Custom T-Shirts Printing Prices

Don’t be Misled: Pricing Comparisons for Screen Printers
By: Kelli Fassbender

Many custom t-shirts printing companies have different policies about what services they charge for and what services they do not charge for. Many people have a difficult time comparing prices between screenprinters because there are so many variables that go into pricing such as, how many colors are used in the print and the type of shirt used. Although it may seem like a custom t-shirts printing company has the best price, they may charge you hidden fees. If you are ordering custom printed t-shirts or other garments from a screenprinter, you should be aware of what fees you should expect to pay, and what fees that you should not have to pay.

Art Charges

A quality screen printer should be open to receiving any known graphic format from you. If the graphic you send is not vector based, such as jpg or gif graphics, the company will have to recreate it in a vector based program, such as Adobe Illustrator, but you should not be charged for this service. I have discovered that certain custom print t-shirts companies will charge up to $50 per hour for such a service, while some, such as Designashirt.com custom t-shirts printing, do not charge a fee for this service. If, on the other hand, you want the screen printing company to create the graphic for you from scratch or from a drawing you have given them, you should expect to pay around $25 an hour for this service.

Shipping

If you seek standard 14 day shipping, there are many screen printers, for custom printed t-shirts, who will not charge a shipping fee at all. If you need your order sooner than 14 days you should expect to pay rush charges, although these charges vary from company to company. Typical rush charges not only refer to the shipping time, but the total time a buyer can expect to pick up their custom print t-shirts after placing their order. Some local custom t-shirts printing companies are able to create your order as early as the same or next day, but most online companies will not. If you need your order rushed, expect to pay at least 30%-60% more depending how fast you need it. Often online rush charges are less than if you need it rushed from a local company.

Printer Set Up Fees

Screen printing a graphic requires that a new screen be used for every color and every print location on a garment. For instance, if you need red printed on the body of a shirt as well as the sleeve, you will be charged for two screens. The process for setting up a new screen is time consuming and costly, so all custom t-shirts printing companies vary their prices according to how many screens are required. However, some custom t-shirts printing companies work these set up fees into their prices and others charge a standard fee, such as $25, for each screen needed. It is probably going to be more expensive for you, if a custom t-shirts printer charges a set fee for each screen they use, unless this fee is really low. If you want to be extra sure you are getting the most value for your dollar, get a quote a from screenprinter who encorporates set up fees into their prices and from another who charges a standard fee for each screen. Before you do so, make sure you know how many colors you are using and the placement of your graphics and text. Keep in mind that the amount of text or graphics per color does not affect the price. Rather, it is the number of colors and number of screens required that determines the cost.

Number of T-Shirts

Because the same amount of screens are needed whether you order 10 custom printed t-shirts or 10,000 shirts, most screen printers taper their prices. For instance, the average price per shirt may be around $20 if you order 10 shirts, but if you order 50 shirts the price may be $10 dollars a shirt. In addition, many screenprinters utilize what is called a price point. For instance if a company’s price point is 12 shirts, the price of each shirt for orders under 12 may be $20 each. If the customer orders 12 custom print t-shirts, the price for each shirt may go down to $15 a shirt. Screenprinting companies have different price points and different minimum order requirements. Compare a few different companies to determine the price points and minimum shirt requirements that best fit your needs.

Note: Most custom t-shirts printing companies' minimum purchase requirement is 36 or more garments. You may be able to negotiate a smaller order, but expect to pay a sky-high price, because it costs the screen printer a lot to set up the print. We found, however that DesignAShirt.com custom printed t-shirts, has a minimum of 6 shirts. Some printing companies will allow you to order one shirt, but be aware that your shirt will in most cases be made with a heat press rather than screenprinted. To learn more about screen printing methods read, “Screen Printing vs. Iron-Ons: Are Heat Transfer Graphics Worth It?”.

Type and Color

You can expect to be charged differently for the garment type. Expect that clothing other than t-shirts, such as shorts, will be priced different than t-shirts. Some clothing brands are made with higher quality materials than others, have more preferable styles, and as a result, cost a bit more. The color of the shirt is also a cost factor. White shirts are the least expensive and gray garments are normally priced lower than garments of other colors. Light colored shirts may be priced less than dark colored garments. An additional cost factor to using dark colored garments is that they require more ink layers (and consequently more screens), so the fabric color does not show through the print.

T-ShirtPrinting Information

If you are ordering online, make sure that the custom t-shirts printer you are considering is secure to receive credit card information. Look for a secure site logo on the home or ordering page. One of the benefits of ordering online is that you should not be charged sales tax if you are ordering outside of the state the company is located in. Furthermore, you are better off going with a company with a money back guarantee, in case you are unhappy with the finished product.

Printing Details

If you would like details about pricing and quality among screen printers, please refer to our screen printer review to view a comparison chart of the most popular screen printers.