T-Shirt Printing

Our minimum is 12 shirts for screen printing and DTF, and 6 shirts for DTG. Under 6 pieces we’ll usually recommend DTG or heat transfers — screen printing setup fees don’t pencil out for very small runs. We’ll tell you honestly when a method doesn’t fit your quantity before you pay for it.

Four things: shirt style, print size, colour count and quantity. Screen printing is the most economical at volume but carries a per-colour setup fee. DTG has no setup fee and suits small runs. Premium ring-spun and tri-blend shirts cost more than basic cotton. Send us your details and we will quote the same or next business day.

Screen printing is best for 24+ shirts with solid-colour designs — most durable and cheapest per unit at volume, but has a per-colour setup fee. DTG (direct-to-garment) prints photo-quality artwork straight onto the shirt — great for small batches and detailed images, but only on 100% cotton or high-cotton blends. DTF (direct-to-film) uses a heat-pressed transfer that works on any fabric including polyester, with vivid colour — the hand can feel slightly thicker than screen print. We’ll recommend the right method for your artwork and quantity.

Yes — on screenprinted t-shirts we mix Pantone-matched inks to order at no extra charge. On DTG and DTF we can get close but can’t hit exact Pantone because those processes use CMYK colour builds rather than spot inks. If Pantone accuracy is critical to your brand, ask for screen printing and flag the PMS codes when you send artwork.

Standard production is 7–10 business days from artwork approval. Rush windows of 3–5 business days are available on most quantities — there’s a rush fee that scales with urgency and volume. Orders over 500 shirts or designs with 5+ ink colours usually need the full window. We don’t quote 24-hour turnarounds we can’t actually hit.

Some are. We stock Canadian-knit options through S&S Activewear and a handful of Canadian apparel brands. Most of our volume is imported brands like Gildan, Next Level, Bella+Canvas, and Independent Trading Co. — that’s the reality of the North American blank-apparel supply chain. If Canadian-made matters for your project, tell us upfront and we’ll quote the Canadian-made options first.

For budget and durability, Gildan 5000 heavyweight cotton is our workhorse. For a softer, retail-feel tee, Bella+Canvas 3001 in ring-spun cotton is the go-to. For triblend and premium fashion fits, Next Level or AS Colour. For athletic/performance, Sport-Tek or Augusta moisture-wicking polyester. We stock samples — ask for one before committing to a large run.

Yes. Screen printing on dark shirts adds a white underbase layer so colours stay vivid — this counts as one additional ink colour on your quote. DTG on dark shirts also requires a white underbase and works best on 100% cotton. DTF prints full colour with built-in white backing on any shirt colour and any fabric — it’s often our recommendation for light designs on dark shirts in smaller runs.

Standard maximum print area is 14″ × 16″ on adult shirts across most decoration methods. We can go up to 16″ × 20″ oversized prints on select equipment. All-over prints, full back-and-front prints, and sleeve prints are possible — ask and we’ll confirm what works with your shirt style and artwork.

Yes to all three. Ring-spun cotton (softer, smoother hand) is stocked in Bella+Canvas, Next Level, and Independent. Tri-blends (cotton/poly/rayon for a vintage drape) come from Next Level and District. Performance polyester is available from Sport-Tek, Augusta, and similar. The decoration method we recommend depends on fabric — polyester and blends often favour DTF, 100% cotton works with any method.