10/06/2026
An honest update about DTF printing at Sweet Tea & Tees ๐
I love being able to offer prints to local crafters, help with last-minute orders, and support other small businesses. But I need to explain what our printing service includes, why our prices differ from larger websites, and why some boundaries are necessary for us to continue.
First, we offer printing. We are not a graphic design service.
Your print order does not include creating a design, removing backgrounds, changing colors, rebuilding blurry artwork, or fixing a file you purchased elsewhere. Your artwork needs to arrive ready to print, at the correct size, with sufficient resolution and a transparent background when needed.
We do not have a system that automatically removes your background or โenhancesโ your graphics. Uploading a low-quality image does not turn it into a high-quality print. Changing a fileโs resolution setting to 300 DPI does not restore detail that wasnโt there to begin with.
Ordering from us is different from ordering through a large print website like Jiffy or AllDay.
Those businesses operate at a much larger scale, with ordering systems and production processes built to handle high volumes. Some online services offer automatic background removal or image enhancement, which can sound helpfulโbut those tools can also remove details you wanted to keep or change the appearance of your artwork.
Iโve heard customers express frustration with prints theyโve ordered elsewhere. I canโt speak to what caused those issues, but automatic editing is not a guarantee of better artwork or a better print. That is why I want customers to understand that we print the files submitted to us, and the quality of that file matters.
We also are not operating at the volume of a major commercial printer.
We arenโt receiving hundreds or thousands of orders a day and spreading our costs across that level of production. If youโre comparing a $3โ$5 print from a large website with a longer turnaround to our $5โ$10 individual prints, youโre comparing different services.
We offer local, same-day printing, sometimes as fast as one hour when scheduling allows. That means having supplies available, making room in our schedule, preparing your order, and being available to help you meet a deadline without waiting for shipping.
That convenience is part of what you are paying for. However, even our higher price does not cover unlimited phone calls, file editing, design work, or 30โ45 minutes of back-and-forth to place an order for one print.
The extra work has become unsustainable.
I have been spending too much time answering calls, going through dozens of messages, helping customers fill out the ordering form, removing backgrounds, editing designs, and trying to fix artwork that was not ready to print. Iโve also absorbed the cost of reprints when customers submitted the wrong files or information.
Every โquick favorโ adds up. A single print order can turn into nearly an hour of unpaid work, before I even get to printing it.
That takes time away from my own shirt orders, my other customers, and the work that keeps Sweet Tea & Tees running. I cannot continue losing money and falling behind in my business while helping fulfill orders for someone elseโs business.
We created an online ordering form to make the process easier and keep orders organized. Please use it.
I understand that something new can take a little practice, and Iโm happy to clarify an instruction. But I cannot provide ongoing step-by-step assistance for every order or continue taking complete orders through calls and lengthy message threads.
Before submitting, please check:
โข Your artwork is the correct file.
โข The background is removed if you donโt want it printed.
โข Your image is clear at the size you are requesting.
โข Your sizes, quantities, and order details are correct.
Printing and file preparation are separate services. Please do not assume editing is included or that I will fix your artwork before printing. Reprints needed because an incorrect file, size, or other order detail was submitted will require payment.
Does this mean we are stopping DTF printing? No.
It means we need customers to respect the ordering process so we can continue offering it.
If an order requires more assistance than we can reasonably provide, I may need to decline it. If the process is repeatedly disregarded, I may also need to decline future print orders. I wonโt always be available to answer repeated calls or continue lengthy conversations about placing an order.
I know some customers may have been frustrated over the past few weeks as Iโve started enforcing these expectations. I understand that it feels different when extra help was previously offered. But that extra help cannot continue being an expectation at the expense of my time and business.
These boundaries are not personal. Supporting your small business also needs to allow me to sustain mine.
Thank you to everyone who follows the process, sends ready-to-print artwork, and respects the time behind each order. That is what makes it possible for us to keep offering fast, local prints when you need them. ๐
