsistencies and will be considered acceptable.

Reorder Ink Color

Due to the nature of water based and discharge ink and different fabric lots, we cannot guarantee exact ink color matches on reorders. We will make every effort to match the original color as best as possible. If you know a reorder will be likely, please let us know and we’ll try to keep ink on hand if at all possible.

Ink Color & Pantone Matching

Due to the nature of water-based and discharge inks, we cannot guarantee requested Pantone colors. Our standard ink color list has approximate Pantone values listed with most colors. This value may or may not be used in the mockup provided. We cannot guarantee ink colors based on visual mockups alone. We recommend checking the colors given against a Pantone book. Monitors can vary significantly from one computer to the next. Please check a Pantone book for color accuracy. Pantone books can be purchased from Amazon.com.

Ink Color Change Minimums

Orders are allowed changes of up to 2 ink colors on 1 location at 1 time. After this, all additional ink color changes will become a new order.

Style Change Minimums

Garment style or garment color changes are allowed as long as the minimum order quantity is reached for each change that is made for that particular order.

Samples

Printed Sample Policy

Printed Samples are available here at Real Thread. Pricing is $100 for the first ink color and $50 for every color thereafter.

Additional locations are considered additional colors

You will receive up to 3 physical, printed samples of the same garment. If artwork needs to be separated, created, or touched up, it will be subject to art charges at the current rate. Art does not count towards the sample order value for credit purposes and will not be credited back towards the full production run.

A complete credit of the sample cost is available if an order for the full production run is placed within 10 business days of the sample shipping out of Real Thread’s facility or being available for pick up. In order to receive full credit, the art must stay exactly the same, thus using the same screens. To receive 100% credit, the sample order value must be less than 10% of the full production run’s order value.

For example, if you ordered an oversize 3/0 sample, the cost would be $200 ($100 + $50 + $50). To receive a full $200 credit, the full production run must have a value of at least $2000 (excluding art, shipping, and ink changes).

Pantone Matching fees do apply on sample runs. They do not count towards the sample order value in terms of credit on the re­order, nor will they be credited back onto the full production run.

For example, if someone ordered a $100 sample that had 1 Pantone Match, the total would then be $120 ($100 + $20). The full production run total only needs to be $1000 to get the full $100 credited back. It does NOT need to be $1200 to receive the credit. The $20 Pantone Match will NOT be credit back onto the full production run. Hoodies and other certain sample pieces could be an additional charge.


Packaging, Shipping, & Receiving

In-Hands Date

If you have a specific deadline (in-hands date) for your order that is sooner than what our standard turnaround time would deliver, please notify your Account Manager immediately. Orders needed sooner than our standard turnaround time for your order may incur a rush fee.

Shipping

We ship via UPS & FedEx. To view normal transit times, see our shipping map. A tracking number will be sent to you shortly after your order has left our facility. Real Thread will not be responsible for shipping transit complications for any reason such as errors, weather, strikes, or otherwise. Shipping time is not included in our turnaround times. Shipping expenses are the sole responsibility of the client and will be added to your invoice unless otherwise agreed upon prior to your order. Shipping costs are not normally included in quotes. Real Thread assumes no responsibility for goods once they have left our facility. We will not be responsible for shipping to a wrong address if it was listed on your quote and you failed to correct the address upon quote approval.

Split Shipping

We are happy to split ship your order. Shipments will be billed at current rates. Please send an itemized list detailing what quantities should be shipped to what address when placing your order. Split shipping changes after the order is submitted may result in additional charges.

Packaging

All orders will be bulk packaged, generally folded by the dozen, unless stated otherwise.

Checking Your Order

Please check your order and notify us of any problems within 72 hours of delivery. We will not be responsible for error orders after 72 hours.

Contract Orders

Custom vs Contract Orders

We define custom orders as orders in which we’re procuring the blank garments. If you want to supply the blanks, the order type is now a Contract Order and subject to some slightly different policies and guidelines. Most policies and guidelines outlined on this page are in reference to Custom Orders, although they apply to Contract orders as well. A few policies which are different would be Under/Over Run Allowance calculations, in which we have a 10% under allowance per location being printed.

Contract Order Garments

We request an itemized list of each style, color, size, and quantity being delivered. We will check ­in the delivered quantity with the stated order quantity to ensure the proper amount has been received. Not providing a receiving summary is subject to a confirmation fee of $25/100 pieces. Orders shipped unsorted or mixed with other orders are subject to sorting fees of $75/hour, $25 minimum/order. We will not be responsible for shortages.

Miscellaneous

Removing Manufacturer Tags/Labels

If your shirts come with tear-away tags, we will tear those out free of charge. Please be aware that tear-away tags may leave small pieces of the tag in the shirt seam. Unless you have paid for tag removal service, we are not responsible for removing all pieces of the tag, should some remain in the seam. If you want them unsewn for removal, thus eliminating the chance of the tear-away remnants, standard manufacturer tag removal fees and turnaround time will apply.

Removing Tear-away Tags/Labels

If your shirts come with tear-away tags, we will tear those out free of charge. Please be aware that tear-away tags may leave small pieces of the tag in the shirt seam. Unless you have paid for tag removal service, we are not responsible for removing all pieces of the tag, should some remain in the seam. If you want them unsewn for removal, thus eliminating the chance of the tear-away remnants, standard manufacturer tag removal fees and turnaround time will apply.

Blank Apparel Orders

If you choose to order "Blank Apparel" before placing your full production run, you will be limited to 5 garment pieces at full retail costs.

Social Sharing

We enjoy showing off your product and our craft to the world. It’s a great way to showcase our skills and send some of our followers and fans your way as well. We do this by taking photos and posting them online via social platforms, such as, but not limited to, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Please be sure to notify your Account Executive when placing your order if you are not comfortable with us photographing and sharing your shirt socially. If you do not notify us, we will assume that we have your full permission to post photos of your shirt(s) online.

Quotes & Estimates

Quotes, or estimates, are good for 30 days unless stated otherwise. This term is subject to seeing the final artwork to confirm any quotes. Final invoices will reflect the quantity shipped, not the quantity quoted (see Invoiced Quantity).

Physical Print Pictures

Digital photos acting as proofs of the shirt being printed are available for $50 per location. A two-hour window will be given by Real Thread for an approximate digital proof time. Once the proof is sent to the client from Real Thread, the client will have 15 minutes to approve. If we don’t hear from you within 15 minutes, the order will be taken off press and subject to a re­setup fee of $50/color/location. If additional time is needed over and above the first 15 minutes to approve of the digital photo proof, you will be billed in 15-minute increments at $100 per increment.

Guarantee

We fully stand behind our work. If for any reason we make a mistake printing your order and it is not what was agreed upon and falls outside of these Print Policies & Guidelines, we will gladly reprint your order within 10 business days. We do not offer refunds.

Credit Terms

If credit terms are desired, please contact us for a credit application. Your application will be reviewed and you will be notified within 7 business days.

Finance Charges

Any orders that are late on payment by 10 days or more will incur interest of 1.5% per month dating back to the invoice date. A $50 late fee will also be added to the invoice.

Cancellation

Orders that are cancelled prior to printing will be subject to a Cancellation Fee based on the total order value. Cancellations will not be accepted once shirts have been printed. Cancellation fees are as follows:

Returned Checks

There is a $30 charge for returned checks. The subsequent payment must be made with cash or a cashiers check.

Terms & Conditions

Print Policies & Guidelines may also be referred to as Terms & Conditions and vice-versa. Real Thread reserves the right to change its Terms & Conditions at any time without notice.Questions

If you have any questions regarding our Print Policies & Guidelines, please call or contact us before placing your order. Our goal is to set clear expectations to ensure our working relationship is pleasurable for all parties involved. Thanks again for working with us, let’s have some fun!

Ownership of Real Thread: Dru Dalton is sole owner.