We Print Pet Memorial Apparel for Seattle Families
I lost Keeta back in May. I understand what it feels like to want something tangible after a pet is gone — something you can hold, wear, or give to someone else who is grieving.
At Northwest Custom Apparel in Milton, Washington, we produce custom pet memorial shirts for individuals, families, and veterinary clinics across the Seattle-Tacoma area. We’ve been printing apparel since 1977. In the last few years, we’ve seen more requests for pet remembrance shirts than ever before. People want a photo of their dog, cat, or horse on a garment they can keep.
This is not a side service we outsourced. We print every pet memorial shirt in our own facility using direct-to-garment printing on a Kornit Storm Hexa. That means we can take your pet photo and print it directly onto a shirt with no minimum order, no screen setup, and no color limit. A single shirt. A single photo. Ready in 48 hours.
What We Can Print for Your Pet Memorial
Photo-Realistic Pet Portraits on T-Shirts
Our DTG printer handles full-color photographs with detail down to fur texture and eye color. You send us a photo — we print it. No simplification. No color reduction. The image looks like it came from a photo lab, not a screen print shop.
Best for: Individual memorial shirts, family matching sets, gifts for friends who knew your pet.
Memorial Hoodies and Sweatshirts
For Seattle’s cold months, a memorial hoodie carries more weight than a T-shirt. We print pet portraits on midweight fleece hoodies using the same DTG process. The print sits soft on the fabric — not a stiff transfer that cracks in the wash.
We also offer custom embroidered sweatshirts if you prefer a stitched name or dates rather than a full photo. Embroidery lasts longer than any print method. For a garment you plan to wear for years, it’s worth considering.
Bulk Memorial Shirts for Pet Funerals and Services
Some families hold a memorial gathering and want matching shirts for attendees. Others are veterinary clinics that order remembrance shirts for staff or clients. For orders of 24 pieces or more, screen printing is more cost-effective than DTG.
We can screen print a simplified pet portrait, a paw print design, or text-based memorial art. The setup takes longer than DTG about 10 business days, but the per-unit cost drops significantly at volume.
The same DTG process we use for pet memorials also produces funeral and remembrance shirts for human memorial services. If you are looking for memorial apparel for a loved one, not a pet, see our custom memorial t-shirt service. We handle both with the same in-house production and 48-hour turnaround.
How to Order a Custom Pet Memorial Shirt
Send Us Your Photo
A high-resolution image works best. Smartphone photos are fine if they are clear and well-lit. We need at least 300 DPI for a sharp print. If the photo is blurry, dark, or cropped too tight, we will tell you before we print. We do not guess. We do not upsample low-quality images and hope for the best.
Choose Your Garment
Most pet memorial orders are printed on 100% cotton or cotton-polyester blend T-shirts. Cotton accepts DTG ink cleanly and produces the softest hand feel. For hoodies, we recommend midweight fleece. See our cotton vs polyester guide if you are unsure which fabric fits your use case.
Approve the Proof
We send a digital proof within 24 hours. You approve it. We print it. No surprises. If you need the shirt for a specific date — a memorial service, an anniversary, a birthday — tell us when you order. We offer rush turnaround when our schedule allows.
Turnaround and Delivery
| Order Type | Quantity | Turnaround | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTG photo print | 1–23 pieces | 48 hours | Pickup or ship |
| Screen print memorial | 24+ pieces | 10 business days | Pickup or ship |
We are located in Milton, Washington — 40 minutes south of Seattle, 25 minutes north of Tacoma. Local pickup is free. Shipping to Seattle addresses typically takes 1 business day.
Who Orders Pet Memorial Apparel From Us
Individual Pet Owners
The majority of our pet memorial orders come from individuals who lost a dog or cat. They want one shirt. Maybe two — one for themselves, one for a partner. The DTG process is built for this. No minimum. No setup fee. Just a photo and a garment.
Veterinary Clinics
Some clinics order memorial shirts for staff to wear on the anniversary of a beloved clinic pet. Others provide them as comfort gifts to clients who have euthanized a long-term patient. We can set up a custom webstore for clinics that want staff or clients to order directly without administrative burden.
Pet Crematoriums and Funeral Services
Memorial service providers sometimes order bulk shirts for attendees at pet funerals. We handle the screen print setup, the color matching, and the delivery coordination. The provider focuses on the service. We handle the apparel.
What Makes Our Pet Memorial Shirts Different
We print in-house. Every pet memorial shirt runs through our Kornit Storm Hexa in Milton, WA. We do not send your pet’s photo to a third-party decorator. We do not dropship from a warehouse in another state. You can call us and speak to the person who printed your shirt.
We understand the timeline. Grief does not wait for a 2-week turnaround. Our DTG process is designed for speed. Most single-shirt orders ship within 48 hours of proof approval.
We have done this before. We have printed memorial shirts for dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, and birds. We have printed them for 20-year-old family pets and for puppies lost too soon. We do not treat these orders like standard production. We treat them like what they are: someone’s last physical connection to a companion.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as long as the image resolution is sufficient. We print portraits, action shots, and posed photos. Black-and-white images work well too. We do not recommend group photos where the pet is small in the frame — the detail gets lost when scaled to a shirt.
We can do that. Names, dates, quotes, and paw prints all work on DTG and screen print. Embroidery is also an option for text-only designs on hoodies or polo shirts.
DTG prints last 50+ washes with proper care. Wash cold, tumble dry low, turn inside out. The ink bonds with cotton fibers. It does not sit on top like an iron-on transfer. For a garment you plan to wear frequently, embroidery is the more durable option.
Yes. Front and back printing is standard. A common layout is the pet portrait on the front and a name with dates on the back. We price this as a two-location print.
Yes. We produce custom funeral t-shirts and RIP shirts for memorial services, family reunions, and anniversary remembrances. The process is identical to our pet memorial shirts — DTG photo printing, in-house production, 48-hour turnaround on single pieces. Many families who order pet memorials from us later order human memorial apparel, or they refer others who need the same service.
Yes, when our production schedule allows. Rush DTG orders can ship same day. Rush screen print orders require 5 business days minimum. Call us at 253-922-5793 to check availability.
Order a Custom Pet Memorial Shirt
We are located at 2025 Freeman Rd E, Milton, WA 98354. We serve Seattle, Tacoma, and the greater Puget Sound area.
For single shirts and small orders: Request a DTG quote →
For bulk memorial orders (24+ pieces): Call 253-922-5793 or email sales@nwcustomapparel.com
For veterinary clinic partnerships: Email sales@nwcustomapparel.com with “Vet Memorial Program” in the subject line.
About the Author
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.
