We do not outsource. We have not outsourced since 1977. Every piece of custom apparel that leaves our facility in Milton, Washington was produced on equipment we own, operated by people we trained, inspected by eyes that have seen forty-seven years of work. This page explains how we do it. Not in vague terms. In specific equipment names, production timelines, and process steps that you can verify when you visit our shop.
If you are comparing vendors, this is what you should ask about. Not whether they can print your logo. Whether they can explain how they print it, what machine they use, and what happens when something goes wrong.
Our embroidery operation runs on ten Tajima TMAR-KC 8-head machines. Each head has fifteen needles. They run at 1,100 RPM. A left-chest logo on a polo shirt takes approximately forty-five seconds to stitch. A full-back design on a jacket takes four to six minutes depending on stitch count.
The process starts before the machine runs. Your logo file goes to our digitizing station where we convert it into a stitch file using Wilcom EmbroideryStudio. This is not an automatic conversion. Our art director, Steve Deland, determines stitch angle, density, and underlay based on your fabric type and logo complexity. A poorly digitized file produces thread breaks, puckering, and distorted text. A properly digitized file produces clean edges and consistent results across a 500-piece uniform program.
We keep your digitized file on record. Reorders do not require re-digitizing. You pay the digitizing fee once.
Our screen printing line uses M&R automatic presses. We run plastisol ink for standard orders, water-based ink for soft-hand prints, and specialty inks including discharge, metallic, and high-density when the design requires it.
Screen printing requires a separate screen for each color. A six-color design needs six screens burned, registered, and aligned before production starts. This setup takes two to four hours. That is why screen printing has a 24-piece minimum. Below that, the setup cost per shirt is too high to justify.
For high-visibility safety apparel, we use ANSI/ISEA 107-2015 certified reflective striping combined with screen printed logos. This is not standard screen printing. The reflective material requires specific curing temperatures and pressure settings. We have produced safety vests and Hi-Vis shirts for construction companies across Washington State who need OSHA-compliant gear.
Our DTG department runs Kornit industrial printers. These are not desktop machines. They are production systems with integrated pretreatment, dual printheads for simultaneous white underbase and CMYK printing, and recirculating white ink systems that prevent nozzle clogging.
DTG handles unlimited colors, gradients, and photographic detail without setup fees. There is no minimum order. One shirt costs the same per-unit as fifty in terms of setup. The tradeoff is speed. A DTG print takes two to three minutes per shirt versus forty-five seconds for embroidery or fifteen seconds for screen printing at volume.
We use DTG for three situations: small orders under twenty-four pieces, designs with photographic or gradient elements that screen printing cannot reproduce, and rush orders where setup time for screens would miss the deadline. Our same-day DTG system operates on an “In by 10, Out by 5” schedule for qualifying orders.
DTF printing fills the gap that DTG and screen printing cannot cover. Polyester, nylon, spandex, and performance blends do not accept standard plastisol or water-based DTG ink properly. The ink cracks, peels, or washes out.
DTF prints your design onto PET film, applies TPU adhesive powder, heat-cures it, and transfers the result onto the garment. It works on cotton, polyester, nylon, canvas, and every blend in between. It is the only method in our shop with zero fabric restrictions.
We use DTF for construction crew shirts on polyester performance fabric, athletic jerseys on nylon mesh, and any order where the fabric content is mixed or unknown. If you send us a shirt and you are not sure what it is made of, we test it and route it to DTF if needed.
Our laser engraving department handles materials that cannot be stitched or printed. Leather patches for Richardson 112 caps. Stainless steel tumblers. Wooden plaques. Acrylic awards.
The laser removes material by vaporizing it with a focused CO2 beam. On leather, this creates a debossed effect with clean edges. On metal, it produces a permanent mark that will not fade, chip, or wear off. On wood, it burns the design into the grain with controllable depth.
Laser engraving requires vector artwork. Raster images do not work. The laser follows paths, not pixels. We convert your logo or text into vector format if needed, then program the laser speed, power, and frequency settings based on the material thickness and type.
We produce three types of custom patches. Embroidered patches use the same Tajima machines as our direct garment work, stitched onto twill backing that is later cut and finished with merrowed or laser-cut edges. Woven patches use thinner thread on a loom-like process for higher detail at smaller sizes. PVC patches are molded rubber for tactical and outdoor applications.
Patch production includes digitizing, sample approval, full production, and attachment. We can sew patches directly onto garments, apply them with heat-activated adhesive, or deliver them loose for your own attachment.
Every order follows the same sequence. We do not skip steps because you are in a hurry. We have learned that skipping steps produces errors, and errors cost more time than the step itself.
We open your artwork and tell you immediately which methods will work and which will not. If your file is a low-resolution JPEG, we tell you before you place the order. If your design has six colors and you want it on polyester, we explain why DTF is the only viable option.
We send a mockup showing your design on the actual garment color and fabric you selected. This is not a generic template. It is your specific logo on your specific shirt.
For orders over 100 pieces, we produce a physical sample for your approval before running the full order. You can pick it up at our facility or we can ship it.
We assign your order to a specific machine and operator based on method, quantity, and deadline. Rush orders get priority scheduling. Standard orders enter the queue in the order they were approved.
We run your order in-house at our Milton facility. No outsourcing. No third-party fulfillment. You can visit the production floor by appointment.
Every piece is checked under LED lighting for registration accuracy, color consistency, and finish quality. We measure logo placement against your approved spec sheet.
Garments are sorted by size, folded to prevent creasing across the logo, and packed with size labels visible. For uniform programs, we include packing lists by employee name and size. You pick up at our facility or we deliver locally.
Our production facility is at 2025 Freeman Road East in Milton, Washington. We have two buildings. The main building houses embroidery, screen printing, and DTG production. The second building handles warehousing, packaging, and order fulfillment.
You can visit by appointment. You can watch your logo being digitized. You can stand next to the Tajima machine while it stitches your design. You can hold the finished sample in your hands before approving the full order. No national vendor can offer this. Their production is in a warehouse three states away. Ours is twenty minutes from Tacoma.
or call us at 253-922-5793.
| Article | What You Will Learn |
|---|---|
| 24-Hour DTG Production: A Marine Corps Case Study | How we delivered 18 shirts in under 8 hours |
| Tools and Equipment Behind Our Embroidery Operation | Tajima specs, digitizing software, thread brands |
| Screen Printing Ink Types and Specialty Effects | Plastisol, water-based, discharge, metallic |
| DTF Printing: How It Works | The process for polyester and synthetic fabrics |
| Logo Digitizing for Embroidery | How your artwork becomes a stitch file |
| How Custom Patches Are Made | Embroidered, woven, and PVC patch production |
| Printing Methods: Pros, Cons, and Which Fits Your Order | Side-by-side comparison of all four methods |
| Embroidery Stitch Count Guide | How stitch count affects cost and durability |
| Types of Embroidery Techniques | Flat, 3D puff, appliqué, and specialty stitches |
| Order Processing Workflow | The 7-step process from quote to delivery |
| Specialty Screen Printing Inks and Effects | Metallic, high-density, glow-in-the-dark |
| Variable Data Printing for T-Shirts | Individual names and numbers on each shirt |
| Custom Carhartt Workwear with Embroidery and Printing | Custom Carhartt Workwear Apparel |
| Best T-Shirts for DTG Printing | Fabric types that produce the best DTG results |
| Sustainability in DTG Printing | Water-based inks and eco-friendly production |
| History of the First Embroidery Machine in Washington | How Jim Mickelson brought commercial embroidery to the Pacific Northwest |
Yes. We welcome client visits at our Milton, Washington facility by appointment. You can observe the digitizing process, see the Tajima machines in production, and inspect finished samples before approving your order.
DTG uses inkjet technology to spray water-based ink directly onto fabric. It handles unlimited colors and photographic detail with no setup fees. Screen printing pushes ink through mesh stencils, one screen per color. It produces more vivid, opaque color at volume but requires setup time and has a 24-piece minimum.
Embroidery requires digitizing your artwork into a stitch file, which is a one-time fee. The production itself is slower per piece than screen printing at volume. However, embroidery lasts longer, looks more professional on polos and jackets, and does not crack or fade.
For embroidery and screen printing, we need vector files (AI, EPS, or PDF). For DTG and DTF, we need high-resolution PNG or TIFF files at 300 dpi minimum with a transparent background.
Standard turnaround is 7-10 business days for embroidery and screen printing, 2-3 business days for small DTG orders. Rush production is available for deadline-driven orders. Our same-day DTG service operates on an “In by 10, Out by 5” schedule.
No. Every piece is produced in-house at our Milton, Washington facility. We have not outsourced since 1977.
Erik Mickelson is the Operations Manager at Northwest Custom Apparel in Milton, Washington, with 29 years of hands-on experience in embroidery digitizing, screen printing, and custom apparel production. He graduated from Washington State University in 1996 and founded the Apparel Graphic Academy. His father, Jim Mickelson, founded Northwest Custom Apparel in 1977.
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