From Request to Final Print: How Aviator Gear Creates High-Quality Custom Shirts

Ordering custom shirts for a military unit, first responder team, or organization is more than choosing a logo and a color. At Aviator Gear, every shirt order follows a structured, detail-driven process designed to ensure the final product is functional, durable, and aligned with the customer’s mission. Understanding how this process works helps customers make informed decisions and results in better designs from the start.

How the Custom Shirt Process Begins

When Aviator Gear receives a shirt request, the first step is direct communication with the customer. This initial contact is focused on understanding the vision behind the shirt before any design work begins. Customers are asked about their ideas, preferred garment type, color selections, and where the design should be printed on the shirt.

This early stage is critical. The goal is not to rush into artwork, but to gather enough information to prepare an accurate quote and give the design team a clear direction. By aligning expectations upfront, both the customer and the designer can move forward confidently.

Information We Collect Before Design Starts

To build a strong design foundation, Aviator Gear collects several key details that directly influence the final outcome.

Artwork or Design Ideas

Customers can submit sketches, reference images, logos, themes, or even rough concepts. Whether the idea is fully formed or just a starting point, this input helps shape the design direction.

Shirt Material Selection

Garment choice plays a major role in comfort and durability. Common options include 100 percent cotton, cotton and polyester blends, performance dri-wick shirts, and fleece hoodies or pullovers. Each material behaves differently during printing and wear.

Shirt Color

For military units, confirming the exact shade matters. Colors like Coyote Brown and Woodland Brown are not interchangeable. Civilian and corporate customers also choose from a wide range of colors, as long as the artwork remains readable and high contrast.

Print Colors and Locations

Designs may use single-color or multi-color artwork. Print placement options include left chest, full front, full back, sleeves, or combinations depending on the project goals.

Moving From Concept to Final Approval

Once the details are collected, the project moves through a structured design and approval workflow.

The concept phase turns the customer’s idea into an initial draft. Designers clean up artwork, adjust proportions, and prepare the design for production.

Next comes the mockup stage. This is where customers see a polished visual of how the design will appear on the actual garment. During customer review, feedback is encouraged. Adjustments are made until the design fully aligns with the customer’s expectations.

Next comes the mockup stage. This is where customers see a polished visual of how the design will appear on the actual garment. During customer review, feedback is encouraged. Adjustments are made until the design fully aligns with the customer’s expectations.

Final approval happens once the mockup is accepted. At this stage, the pre-production layout is prepared, showing exact placement, sizing, and color callouts. Only after the customer confirms these details does the order move into production.

The Purpose Behind Each Stage

Each step in the process serves a specific role. Initial contact ensures requirements are clear. Quotation provides transparent pricing based on garment type, print locations, and colors. Mockup approval finalizes artwork. Payment allows production to begin. Final proof approval confirms accuracy. From there, the order is printed, packaged, and shipped.

This structure minimizes errors and ensures consistency across every order.

Types of Shirts Aviator Gear Designs

Aviator Gear creates shirts for a wide range of groups and purposes, including U.S. military units, first responders, companies and corporations, civilians, international units, high school JROTC programs, college ROTC and academies, and military training classes. Each category carries a different tone, whether it is morale-focused, identity-driven, heritage-based, or event-specific. Regardless of purpose, clarity and meaning remain central to every design.

What Influences Shirt Pricing

Pricing is driven by several practical factors. Garment type impacts cost, with performance fabrics and fleece priced higher than basic cotton shirts. The number of imprint locations increases production complexity. Designs with multiple colors require additional screens, which adds cost. Order quantity also plays a role, with larger orders reducing the per-shirt price.

Why Heavy Full-Coverage Prints Are Discouraged

At Aviator Gear, full-coverage or “bulletproof vest” style prints are approached with caution. These designs use heavy ink coverage that limits breathability, making shirts hot and uncomfortable, especially in physically demanding environments.

When artwork trends toward excessive coverage, customers are informed early. Designers may suggest creating transparent areas, breaking large zones into smaller elements, resizing the design, or adjusting placement to preserve comfort while maintaining impact. If a customer chooses to proceed with full coverage, it can be done with full transparency around performance limitations.

Why Screen Printing Is the Preferred Method

Aviator Gear primarily uses screen printing services because the method delivers vibrant, long-lasting colors, holds up to repeated wear, and works across cotton, blends, dri-wick shirts, and hoodies. Screen printing supports the bold, iconic look expected from custom military shirts while ensuring durability in real-world conditions.

From first contact to final shipment, Aviator Gear’s process is built around precision, communication, and practical performance. That approach ensures every shirt is wearable, mission-ready, and built to last.

From first contact to final shipment, Aviator Gear’s process is built around precision, communication, and practical performance. That approach ensures every shirt is wearable, mission-ready, and built to last.