In the last few years, it seems like everything has gotten more expensive–groceries, cars, homes, insurance, taxes, fast food–you name it. Prices for custom T-shirts have also increased. Here are some ways to lower the cost of your custom T-shirt.
Why do custom T-shirts cost more?
The majority of custom T-shirt prices rises are not under the control of the printing company.
* The rising raw material costs have caused a significant increase in wholesale garment prices, including cotton (which increased by 50% last year), bamboo, rayon, and polyester.
*Custom T-shirt manufacturing costs have increased both nationally and internationally due to dramatic increases in wholesale shipping prices. Higher oil and gas prices mean that they are more expensive. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, shipping container costs have increased by three times. Trucking load prices have risen by 12 percent this year so far and will continue to rise throughout the year.
* Supply chain halts and port congestion have also adversely affected the production of inks to meet customer demand. They also limited the ability of ink manufacturers to ship ink to screen printing machines in a timely fashion.
* The inflation rate is increasing. Inflation has reached 7.5 percent as of March 2022. This is the highest inflation rate in over 40 years.
* The prices of clothing brands have increased, with the range being from 5 percent to 15% higher for the lower end to 15% on the higher end. Although clothing brand prices are up, color availability and choice have declined.
How do you lower the cost of your custom T-shirt?
These are 8 easy strategies.
- Select the right product. All T-shirts may not be created equal. Some of our favorite T-shirts are actually cheaper than premium brands. Use our online calculator to calculate the price of your garment and get our best, better, and most competitive comparisons. You should choose high-quality T-shirts if you plan to sell them as a promotional item for your company or brand. You should not make T-shirts that are only worn once, unless you're making them as gag gifts.
- Use half-tones to reduce the number of colors printed. You can approximate different shades of the same color using half-tone colors, such as pale gray or medium gray and charcoal gray. The printing cost is lower because only one screen is needed for half tones of the same color.
- Limit the number print locations. Pricing for T-shirt screen printing services is determined by the number and color combination per print location. If you have a 4-color print on the front, back and sleeves, there will be 12 imprints or screens. Your order will cost three times as much as a single-location job.
- Only order the sizes you need. Guessing sizes could lead to placing a second or even third order. You can get the best price and reduce printing costs by ordering the exact sizes and quantities of the T-shirts that you need in one order. It's like making one lasagna for the entire family or one small lasagna. Then, you clean up everything and make another. Finally, you clean up everything again. The best way to save time and money is to do it once and for all.
- Select the right decorating method. A complicated design that has many fine details might be best suited for screen printing. It might be a good idea to embroider small pockets logos on a few shirts, rather than screen printing them.
- No personalization.
- Order early to get free shipping The shipping charges for UPS, Fed-Ex and USPS rush shipping are much higher.
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