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Screen Printing Process Explained: From Design to Delivery
If you’ve ever ordered custom t-shirts, you’ve probably wondered:
👉 What actually happens after I place my order?
From your first idea to the moment your shirts arrive, there’s a full process happening behind the scenes — and it plays a big role in how your final product turns out.
At Sunday Cool, we’ve built our entire system around making that process simple, fast, and enjoyable — while still delivering high-quality, super-soft custom apparel.
Here’s what the screen printing process looks like from start to finish.
Feb 28, 2026
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Learn how the screen printing process works from start to finish. Discover how custom t-shirts are made with design, printing, and fast turnaround.
Step 1: It Starts With a Conversation
Every great shirt starts with understanding the bigger picture.
When you begin your order, you’re connected with a Project Advisor who helps guide the entire process.
This isn’t just about placing an order.
It’s about figuring out:
what your shirts are for
when you need them
how many you need
what your vision looks like
Because before anything gets printed, the goal is to make sure everything is aligned from the start.
Step 2: Turning Your Idea Into a Design
Not everyone comes in with a finished design.
And that’s completely fine.
Whether you have:
a rough idea
a sketch
or a fully built design
Sunday Cool’s in-house artists take that starting point and turn it into something ready for print.
All November long, Sunday Cool is offering free standard ground shipping on qualifying fleecewear orders. That means more of your budget goes toward the gear your group will actually wear, whether it’s for a winter retreat, a Christmas gift for your team, or matching hoodies for your student ministry.
What Fleece Qualifies?
This promo covers our two cool-weather favorites:
Super-Soft Hoodie: our go-to layer for cold nights, early mornings, and everything in between.
Super-Soft Crewneck: a clean, classic fit that’s just as comfortable as it looks.
Terms and Conditions
More than 50% of your total order quantity must be inventoried fleece.
Eligible fleece is limited to our Super-Soft Hoodies and Crewnecks.
Includes standard ground shipping only.
Valid for orders shipping to one address.
Cannot be combined with any other discounts or promotions.
Order must be invoiced by November 30, 2026.
Free shipping cannot be applied after an order has been invoiced.
People Also Ask
Can I include tees or other items in my order? Yes, as long as more than half of your total order quantity is Super-Soft Hoodies or Crewnecks.
Does free shipping include rush or expedited shipping? No. This promotion covers standard ground shipping only.
Can I ship my order to multiple locations? Free shipping applies to orders shipping to one address.
Can I use this with another Sunday Cool discount? No. This offer can’t be combined with any other discounts or promotions.
What if my order has already been invoiced? Free shipping can’t be added after invoicing, so make sure your order qualifies before it’s finalized.
Hoodie weather doesn’t wait, and neither does this deal. Get your order invoiced by November 30 to make it count.
The Sunday Cool Squishy is a slow-rise squish, the kind kids squeeze, show off, and trade with friends. It comes in a box with a custom label, so your church or ministry name goes home with every one.
It’s also in stock and built to fit a ministry budget, which means you can say yes to a giveaway without a long production timeline. Check out the product page for all the details.
6 Ways to Use Squishies in Your Ministry
1. VBS Daily Prizes and Take-Homes
VBS week runs on excitement, and a squishy keeps it going. Use it as a daily prize, a team-points reward, or the “last day” send-home gift. It also pairs well with a Super-Soft Tee and Sticker Sheets for a full VBS merch lineup.
2. First-Time Visitor Welcome Gift
A first-time family needs a reason to come back. Handing a kid a squishy at check-in says “we’re glad you’re here,” and it gives them something to show their parents on the drive home. Their custom label does the rest.
3. Memory Verse and Attendance Rewards
Kids work harder for a prize they actually want. Use squishies as the reward for memorizing a verse, hitting a month of perfect attendance, or finishing a Bible reading challenge. Because they’re in stock, you can keep a box on hand and reward as you go.
4. Student Ministry Games and Small Group Prizes
Middle and high schoolers might act too cool for most giveaways, but a trending squishy lands. Use them as game night prizes, small group rewards, or a “bring a friend” thank-you.
5. Fall Festivals, Trunk-or-Treat, and Community Outreach
Outreach events need giveaways that don’t feel like church-flyer clutter. A squishy with your church’s label is a friendly handout that kids hold onto, and parents see your name every time it comes out of a backpack.
6. Birthdays, Baptisms, and Milestone Moments
Celebrate the big moments in a kid’s faith journey with something small and personal: a birthday, a promotion to the next grade, a baptism day. Pair it with a card from their leader and it becomes a keepsake.
Tips for Making Your Giveaway Land
Put the label to work. Your church name, a verse, or your event theme turns a fun toy into a reminder of your ministry.
Tie it to a moment. A squishy handed out with a purpose (“you memorized John 3:16!”) beats one tossed in a bin.
Keep it consistent. Match the label to your event design so it feels like part of the whole experience. Our church merch guide covers how to build a cohesive giveaway table.
Plan for the whole group. Order enough to cover everyone, plus a few extras for surprise visitors.
Ordering the Sunday Cool Squishy
Because the Sunday Cool Squishy is in stock, you skip the long wait. Head to the product page for pricing, options, and how to add your custom label, then start your order.
People Also Ask
What are good giveaway ideas for kids ministry? Small, fun items kids actually want to keep work best. Slow-rise squishies, stickers, and wristbands all fit the bill, especially when they carry your church’s name or a verse.
What can I give kids at VBS? Daily prizes and take-home gifts keep the week exciting. The Sunday Cool Squishy works as a team reward, a daily giveaway, or a last-day send-home.
Can the Sunday Cool Squishy be customized? Yes. Each one comes in a box with a custom label featuring your ministry’s name or message.
Are squishies good for student ministry too? Absolutely. Teens love a trending giveaway, and squishies work well as game prizes, small group rewards, and event handouts.
How do I budget for a church giveaway? Start by deciding who you’re giving to (every kid, visitors only, or prize winners) and order for that group plus a few extras. The Sunday Cool Squishy is built to fit ministry budgets, so you can give more without stretching.
A giveaway doesn’t have to be forgotten by the car ride home. Give kids something they’ll squeeze, show off, and remember where they got it.
This one leans into a more mature, outdoorsy aesthetic — fine-line illustrated pine trees and mountains, a hand-drawn cardinal, and bold overlapping red type that reads "Walk By Faith." The 2 Corinthians 5:7 reference is worked directly into the layout instead of tucked in as an afterthought.
It's detailed without feeling cluttered, and it reads more like an outdoor apparel brand than a typical church tee — which is exactly the kind of design students and adult leaders alike tend to keep wearing well past the retreat.
Why it works for fall retreats: The nature-forward illustration style and the muted tan-and-rust palette are a natural match for an autumn setting, especially retreats centered around hiking, nature walks, or outdoor reflection time.
Great for: Adult and student retreats, outdoor-focused weekends, leadership retreats
This design is the most playful and detail-rich of the group — a full pixel-art scene complete with a tent, campfire, fall foliage, and a retro "barcode" tag for your camp name. It's got real nostalgia energy, closer to an old video game or an early internet aesthetic than a typical retreat tee.
The layered composition gives you a lot to look at without feeling overwhelming, and the built-in Psalm 104:24 reference box adds a genuine devotional touch tucked into the fun.
Why it works for fall retreats: Pixel-art and retro gaming aesthetics are having a real moment in youth-facing design right now, and this one leans all the way in — a strong choice if your retreat crowd skews younger or your group has a playful, high-energy culture.
Great for: Student ministry retreats, camp weekends, younger youth groups
We featured this one in our general fall design roundup, but it holds up just as well in a retreat setting. Bold, collegiate-style type stacked over an illustrated acorn and oak leaf, framed in a retro groove-line border — loud, confident, and instantly recognizable as fall.
For a retreat specifically, it works less as an event-specific design and more as a seasonal statement piece — something that feels just as at home on retreat weekend as it does at a tailgate or a Sunday service in October.
Why it works for fall retreats: Its retro, high-contrast type reads well from a distance, which matters for group photos and large gatherings — and the design isn't tied to any one retreat theme, so it stays flexible.
Great for: General fall retreats, multi-event fall seasons, group photo moments
A pure type-driven design, and one of the boldest in the lineup. Oversized, overlapping letterforms in mint and deep purple dominate the shirt, with your group name and verse reference tucked into a simple oval underline beneath.
There's no illustration competing for attention here — just confident, graphic-forward type that reads instantly, even from across a room or a group photo taken from a distance.
Why it works for fall retreats: Bold typographic layering is trending across apparel right now, and a design this simple is fast to personalize and easy to print cleanly across different garment types.
Great for: Quick-turnaround retreat orders, large group events, minimalist design preferences
Bubbly, hand-drawn graffiti-style lettering with a subtle checkerboard backdrop and playful leaf doodles — this design brings a street-art energy that's a little different from anything else on this list.
The layered outline effect on the lettering gives it real depth and dimension, and the loose, sketchy line work around the edges keeps the whole thing feeling relaxed rather than overly polished.
Why it works for fall retreats: Graffiti-inspired bubble lettering is a strong trend in youth-facing apparel design, and it brings a more casual, fun energy that works well for retreats that lean social and high-energy rather than formal.
Great for: Student retreats, casual fall gatherings, group hangouts
With five strong options, the right pick usually comes down to your retreat's tone.
Leaning reflective, nature-based, or adult-focused? Start with Walk By Faith. Want something playful and a little nostalgic for a younger crowd? Fall Retreat (Retro Grid) or Fall Vibes bring that energy. Need something bold, fast, and easy to personalize for a large group? Fall Retreat (Bold Type) is built for exactly that.
Every design here works across Sunday Cool's Signature Line — pair any of them with the Super-Soft Tee for the retreat itself, or bring the same design into a Super-Soft Hoodie or Super-Soft Crewneck for cooler evenings.
People Also Ask
What t-shirt designs work best for fall retreats? Nature-inspired illustrations, retro type, and playful graphic styles are all trending for fall retreats this year — the right choice depends on whether your retreat leans reflective or high-energy.
Can these designs be customized with our group's name and verse? Yes. Every design in this post comes from Sunday Cool's Customizable Design Template library and can be personalized with your group's name, verse reference, and color choices.
What garments pair best with these fall retreat designs? Most of these designs work well on the Super-Soft Tee for daytime wear, with a Super-Soft Hoodie or Super-Soft Crewneck as a great option for colder retreat evenings.
How do I know which design fits our retreat's vibe? Match the tone of your retreat to the design style — more illustrative, nature-forward designs suit reflective retreats, while bold type or playful graphics suit high-energy student weekends.
The right shirt does more than mark the weekend — it becomes something your group keeps wearing long after the retreat wraps.
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