{"id":3654,"date":"2026-10-23T21:50:37","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T21:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sevenclay.com\/?p=3654"},"modified":"2026-11-02T13:53:36","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T13:53:36","slug":"custom-hat-shirt-minimums-lead-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sevenclay.com\/custom-hat-shirt-minimums-lead-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Custom Hat and Shirt Minimums and Lead Times: What to Expect When You Order"},"content":{"rendered":"The short answer:<\/strong> At Seven Clay in Round Rock, custom caps start at a 12-cap minimum, and embroidered caps start at $14 each at 25. Orders of 12\u201324 caps are quoted. Screen printed shirts start at 24, digital print at 6, embroidered apparel at 12, and embroidered polos at 6. Standard turnaround is 10\u201315 business days from art approval. On caps, rush (under 10 business days) is +15%. Every order gets a free digital mockup, and reorders skip the $35 cap setup fee.\r\n\r\n“What’s your minimum?” and “How long will it take?” are the two questions we hear most, usually right after “Can you put our logo on a hat?” Here are the real numbers, plus how to plan so your crew, team, or event gets its gear on time without a scramble.\r\n

Minimums by product and method<\/h2>\r\nHere’s where every order starts:\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Product \/ method<\/th>\r\nMinimum<\/th>\r\nGood to know<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
Custom caps (embroidery and patches)<\/td>\r\n12 caps<\/td>\r\nEmbroidered caps from $14 each at 25. Orders of 12\u201324 are quoted.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Full custom caps (made from scratch)<\/td>\r\n50 caps<\/td>\r\nQuoted per project<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Screen printed shirts<\/td>\r\n24 shirts<\/td>\r\nFrom $7 per shirt for higher-volume, 1-color prints<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Digital print shirts<\/td>\r\n6 shirts<\/td>\r\n$20 art fee under 24 pieces, waived at 24+<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Embroidered apparel<\/td>\r\n12 pieces<\/td>\r\nPolos, quarter zips, jackets, and workwear<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Embroidered polos<\/td>\r\n6 pieces<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n

Custom caps: 12 minimum<\/h3>\r\nOur minimum for custom caps is 12. That covers direct embroidery and our standard patch styles, including leather, woven, PVC, sublimated, and digital print patches. Not sure which style fits your logo? Our guide to embroidery vs. patches vs. leather<\/a> walks through it.\r\n\r\nIf you want a cap built completely from scratch, with your own shape, materials, and finishes, that’s our Full Custom option. It’s quoted per project with a 50-cap minimum.\r\n

Shirts: 24 for screen print, 6 for Digital Print<\/h3>\r\nScreen printing is the best value for volume and starts at 24 shirts. Prices start at $7 per shirt for higher-volume, 1-color prints, and your exact price depends on quantity, the shirt, and the number of colors.\r\n\r\nDigital print is the go-to for small runs and full-color art, starting at just 6 shirts. There’s a $20 art fee under 24 pieces, waived at 24+. See both side by side on our T-Shirts page<\/a>.\r\n

Embroidered apparel and polos<\/h3>\r\nEmbroidery on polos, quarter zips, jackets, and workwear starts at 12 pieces. Embroidered polos start at 6, which makes them an easy pick for a small front-desk or sales team.\r\n

Looking for “no minimum” hats in Austin?<\/h3>\r\nWe don’t do one-offs or print-on-demand. We’re a custom decoration shop focused on quality production runs. A 12-cap minimum is low enough for a small crew, a single department, or a one-day event.\r\n

What “quoted” means for 12\u201324 caps<\/h2>\r\nThe pricing on our Caps page<\/a> starts at 25 caps. That’s where per-cap prices are listed for every cap and logo style. If you need 12 to 24 caps, you can absolutely order them. We just price those quantities individually instead of from the table.\r\n\r\nSend us your logo, cap style, and quantity, and we’ll come back with an exact price. Per-cap prices drop as quantity goes up, so if you’re close to 25, it’s worth asking what the jump would cost.\r\n

How long custom hats and shirts take<\/h2>\r\nStandard turnaround is 10\u201315 business days from art approval.<\/strong> That goes for caps and shirts.\r\n\r\nThe key words are “from art approval.” The clock doesn’t start when you first reach out. It starts once you sign off on your mockup and production details. Here’s how an order moves:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. You send a quote request<\/strong> with your art, quantity, product, and date. We usually reply within 15 minutes during business hours.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. We build a free digital mockup<\/strong> and send it for your approval.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. You review it and request changes<\/strong> until it’s right. Nothing gets made until you approve.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. We order or pull the blanks and start production.<\/strong>\r\nThis is the 10\u201315 business day window.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. We ship it to you.<\/strong> We ship nationwide. Yes, we can split one order and ship it to multiple locations.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nBusiness days are weekdays, so 10\u201315 business days is roughly two to three calendar weeks, not counting holidays.\r\n

    Can you rush an order?<\/h2>\r\nOften, yes. It depends on our capacity, the decoration method, and whether the blanks are available. On caps, rush (under 10 business days) is +15%. For shirts and everything else, put your date in the quote form and we’ll tell you what’s possible.\r\n\r\nThe best way to avoid paying for rush is to start early. Which brings us to planning.\r\n

    Planning for an event or the holidays: work backward<\/h2>\r\nPick the date you need gear in hand, then count back:\r\n