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What’s the Minimum Order for Custom Shirts?
What’s the minimum order for custom shirts? Most screen printers require 12 to 24 shirts per design. Some shops set minimums as low as 6 pieces, while others start at 48 or more. The minimum depends on the printing method, the shop’s equipment, and their business model.
Understanding why minimums exist helps you find the right printer for your needs and avoid overpaying for small orders.
Why Do Printers Have Minimum Orders?
Custom shirt printing involves significant setup time before a single shirt gets printed. That setup costs money whether you order 5 shirts or 500.
For screen printing, each color in your design requires a separate screen. Creating those screens involves coating mesh with emulsion, burning the image, washing out the design, and mounting the screen on the press. This process takes 20 to 45 minutes per color regardless of order size.
Once screens are ready, the printer loads them onto the press, mixes ink to match your colors, aligns everything precisely, and runs test prints. All this happens before your first actual shirt comes off the press.
Spreading these setup costs across more shirts keeps your per-piece price reasonable. If a printer charges $50 for setup and you order 10 shirts, that’s $5 per shirt just for setup. Order 50 shirts and that drops to $1 each.
Typical Minimums by Printing Method
Different printing methods have different cost structures, which affects their minimums.
Screen Printing typically requires 12 to 24 shirts minimum. The screen creation process makes very small orders impractical. However, once set up, screen printing produces shirts quickly and cheaply. This method becomes more cost-effective as quantities increase.
Direct-to-Garment (DTG) often has no minimum or minimums as low as 1 shirt. DTG printers work like inkjet printers for fabric. There’s minimal setup since the design goes straight from computer to printer. You’ll pay more per shirt, but it makes sense for small quantities.
Heat Transfer and Vinyl usually start at 1 to 6 shirts. These methods involve less setup than screen printing. The printer cuts or prints your design onto transfer material, then applies heat to bond it to the shirt. Great for small orders and designs with few colors.
Embroidery typically requires 6 to 12 pieces minimum. The design must be digitized first, converting your artwork into a stitch file. This one-time setup cost gets spread across your order. Simple logos digitize quickly; complex designs take longer and cost more.
How to Find Printers with Low Minimums
If you need fewer shirts than standard minimums allow, you have options.
Look for DTG specialists. These shops built their business around small orders and one-offs. They’ve invested in equipment designed for low-volume work. You’ll find them easily online, and many offer same-week turnaround.
Try local print shops. Smaller operations sometimes accommodate low minimums to win your business and build relationships. A custom shirt printing company in your area might flex on minimums, especially during slower seasons.
Ask about gang runs. Some screen printers combine multiple small orders onto one press run. They print several customers’ orders using the same ink colors, sharing setup costs. This can get you screen-printed quality at lower quantities.
Consider print-on-demand services. Companies like Printful or Custom Ink offer single-shirt ordering through their websites. You’ll pay premium prices, but there’s truly no minimum.
What Affects the Minimum at Each Shop?
Several factors determine where a particular printer sets their minimum.
Equipment type matters. Shops with automatic presses need higher volumes to justify running the equipment. Manual press operations can handle smaller runs more economically.
Business focus plays a role. Some printers specialize in high-volume wholesale work and set minimums at 48 or 72 shirts. Others target small businesses and events with minimums around 12.
Staffing and overhead influence pricing. A home-based printer with low overhead might accept 6-shirt orders. A shop with multiple employees and retail space needs higher volumes to cover costs.
Your design complexity affects things. A printer might accept 12 shirts for a one-color design but require 24 for a six-color print. More colors mean more screens, more setup time, and more ink.
The True Cost of Small Orders
Even when printers accept small orders, the per-shirt cost climbs significantly.
Here’s a rough example for a two-color screen-printed design:
- 12 shirts: $12 to $18 each
- 24 shirts: $8 to $12 each
- 48 shirts: $6 to $9 each
- 100 shirts: $4 to $7 each
The dramatic price drop happens because setup costs stay fixed while production costs scale linearly. Those first dozen shirts absorb most of the setup expense.
For very small orders (under 12), DTG often beats screen printing on price despite higher per-shirt production costs. No screens to make means no screen charges to absorb.
Questions to Ask Before Ordering
Get clear answers to these questions before committing to a printer.
What’s included in the minimum? Some shops count total shirts across all sizes. Others require minimums per size. A 24-shirt minimum might mean 24 mediums and larges combined, or it might mean 24 of each size.
Can I mix shirt colors within the minimum? Printing on different colored shirts sometimes requires adjustments. Some printers allow mixing; others charge extra or require separate minimums per shirt color.
What happens if I order under the minimum? Many printers charge a small-order fee rather than refusing the job outright. A $25 to $50 fee might make a 6-shirt order possible.
Are there setup fees on top of per-shirt pricing? Some quotes include setup; others add it separately. Make sure you understand the total cost, not just the per-piece price.
Do minimums apply to reorders? Once screens exist, reordering the same design costs less. Some printers lower or eliminate minimums for repeat orders since there’s no new setup.
Tips for Meeting Minimums
If you’re close to a minimum but not quite there, try these approaches.
Order extra sizes. Include a few extra smalls and XXLs beyond what you need right now. You’ll likely need them eventually for new team members or replacements.
Add blank inventory. Some printers sell unprinted shirts at cost. Order your printed minimum plus some blanks for future use.
Combine with another order. If you need two different designs, placing them together might help you reach volume discounts even if neither alone hits the threshold.
Plan ahead and consolidate. Instead of ordering 10 shirts now and 10 next month, wait and order 20 at once. You’ll save money and hassle.
Find a partner. Another business or group might want to split an order. You each get your designs, and together you hit the minimum.
When Higher Minimums Make Sense
Sometimes ordering more than you immediately need actually saves money.
If you’ll need more shirts within a year, ordering them all now avoids repeat setup charges. Screen printers typically store your screens for 6 to 12 months, but you’ll still pay setup fees for each new order.
Extra shirts work as giveaways, prizes, or gifts. That company picnic coming up could use some extras. New hires need shirts too.
The per-shirt savings on larger orders add up quickly. Ordering 48 shirts at $6 each ($288) often costs less than ordering 24 now at $10 each and 24 later at $10 each ($480).
Bottom Line
Most custom shirt printers require 12 to 24 piece minimums for screen printing. DTG and heat transfer methods offer lower or no minimums at higher per-shirt costs. Your best option depends on quantity, budget, and how quickly you need the shirts.
For small orders under a dozen, DTG or heat transfer usually makes the most sense economically. For 24 shirts or more, screen printing delivers better value and durability.
Shop around, ask questions, and get quotes from multiple printers. The right shop for your project depends on your specific needs, not just the lowest advertised minimum.