T shirt printing puts a business, a team or a cause on the street. A printer can run one shirt for a birthday or a few hundred for a campaign, and the method changes with the job: screen printing for bigger runs of one design, DTF or vinyl for small mixed orders, sublimation for polyester sportswear. Tell us the shirt, the number, the print positions and the colours in your design, and we pass it to T-shirt printers near you. The request is free and you are under no obligation.
Ways to print a T-shirt
Most printers offer more than one method.
- Screen printing: ink pushed through a mesh screen, one screen per colour. Strong, washes well, best from about 30 to 50 shirts of the same design.
- DTF: full colour printed on film and pressed on. No screens, so it suits one to a few dozen shirts, photos and many colours.
- Heat transfer vinyl: cut from coloured vinyl, ideal for names and numbers on sports kit.
- Sublimation: dyed into white or light polyester, so the print never cracks or peels.
Choosing the shirt and the print spot
The blank shirt is often half the price. A 150 to 165 gsm cotton shirt is the usual everyday choice; heavier 180 to 200 gsm shirts feel better and last longer; polyester or a poly blend suits sport and outdoor work in the heat. Dark shirts need a white underbase, which adds cost on screen printing. Pick the print positions early: left chest, full front, full back, sleeve or nape. Each extra position is a separate print and a separate charge. Get a size run (how many S, M, L, XL, 2XL) before you ask. For a smarter look on staff wear, ask about embroidery on golf shirts instead.
Artwork and care
Send vector artwork (PDF, SVG or AI) or a PNG with a transparent background at about 300 dpi at the printed size. Say how wide the print should be; a full front is often around 250 to 300 mm wide. List the colours, because screen printers price by the number of colours. Ask for a mock-up or a sample shirt before the full run. Common mistakes: a low resolution logo copied from a website and a white box behind the design. Wash printed shirts inside out in cold water and do not iron over the print.
What affects the price of T shirt printing
The shirt, the quantity, the method, the number of colours and the number of positions drive the price. Screen setup is spread over the run; DTF has no setup but costs more per print. Ask each printer:
- Is the shirt included, and which weight and fabric?
- Are screens, artwork and a sample charged separately?
- What is the minimum order, and is VAT included?
- When can they deliver or have it ready for collection?
What to include in your request
- The number of shirts and the size run
- Shirt colour, fabric and weight
- Print positions: front, back, sleeve
- How many colours are in the design
- The date you need them by
T-Shirt Printing for different clients
- Families and individuals: matching shirts for a family reunion, a birthday, a bachelor party or a memorial
- Small businesses and start-ups: a few dozen staff shirts with the business name for a salon, café or contractor
- Companies and offices: staff T-shirts for site teams, call centres and a year end function
- Shops, restaurants and salons: shirts for shop floor staff and printed merchandise sold over the counter
- Events, conferences and clubs: fun run, festival and conference shirts with a sponsor block on the back
- Schools, churches and NGOs: matric shirts, house colours and church youth camp shirts in mixed sizes
- Government and municipalities: campaign and awareness shirts for health drives, elections and municipal projects
- Designers, agencies and resellers: contract printing for agencies, designers and resellers who supply the artwork
Frequently asked questions
What is the price for T shirt printing?
Can I get just one shirt printed?
How long does T-shirt printing take?
Do you print the shirts yourselves?
T-Shirt Printing by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg