Contract Decoration Services — Screen Printing, Embroidery, and Digital Printing for Resellers

The process begins when you submit your artwork and order details. Our production team reviews the files for print-readiness, confirms decoration placement, and provides a proof for approval. Once approved, your order enters our production queue. Most standard orders are completed within 5–10 business days, though rush service is available in as few as 3 business days with no additional fees for qualifying orders.

You can supply your own blank garments or source them through our wholesale catalog, which includes brands like Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Carhartt, Champion, Under Armour, and more. After decoration, finished goods are either shipped back to your facility or routed through our 3PL fulfillment operation for direct-to-customer shipping. Every order includes full tracking and quality inspection before it leaves our facility in Pittsfield, MA.

Promotional products distributors are the most common users of contract decoration. These companies sell branded merchandise to end clients but don't operate their own print shops. Instead of investing in screen printing presses and embroidery machines, they partner with a contract decorator like The Swan Brothers to handle production. This keeps their overhead low while giving them access to 40,000+ units of weekly capacity. With the U.S. promotional products industry valued at $27.7 billion according to ASI, distributors who outsource decoration to specialized partners can serve that growing market without capital investment in equipment.

Ad specialty agencies, corporate marketing departments, and e-commerce brands also rely on contract decoration. Companies running custom online swag stores use our on-demand decoration to fulfill individual orders without holding pre-printed inventory. Enterprise clients including Google, Nasdaq, and Amazon have used this model to power branded merchandise programs at scale — from employee onboarding kits to conference giveaways.

The Swan Brothers offers four decoration methods under contract, each suited to different product types and order sizes. Screen printing handles the highest volume at 25,000+ units per week and is ideal for t-shirts, hoodies, and tote bags with bold, opaque graphics. Embroidery production runs at 5,000+ units per week and works best for polos, caps, jackets, and any product where a stitched logo conveys professionalism.

Digital printing (DTG and DTF) processes 10,000+ units weekly and supports full-color, photo-quality artwork without the setup costs of screen printing — making it the preferred method for small runs and on-demand fulfillment. Laser engraving handles 1,000+ units per week for drinkware, leather goods, and hard-surface items like YETI tumblers and wooden accessories. All four methods are available for bulk orders and on-demand contract work.

Yes. On-demand contract decoration is one of our core capabilities. When a customer places an order through a Chipply-powered online swag store, the order flows directly to our production floor. We decorate the item, pack it, and ship it to the end customer — whether that's a single embroidered polo to a new hire in Seattle or a batch of screen-printed tees for a team event.

This model eliminates the need for store operators to hold pre-printed inventory or coordinate with separate decoration and fulfillment vendors. The Swan Brothers handles everything under one roof: blank sourcing, decoration, quality control, packing, and shipping. With 17+ years of experience since 2009, we've refined this workflow to deliver consistent quality at volume — trusted by brands that can't afford production errors. PPAI research shows that 72% of consumers believe the quality of a promotional product reflects the reputation of the company — which is why decoration quality matters as much as the product itself.

Standard turnaround for contract decoration orders is under two weeks from artwork approval. Rush service is available in as few as 5 business days, and for qualifying orders, there are no rush fees. Turnaround varies slightly by decoration method: screen printing and digital printing are typically the fastest at 3–7 business days, while embroidery and laser engraving may require 5–10 business days depending on stitch count or engraving complexity.

For on-demand orders through online stores, individual items are typically decorated and shipped within 3–5 business days. High-volume contract clients can arrange standing production schedules to maintain consistent lead times. Contact us to discuss your specific volume and timeline requirements — we'll provide a custom production schedule tailored to your program.