Atlantic Specialty Advertising in Baltimore: Custom Screen Printing for Small Runs and Bulk Orders

Atlantic Specialty Advertising is a full-service screen printing and embroidery shop located in Baltimore that handles both one-off custom orders and production runs, serving individual customers, nonprofits, small businesses, and corporate clients. The operation combines in-house printing with design consultation, making it practical for anyone from a person ordering a single promotional shirt to an organization needing consistent branded merchandise.

What Atlantic Specialty Advertising actually does

The shop prints directly onto garments using screen printing (for flat designs on fabric) and offers embroidery as a complementary service for hats, polos, and jackets. Unlike print-on-demand web services that charge per unit, Atlantic Specialty operates on a traditional print-shop model: you pay a setup fee plus a per-garment cost, which makes single items expensive but bulk orders cost-effective. They also handle heat transfer and direct-to-garment printing for smaller quantities. The shop accepts walk-ins for consultations and quotes but typically requires 5 to 10 business days for completion depending on order size and design complexity.

Services and pricing

Setup fees for screen printing start at $40 to $75 per color, depending on design complexity. Per-garment costs run $5 to $12 for a single-color print on a basic shirt when ordering 12 to 50 units; larger runs (100+) drop to $3 to $6 per shirt. Embroidery on polos or hats typically costs $8 to $20 per item depending on stitch count and placement. Heat transfer printing, suitable for small batches of 5 to 25 pieces, runs $10 to $18 per garment with no setup fee. Custom design work is quoted separately; simple edits to existing artwork are often free, while new artwork from scratch can cost $50 to $150. Verify current pricing before submitting an order, as material and labor costs shift seasonally.

How it compares to other Baltimore screen printers

Baltimore Print House, located in Fells Point, also does screen printing but focuses more heavily on high-volume production runs (500+) and uses a more automated setup; their per-unit cost is lower at scale, but they have higher minimums and less flexibility with small orders. Charm City Shirt Company, in Canton, emphasizes custom design and lifestyle apparel and charges slightly higher per-unit prices but includes design consultation in the quote. Atlantic Specialty splits the difference: lower minimums than Print House, faster turnaround than Charm City, and simpler pricing without mandatory design fees. Choose Atlantic Specialty if you need 10 to 200 shirts or a mix of screen printing and embroidery; choose Print House if you are committing to 500+ pieces and want the lowest per-unit cost; choose Charm City if design-forward aesthetics and trendy shirt blanks matter most.

Who it suits and who it does not suit

Atlantic Specialty works well for small nonprofits running a one-time fundraiser, sports teams ordering jerseys, businesses creating employee branded gear, and individuals wanting a custom design on 5 to 50 items. It is less suitable if you need 1,000+ units (economies of scale favor larger shops) or if you require specialty finishes like puff printing or metallic inks (call ahead to confirm availability). The shop also handles rush orders for an upcharge, typically 2 to 3 business days with a 15% to 25% fee, making it practical for last-minute events.

What the first visit involves

Call or visit to discuss your design, order quantity, and garment choice (blank shirt brand, color, size range). If you have artwork ready, bring a high-resolution file (vector or 300+ dpi image). If not, the shop can digitize a logo or sketch for a quoted fee. You will receive a written estimate with setup cost, per-unit price, and timeline. Payment is typically required upfront or 50% deposit for orders over $500. Pickup is in-person at the shop unless you arrange mail delivery for an additional fee.

Hours, parking, and logistics

Atlantic Specialty operates Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday by appointment. Street parking is available on the surrounding block; a small lot is adjacent to the building. The shop is accessible by the 3 and 10 bus routes. Orders are completed in-house; there is no outsourcing, so lead time is predictable. Garments must be supplied by you (bring blanks) or purchased through the shop at standard wholesale markup.

Atlantic Specialty fills a practical gap for Baltimore customers who need custom printing without the friction of online ordering or the overhead of minimum-order requirements that exclude small jobs. Its combination of reasonable pricing, flexible quantities, and in-person service makes it worth a phone call before committing to a larger print vendor.