Printed T-Shirts in Bulk: Costs and Turnaround
What drives the cost of a bulk t-shirt order, which print method suits which fabric, and what actually sets your...
What drives the cost of a bulk t-shirt order, which print method suits which fabric, and what actually sets your turnaround.
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View allFour things set the price of a bulk t-shirt order: the garment you pick, the print method, how many colours are in your design and how many places you want it printed. Quantity then moves the per-unit price on top of all four.
This guide covers each one, plus how minimums work on clothing and what actually sets your turnaround, so you can brief an order properly rather than working it out from a quote.
What drives the cost
The garment. Fabric weight, composition and cut all move the price. A heavier cotton shirt costs more than a value shirt and prints better, which is a real trade rather than an upsell. Larger sizes sometimes cost more than the standard run, simply because there is more fabric in them.
The print method. Screen printing carries a setup per colour. Direct to garment and transfer printing do not, which changes which one is cheaper depending on how many shirts you are ordering. The next section covers which method suits which fabric.
The number of colours. On screen printing, each colour is a separate screen and a separate pass. A two-colour logo costs more to print than a one-colour version of the same logo. On digital methods, colour count does not move the price.
The number of positions. A front print and a back print are two applications, not one. So are a left chest and a sleeve. If the budget is tight, one strong position beats two weak ones.
Then quantity. The setup for a print run costs much the same whether you are printing 50 shirts or 500, so the more units you spread it across, the lower the per-unit price falls. That is why prices drop at quantity breaks rather than sliding smoothly, and why ordering slightly more to reach the next break sometimes costs less in total.
Every product page shows its price at the quantity you enter, its minimum order and its guaranteed delivery date, before you speak to anyone.
Choose the print method to match the fabric
This is the decision that goes wrong most often, because the method is usually picked on price and the fabric is picked on comfort, and the two have to agree.
| Method | Best for | Colours | Where it wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen print | Larger runs, simple logos | Priced per colour | The lowest per-unit cost at volume once the screens are made |
| Direct to garment | Short runs, photographic or many-colour artwork | Full colour at no extra cost | No screen setup, so small quantities stay viable |
| Transfer | Mixed fabrics in one order | Full colour | Works on cotton, polyester and blends alike |
| Vinyl | Names, numbers and individual personalisation | Solid colours, applied one at a time | The only sensible route when every shirt is different |
| Sublimation | Light-coloured polyester | Full colour | The design becomes part of the fabric, so nothing sits on top of it |
| Embroidery | A small left chest mark on heavier cotton | Priced by thread and stitch count | Rarely the right call on a t-shirt, because the weight pulls at light fabric |
And the fabric side of the same decision:
| Fabric | What suits it | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| 100% cotton | Screen print, direct to garment, transfer | The most forgiving print surface. Heavier weights hold fine detail better |
| Poly-cotton blend | Screen print with a blocker, transfer | Dye migration on darker blends. See below |
| 100% polyester or performance fabric | Transfer, sublimation on light colours | Direct to garment does not bond well, and standard inks can lift the garment dye |
| Recycled polyester | Transfer, sublimation on light colours | Same considerations as polyester |
| Organic and heavyweight cotton | Screen print, direct to garment | The best surface in the list, and the most expensive garment |
Our guide to screen printing, embroidery and engraving covers the methods in more depth across every product, not only clothing.
Why a white print on a dark shirt sometimes turns pink
This one is worth knowing before you order rather than after, because it is the most common way a bulk t-shirt order disappoints and almost nobody warns you about it.
It is called dye migration. On polyester and poly-cotton, the dye in the garment can move into the ink sitting on top of it, usually under the heat of curing or later in the wash. A white print on a red or navy shirt is where you notice it first, because the print gradually takes on a tint of the garment colour.
Three things prevent it.
Use a blocker underbase on dark polyester and poly-cotton, which is a barrier layer printed under the design.
Use low-cure inks, which set at a lower temperature and give the dye less reason to move.
Or avoid the problem entirely by choosing 100% cotton for dark garments with a light print, or by putting the design on a light garment instead.
If your shirts are dark and your logo is light, say so when you brief us. It changes the method, and it is much easier to solve at the proof stage than after the run.
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How the minimum works
Minimums on clothing generally apply per style and per colour rather than per order. A hundred shirts split across two colours can be two separate minimums rather than one, and the same question applies if you want both a unisex and a fitted cut.
For a bulk event order the simplest route is one garment in one colour, with the size split providing the variety. If the campaign needs two colours, check how the minimum applies before you promise anyone a choice.
Minimums are set per product rather than as a blanket policy. The number on the product page is the one that applies, and if it is higher than you need there is often a similar garment with a lower threshold.
How many of each size to order
Ordering equal quantities across the size run is the most common bulk t-shirt mistake and it leaves you with a box of small and nobody to give it to.
For an event where you do not know who is getting which shirt, order to a distribution rather than a flat split. The middle sizes go fastest, and running out of them on the morning of an event is the failure people remember. It is worth weighting the order towards the middle of the range and carrying the ends more lightly, and worth including sizes above and below the standard run rather than stopping at the edges of it.
If you are ordering for a named team instead of a crowd, collect the sizes properly first. Our guide to organising a company hoodie order covers how to do that without it taking three weeks.
What actually sets your turnaround
Production is rarely the slow part. The clock usually runs on these, in order.
- Getting us your artwork. Send it with the brief rather than after the quote.
- Approving the proof. You will get a free Visual Proof within 20 minutes, and you can change it as many times as you need before you approve it. Nominate one person to sign it off and say who that is upfront.
- Setup. Screen printing makes a screen per colour. Transfer and vinyl skip that step, which is why they are often quicker on a short run.
- Printing and curing. Curing is a fixed part of the process and cannot be shortened.
- Delivery.
If you are working to a deadline, the levers that actually move it are fewer colours, one print position, and a garment that is in stock in the sizes you need. Every clothing product page shows stock as a real number broken down by size, so you can check that before you commit rather than after.
We show a guaranteed delivery date on the product page before you order, rather than a range of days. Our article on guaranteed delivery dates explains how that works and what happens if anything slips.
If the date is tight, tell us the real one rather than a padded one, and we will tell you straight away whether it works.
What to have ready before you brief us
Your logo as a vector file (AI, EPS or PDF). If you only have a JPEG or PNG, send it anyway and we will tell you whether it will hold up at print size. Note that for printing, AI refers to Adobe Illustrator file, not Artificial Intelligence generated imagery.
- Your brand colours, with Pantone references if you have them.
- The quantity, and whether you want a buffer.
- The garment colour, because it changes the print method.
- Your real deadline, and the delivery address.
To see what is available, browse our printed t-shirts. If you are buying for an event rather than a team, our buying guide on budgets, quantities and lead times covers ordering across every product category.