Custom apparel is a fantastic way to boost team spirit, promote your brand, or create unique merchandise people will love to wear.
At Upstate Merch, we’re passionate about bringing your vision to life, but we also understand that budgets are important. Getting the most value from your order doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. It often comes down to making smart, strategic choices.
Here are some insider tips to help you maximize your budget on your next screen printing project with us.
1. Choose Garments That Fit the Purpose
The specific blank apparel you select significantly impacts the final cost. While premium garments offer superior comfort and durability, sometimes a more budget-friendly option is the perfect fit, especially for promotional giveaways or single-event use.
Consider the End Use: I could offer you a more budget friendly option for your order. There is no problem with that, but what is the goal here? Is it to give someone a freebie that they may wear once and then only wear when they paint the house? Or.. Is it to be soft and comfortable, becoming their new favorite shirt? The difference here is that one will get you 2-3 wears, and the other will live on forever.
Your shirt is a Walking Billboard. You want that bad boy to be seen as much as possible. Don’t get me wrong, the budget tee has its place too. Maybe it’s for a one time event. That family reunion you want to soon forget, or it got shot out of a t-shirt cannon at the baseball game and hit you in the face. Its about the memories. All I ask is think about your end goals.
Balance Quality and Cost: We offer various tiers of apparel. Let our team know your goals, and we can recommend options that strike the best balance between quality, feel, and price for your specific needs. Cheaper cost doesn’t always mean it’s bad either. It’s all in what’s trending right now. Our recommended budget friendly options often come from Gildan products. Whereas some of our favorite mid to premium options come from Bella Canvas or Comfort Colors. We are here to help you through all of this because there are many options and brands to choose from.
2. Leverage the Power of Quantity
Most of the work that happens in printmaking is all in the pre-press setup. Making the screens, printing the DTF, or tweaking the digitizing for embroidery. This prepress work does not change for us whether you order 5 or 5000 shirts. The more items you order the more that cost gets spread out which can drastically lower your price per garment.
Plan Ahead: If you anticipate needing more shirts down the road, ordering them all at once is more cost-effective than placing multiple smaller orders. Ask us about our volume price breaks. You may be surprised how significantly the cost-per-item drops when ordering in bulk.
3. Be Strategic with Print Locations
Adding prints to multiple locations like the front, back, and sleeves increases the complexity and, consequently, the cost of your order.
Focus on Impact: For example, sometimes clients want to add a sponsor logo to the sleeve. That adds another print location and ups the price. Maybe think about adding those sponsor logos small under the back design. This will not change your price at all, saving you extra cash. Often, a well-designed, and strategically placed print on the front or back provides excellent visibility and impact. Carefully consider if those extra sleeve or secondary location prints are truly essential for achieving your goals, or if simplifying could save you money without losing effectiveness.
Check out some of the prints we have done Here.
4. Smart Color Choices Save Money
In screen printing, every distinct color in your design requires its own screen and setup process, directly impacting the price. Don’t get me wrong, we don’t want to compromise your vision or take away from your art. We are just informing you how the system works. Digital products are available that could come in handy if you really want to show off a ton of colors. We are here for whatever you need.
Simplify Your Palette: Reducing the number of ink colors is one of the most effective ways to manage costs. Many iconic and highly effective t-shirt designs use only one or two colors to great effect.
Use the Shirt Color Creatively: Think like a designer! Can the color of the t-shirt itself become an integral part of your artwork? For instance, on a navy shirt, elements intended to be navy can be left unprinted (using “negative space”), letting the fabric color show through. This clever technique saves you the cost of an entire ink color.
Complex Images? Ask About Options: Have a photographic image or a design with many colors and gradients? Don’t despair! Ask our team about specialized techniques like halftones or simulated process printing. These advanced methods can often replicate complex, multi-color looks using significantly fewer actual ink colors, offering a great balance between visual fidelity and cost savings.
5. Order Accurately and Early
Mistakes in sizing or waiting until the last minute can lead to unexpected costs and stress.
Nail the Size Breakdown: Avoid the headache and expense of guessing sizes! Running out of popular sizes means unhappy recipients, while having a surplus of less-needed sizes is a wasted budget. Collecting exact size preferences from your group whenever possible prevents waste and avoids the need for costly small reorders. Remember, you should add a few to each size just in case little Timmy asks for the wrong one, or that new kid finally decides to show up.
Beat the Clock: Planning is key! Rush orders often incur extra charges for expedited production and shipping. Placing your order with ample lead time (ideally two weeks or more before you need the shirts in hand) ensures you get the best possible standard pricing and avoids unnecessary rush fees.
By keeping these tips in mind, you can confidently create amazing custom apparel with Upstate Merch while making your budget work smarter, not harder. We’re always here to help guide you through the options and provide clear, detailed quotes based on your specific project.
Ready to start? Let’s create something great together! Contact Upstate Merch today.