It is the first thing people want to know and it should not take three clicks to find, so here it is up front.
| Method | Minimum order | One-time setup | Why the minimum is what it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTF printing | 1 piece | None | Printed per piece, so there is nothing to spread across a run. |
| Laser engraving | 1 piece | One-time setup from $8.00 | Etched per item. The setup is small enough that one is worth doing. |
| Embroidery | 3 pieces | $50.00 digitizing, once per logo | Your logo has to be turned into a stitch file and test sewn before anything runs. |
| Screen printing | 25 pieces | $50.00 screen setup per order | Screens get burned, mounted, and registered by hand. Under 25 that labor costs more than the shirts. |
So the honest answer to "how many shirts do I have to order" is one, as long as you are not asking for screen printing. Everything below explains what that actually means for your price.
The minimum is not the same thing as the smart quantity
You can order a single DTF printed shirt. You will pay a lot for it per shirt, because there is no volume anywhere in the number. The minimum tells you what we will accept. The tiers tell you where your money goes furthest, and those are two different questions.
Here is the real comparison on a Gildan Light Cotton Tee, which runs $18.45, with a full front print.
| Quantity | DTF, per shirt | Screen print, per shirt | Cheaper option |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 24 | $28.45 | Not available | DTF, by default |
| 25 | $28.45 | $27.45 | Screen print, barely |
| 50 | $28.45 | $24.45 | Screen print |
| 100 | $28.45 | $23.95 | Screen print |
| 150 | $28.45 | $21.28 | Screen print |
Screen print numbers include the $50.00 screen setup spread across the run. DTF has no setup at any quantity, which is why its line never moves.
Two things fall out of that table. First, at exactly 25 pieces screen printing saves you a dollar a shirt. Twenty-four DTF shirts cost $682.80 and twenty-five screen printed shirts cost $686.25, so the crossover is real but it is not dramatic, and it is not worth ordering shirts you do not need to reach. Second, by 100 pieces the gap is $4.50 a shirt, which is $450 on the order. That is where the minimum starts mattering.
If you need fewer than 25
Order DTF and stop worrying about it. No minimum, no setup, unlimited colors, and it handles photographic art and gradients that screen printing cannot do economically at small quantity. A staff of eight, a wedding party, a single sample before a big run, all of that is DTF territory.
The one thing to know is that DTF costs the same per shirt whether you buy one or two hundred, so it never rewards you for buying more. If your quantity is climbing past 50, switch methods.
DTF is priced by print size rather than by quantity.
- Small logo, $5.00 a piece.
- Left chest, $8.00 a piece.
- Full front, $10.00 a piece.
- Oversize, $14.00 a piece.
- Sleeve add-on, $6.00 a piece.
Three pieces for embroidery
Three is where we set it so a three person crew can get into real uniforms without buying nine shirts they will never wear. If you are quoting this out, ask every shop for their embroidery minimum in writing, because that number decides whether a small team can do embroidery at all.
The catch is the $50.00 digitizing charge, which converts your logo into a stitch file. On three polos that is $16.67 a shirt and you feel it. On twenty-four it is $2.08. And it is charged once per logo, ever, so reorders never pay it again. If you plan to order the same embroidered logo more than once, the fee is smaller than it looks. We wrote up how it works in what a digitizing fee actually is.
One piece for engraving
Engraving has no minimum at all, and this is the category where that matters most. A single engraved tumbler for a retirement gift, twelve for a donor thank-you, forty for a conference table, all of it works. Engraving runs $12.00 a piece for a name or text, $20.00 for a standard logo, and $35.00 for a large wrap, plus a one-time setup fee that starts at $8.00. The current setup tiers are on the pricing guide.
Nothing fades because there is no ink involved. It is etched. See the engravable drinkware collection for what we can mark.
Common questions
What is the absolute minimum order?
One piece, using DTF printing or laser engraving. Embroidery starts at 3 and screen printing at 25.
Can I mix sizes and still hit the 25 piece screen print minimum?
Yes. The minimum counts pieces in the print run, not pieces of one size, and the screen does not care what size shirt goes under it. Mix your small through 2XL freely.
Can I mix garment colors in one screen print run?
Usually, but tell us up front. Printing the same design on a white shirt and a black shirt can mean different ink or an added underbase layer, which changes the setup. Call 928-387-4348 with the color breakdown and we will tell you before you order.
Do different designs count toward the same minimum?
No. Screen printing is 25 pieces of the same design, because each design needs its own screens. Two designs is two runs. DTF has no minimum, so a mixed-design order is simpler to do that way.
Is there a minimum for a fundraiser or team store?
No minimum number of buyers and no setup fee to launch one. Nothing prints until the store closes, so a store with nine orders in it works the same as a store with ninety. Details are on the fundraisers and team stores page.
Do I have to order a minimum to get a quote?
No, and for standard orders you do not need a quote at all. Set your quantity on the product page and it prices your exact order live, tier and setup included.
Work out your number
Every product page prices your quantity live as you change it, so the fastest way to answer this for your own order is to go set the number and watch it move. Browse custom t-shirts, or read the full pricing guide and the decoration methods comparison. If your order is odd enough that none of it fits, call 928-387-4348.