So, every week we will get calls or have people stop in requesting just one or a small handfull of custom shirts. Many are surprised to find out that their are minimum quantites that must be ordered for a many shops like ours to set up and produce. Last week seemed to bring a much higher volume of those request. This seemed like the perfect topic for this weeks post, lets get into it!
Why Do Screen Print and Embroidery Shops Have Minimums?
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Production Efficiency: As mentioned, most traditional screen printing and embroidery shops are set up for high-volume production. The equipment and processes are designed for bulk orders, where setup costs are spread over a larger quantity of garments. For example, a screen printing press is set up with specific screens and configurations to print a batch of shirts. If you only print one shirt, the setup time and costs (burning screens, adjusting the press, etc.) are essentially fixed costs that don’t decrease with smaller orders.
Similarly, in embroidery, machines often have multiple heads (typically 6 or more), so running a single shirt would mean that the rest of the heads are idle, making the job inefficient and expensive. The production line is optimized for quantity, and attempting to print or embroider fewer garments leads to a higher cost per piece.
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Labor and Overhead Costs: Running an efficient shop requires skilled workers, and these workers need to be compensated for their time, even if the order is small. Labor costs—such as screen makers, press operators, quality control, and packaging staff—are spread across the number of items in a batch. When you only produce a small quantity, the labor cost per unit becomes disproportionately high.
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Post-production Steps: Post-production tasks like packaging, shipping, and quality control are also better handled in bulk. With larger orders, these tasks can be automated or streamlined to save time and resources. When fulfilling small orders, each shirt requires individual handling, which can increase the cost.
Why Is Pricing Impacted by Volume?
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Economies of Scale: The more shirts you produce, the cheaper the cost per unit. Screen printing presses, for example, are designed to print multiple garments in one cycle. When you're printing hundreds or thousands of shirts, you’re essentially paying for the setup once, but printing a larger volume. This dramatically reduces the cost per piece. On the other hand, printing one shirt requires the same setup but with minimal product to amortize that cost.
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Equipment Use: The cost to run the presses, dryers, and embroidery machines doesn’t vary much whether you're producing one shirt or 100. The energy used, machine wear and tear, and even the labor involved in running the equipment remain relatively constant. So, when you order a larger volume, you spread these costs out over more units, reducing the overall price.
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Material Costs: Bulk orders usually allow for better deals on materials. Buying shirts or other apparel in larger quantities typically comes with discounts from suppliers, which can be passed along to the customer. This means that while a single shirt may cost more, buying in bulk lowers the unit cost of the apparel itself.
Why Some People Don’t Understand the Minimums
It can be confusing for clients, especially when they’re used to seeing ads for one-off shirts online or hearing about direct-to-garment (DTG) and direct-to-film (DTF) printing options, which are advertised as more affordable for low-volume jobs. These methods indeed offer more flexibility for smaller orders because the setup costs are significantly lower, and they can print one garment at a time.
However, there’s a trade-off in quality and durability. While DTG and DTF printing can provide affordable options for small runs, the prints often don’t hold up as well as traditional screen prints over time. Screen printing involves a more intensive process, but it provides a more durable, high-quality finish that will last longer and maintain its color integrity through many washes. Many people who come to us after getting one of these shirts online often complain about the quality of print and express that they did not get what they thought they were.
As a result, many shops, including Deuce, opt to specialize in high-quality screen printing and embroidery, which is best suited for larger orders where the cost per unit is more reasonable for clients. While we do offer DTF/DTG we always make sure to identify the flaws with those processes so the client is fully aware of what they are getting.
The Key Takeaway
While it’s possible to print a single shirt or a small batch, the nature of the equipment and processes used in traditional screen printing and embroidery makes it cost-prohibitive unless you’re doing a larger volume. Minimums help ensure that the shop can maintain a reasonable margin while offering high-quality products. For smaller runs, clients may need to consider alternative methods like DTG or DTF, but these may not offer the same durability or feel as traditional printing methods.
Ultimately, order minimums and pricing structures are designed to strike a balance between efficiency, cost, and quality. Understanding the reasoning behind these policies can help clients make more informed decisions about their apparel needs.
If you are in need of anything customized for your company or group reach out. We'd love the opportunity to quote your job.