Custom Ink FAQ: Shipping Speed, Employees, and Lessons from a Serial Blunderer

Here are the answers to the questions I wish I'd known before my first Custom Ink order. I've been ordering custom merch for my company since 2019 – and I've made enough errors to fill a small warehouse. Let's skip the fluff.

How fast does Custom Ink actually ship?

Their standard production is 5–7 business days plus shipping time. What caught me off guard (circa 2021) was that "standard" doesn't include the weekend. I assumed a Monday order would ship by Friday – nope, the clock started Monday but the count only includes business days, so it shipped the following Wednesday.

Here's the real trick: they offer Rush production (1–2 business days) for an extra fee, and Priority production (3–4 business days) at a smaller premium. According to USPS (as of January 2025), Priority Mail takes 1–3 days after drop-off. So if you truly need it in a week, order Rush + Priority shipping. But look, I've also gotten orders ahead of schedule – their automated system seems to batch efficiently when they have slack. My rule: always add two days to the quoted estimate. That buffer has saved me from six panic calls.

How many employees does Custom Ink have?

I asked this once because I wanted to gauge their reliability. Last I checked (via LinkedIn and public filings, as of Q4 2024), they employ roughly 600–700 people. But here's the thing I learned the hard way: employee count doesn't tell you much about efficiency. I once worked with a 50-person print shop that handled my 200-unit order flawlessly while a larger competitor fumbled. What matters more: their customer support responsiveness and production queue depth. Custom Ink's team size is big enough to have dedicated account managers for large B2B accounts, which is a plus. (Mental note: ask for a dedicated rep when your order exceeds $5,000 – they'll assign one.)

Can I get custom journals from Custom Ink?

Yes, they offer custom notebooks and journals – but the options are more limited than apparel. I made the mistake of assuming the same design file would work for both a t-shirt and a journal. It didn't. The canvas size, resolution, and color profile differ. For journals, they offer spiral, hardcover, and softcover options with full-color print. I ordered 50 spiral-bound journals in 2023 and the result was solid – but the proof looked different from the final product because my artwork extended into the bleed zone. (Note to self: always request a physical proof for the first batch.)

Does Custom Ink make lapel pins?

They do! Lapel pins are part of their promotional products line. But here's a catch I wish I'd known: the minimum order is often higher than for apparel – think 100+ units for custom enamel pins. For a small team, 50 might be enough, but Custom Ink's tool may show a higher qty. I once ordered 250 pins for a conference because I assumed the minimum was 100 – turns out the pricing break at 250 was better, so it wasn't a mistake, but I'd have preferred 100 if I'd known. Pro tip: use their price match guarantee if you find a lower price on a comparable pin from another supplier. I did that last year and saved $180 (the match was applied after I submitted the url – they don't advertise this prominently).

How much glycerin do I put in a snow globe?

Wait – does Custom Ink sell snow globes? No, they don't. But I've had a client ask me to order custom snow globes as promotional items, and I had to learn the hard way. If you're making DIY snow globes (for a custom giveaway or event), the standard ratio is 1 part glycerin to 3 parts distilled water. Too little glycerin and the glitter falls too fast; too much and it gets syrupy and doesn't float. The exact amount depends on your globe size – for a standard 4-inch globe, about 1 teaspoon of glycerin per cup of water. But I strongly recommend going with a specialized supplier for custom snow globes. I once tried to make 100 myself – total disaster, $400 down the drain (literally). Stick to the pros. Custom Ink doesn't offer them, but they can point you to a partner (at least that's what their rep told me in 2024).

Is their online design tool really that good?

I'll be honest: I was skeptical. I've used Vistaprint's and Printful's tools, and they're fine. But Custom Ink's tool surprised me (never expected a browser-based tool to handle high-res embroidery mockups that well). The drag-and-drop is smooth, the color picker is accurate, and – critically – you can preview the design on all product variants at once. I once submitted a design that looked perfect on a white t-shirt but invisible on the dark heather option. The tool flagged it (thankfully) before I ordered. That saved me a $1,200 blunder. Here's my mixed feeling: part of me loves the speed, another part worries that the ease encourages people to skip proofreading. I've caught four errors in previews just by zooming in on every element. (Real talk: trust the tool, but double-check the final proof file they send.)

How reliable is their price match guarantee?

I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it's a genuine offer – I've used it twice and they honored it without pushback. On the other hand, the process requires you to find a competitor's quote with identical product specs, which can be tedious. The surprise wasn't the price match itself; it was that they applied the discount to future orders too if you asked nicely. The biggest mistake I made: I assumed the price match covered shipping differences. It doesn't – it's product price only. So after matching, I paid more in shipping than I would have at the competitor. Lesson: factor total cost, not just unit price. Their efficiency (order automation, bulk printing) often makes the total cost lower anyway – especially for large orders. As of Q1 2025, I've saved about $3,200 total using the guarantee (spread across 7 orders). That's real money.