Want to lower the cost of your custom apparel order? Look no further. In this post, we’ll provide you with tips and strategies to cut costs, stick to your budget, and make informed decisions about trade-offs. With our guidance, you’ll be able to save money on your order.
What’s the cost?
If you’re looking to save money on your custom apparel order, there are several factors to consider. Our pricing is primarily based on the product, quantity, and number of colors in your design. However, by considering things like print location, method, personalization, size breakdown, and turnaround time, you can significantly bring down the cost per unit.
Here are 8 tips to help you save money on your custom t-shirt order, in addition to any discounts or promotions offered by our company.
1. Product Type
The choice of product can greatly impact the overall cost of your custom apparel order. While premium options offer the best quality, comfort, and construction, budget-friendly options may be more suitable for promotional giveaways or one-time use.
Consider the purpose of the garments, the expectations of the wearers, the environmental conditions, and your brand identity when making your product selection.
Keep in mind that different fabric types can affect the quality, durability, comfort, and performance of the garment. Additionally, purchasing larger quantities may result in a lower cost per unit.
2. Quantity
The choice of product can greatly impact the overall cost of your custom apparel order. While premium options offer the best quality, comfort, and construction, budget-friendly options may be more suitable for promotional giveaways or one-time use.
Consider the purpose of the garments, the expectations of the wearers, the environmental conditions, and your brand identity when making your product selection. Keep in mind that different fabric types can affect the quality, durability, comfort, and performance of the garment. Additionally, purchasing larger quantities may result in a lower cost per unit.
3. Number of Print Locations
Reducing the number of print locations on your custom apparel order can greatly lower the cost of your order. For example, if you have a 5-color design that needs to be printed on three different locations, that’s a total of 15 imprints (or screens).
This can significantly increase the overall cost of printing. An easy way to reduce cost is by limiting the number of print locations.
For example, if your design is going on the front, back, and both sleeves, consider only printing one sleeve or eliminating the sleeve prints altogether. Keep in mind that this decision depends on the purpose of the garments and industry standards.
To learn more about your options, read a guide on print locations and standards.
4. Printing Method
The choice of print method can greatly impact the cost of your custom apparel order. Different methods have varying price points and may be more suitable for certain designs or quantities.
For example, screen printing is generally more cost-effective for larger orders, while DTG (direct-to-garment) printing may be better for smaller orders with multiple colors.
Embroidery and heat transfers are also options to consider, as well as digital sublimation and patches. It’s important to consider all factors such as quantity, design, and purpose of the garments when choosing a print method. If you’re unsure, reach out to our sales team for guidance and recommendations.
5. Number of Ink Colors
When placing a custom apparel order, one way to save money is by reducing the number of colors in your design. The pricing for custom screen printing is based on the number of colors per location, so by lowering the number of colors, you can significantly reduce the overall cost of the order.
You can experiment with omitting certain colors and see how the design looks in our easy-to-use Design Studio. Additionally, you can use halftones, a technique that uses tiny dots of different sizes to represent various shades between black and white, to retain the shading and tones of your design while also reducing the number of colors.
You can also request a simulated process print, which uses the principles of process printing but with spot colors, for a good result and cost reduction.
6. Personalization
If you’re looking to save money on your custom apparel order, one way to do so is by choosing the right print method. Instead of using dye sublimation for personalized team uniforms, consider using a more cost-effective method like vinyl names and numbers combined with a single color screen print on the front.
This can significantly reduce the cost per item, allowing you to order extras or include other features such as numbers without names.
It’s also important to consider the purpose of the garments and the expectations of the wearers, as well as the environmental conditions and brand identity to make the best decision for your budget and needs.
7. Size Breakdown
When placing a custom apparel order, it’s important to accurately determine the sizes needed to avoid excess inventory or running out of the sizes needed.
To ensure the order is correct the first time, it’s important to ask individuals for their size preferences rather than guessing. Each product page has a sizing chart that can be used as a reference and it’s worth noting that sizes 2XL and above will cost more per shirt.
To save money on bulk orders, it’s best to avoid ordering larger sizes unless necessary. To get a better understanding of how to choose the right size breakdown, refer to our post on the topic and learn about how a T-shirt should fit.
8. Order Placement
Don’t delay in placing your custom apparel order to save on cost. The longer lead time we have, the lower the price per unit.
Take advantage of our Design Studio and start the process as early as possible. If you are unsure of product selection, quantity, or size breakdown, save your progress and finalize details later. However, if you have all the necessary information, including print method and design, place your order now to take advantage of our turnaround time and get the best pricing.
During the proofing process, you can make adjustments to the artwork, number of colors, and print locations.
If you’re looking to customize your own t-shirt check for SameDayCustom stores around your area and use our easy-to-use Design Lab and create your own merch!
