T-shirt printing cost in the UK depends on four things: quantity, print method, number of design colours, and garment quality. Small orders (1–10 shirts) cost more per shirt than bulk runs; DTF printing charges the same for full colour as one colour, unlike screen printing, where each extra colour adds cost. There's no single UK-wide price because these variables change every order — the fastest way to a real number is sending your design and quantity for a quote.
Here's what actually moves the number, so you can compare quotes properly.
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The four things that actually set the price
- Quantity. Most printers, including us, price per shirt more cheaply as quantity rises — there's more cost to spread a small fixed overhead across on a bigger run.
- Print method. Screen printing needs a setup cost per colour, which only pays off at higher volumes. DTF and DTG have no meaningful setup cost, so they're usually cheaper for small runs but can cost more than screen printing at very high volume with a simple design.
- Number of colours/design complexity. With screen printing, more colours means more cost. With DTF, full colour costs the same as one colour — this is one of the biggest hidden cost differences between quotes.
- Garment quality. A thin promotional blank costs less than a proper mid-weight cotton tee, but that difference shows in how the finished shirt looks and feels.
Why "from £X" quotes can be misleading
Many printers advertise a low headline price that only applies at their maximum bulk tier with a one-colour design on their cheapest blank. Once you factor in your actual quantity, your actual design, and a decent garment, the real price is often meaningfully higher than the number in the ad. Getting an accurate quote for your specific order avoids this gap.
What tends to push price up unexpectedly
- Ordering below a printer's stated minimum, where a small-order surcharge often applies
- Multi-colour designs with a screen-printing-based quote
- Printing on both front and back, which most printers (including us) treat as a separate print area
- Rush turnaround fees for tight deadlines
Why we quote rather than list fixed prices
A genuinely accurate price depends on quantity, design, and garment choice together — not any one of them alone. We'd rather give you a real number for your actual order than a headline figure that doesn't hold up once we see the details. In practice this is usually a two-minute WhatsApp exchange: send your design and quantity, get a price back.
Frequently asked questions
Is DTF cheaper than screen printing?
For small runs or multi-colour designs, usually yes, because there's no per-colour setup cost. At high volume with a simple one-colour design, screen printing can work out cheaper per shirt.
Does printing on the back cost extra?
Generally yes — front and back are usually treated as separate print areas, since each one is a separate print regardless of method.
Why do prices vary so much between printers?
Different garment quality, print method, and how quotes handle small-order surcharges all contribute — which is why comparing headline prices without checking what they actually include can be misleading.
How do I get an accurate price for my order?
Send us your design and quantity and we'll come back with a real quote, usually within a couple of minutes.
See our approach
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