Printing basics
What is the best printing method for small orders?
You need six shirts, or three, or one. Most shops either turn you away or quote a number that makes no sense. Here is what actually happens on a small run and why.
The answer is direct-to-garment
Under about a dozen pieces, DTG wins on cost, on colour and on sanity. It works like an inkjet printer built for fabric: the garment is pre-treated, the design sprayed straight onto the fibres, then cured. No screens, no stencils, nothing to set up.
That last part is the whole reason it wins small. Screen printing has to make a stencil for every colour before the first shirt runs, and on six shirts there is nowhere to hide that cost.
| Shirts | DTG | Screen, 1 colour | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – 5 | $21.64 | $30.00 | DTG |
| 6 – 11 | $17.14 | $30.00 | DTG |
| 12 | $15.64 | $12.00 | Screen |
Printing cost per shirt, front only, blank garment on top. The 1–11 screen print figure is a flat deterrent rather than a real price — it is what it would cost to burn screens for a handful of shirts.
You are paying for work, not materials
The honest explanation for why nine shirts feel expensive: with DTG there is no economy of scale to give you. Every single garment is handled, pre-treated, printed and cured on its own. Shirt nine takes exactly as long as shirt one.
Screen printing is the opposite shape. It is expensive to start and then nearly free to continue — which is why the price falls off a cliff once you cross twelve.
What DTG is genuinely better at
- Unlimited colours. The machine does not care whether your design has two colours or two thousand. A photograph costs the same as a logo.
- Fine detail and gradients. Soft fades and photographic shading that screens simply cannot separate.
- Every shirt different. Names, numbers, individual designs — no extra setup, because there was none to begin with.
- A softer hand. The ink soaks into the fibres rather than sitting on top, so you feel the shirt more than the print.
Price the next quantity up too
If you want nine shirts, it is worth pricing twelve as well. Twelve is where screen printing becomes an option, and whether the extra shirts pay for themselves depends on what you are printing — how many colours, and how many locations. Sometimes they do, sometimes they do not.
Worth checking every time. Put both quantities into the calculator below and compare the totals before you decide.
Small order, big design?
One more thing in DTG's favour: because there are no screens, a full-front photographic print costs the same as a small chest logo. On a small run you may as well go big.
Price your small order
Would you like to find out your price without the hassle of a phone call or email? Put your real quantity in — it picks the method for you and shows what the next break up would cost.
Common questions
Can you print one shirt?
Yes. No minimum order.
Why is a small order expensive per shirt?
Every garment is handled individually with DTG, so there is no bulk saving to pass on.
Is DTG as durable?
For detail it is better. For a garment washed constantly for years, screen printing lays down more ink and generally holds up longer.
Can I mix designs in one small order?
Yes — with DTG every shirt can be different at no extra setup.
Small order? Still worth a real quote
We print one shirt as readily as a hundred. Send the design and we will confirm the price and check the file. Black-owned and veteran-owned, in Capitol Heights since 2016.
Would you like to know whether ordering a few more would actually cost you less? Click below.
Send your design for a quote (202) 643-7805