Save Money Without Cutting Corners
Custom apparel can get expensive fast — but most cost overruns come from simple decisions that are easy to fix once you know about them. We've put together 10 practical tips that help our customers save 15–40% on their orders without sacrificing print quality, garment quality, or turnaround speed.
Some of these you can act on immediately. Others require a bit of planning ahead. All of them are based on what we see working every day in our Los Angeles facility.
1. Order in Larger Quantities
This is the single biggest way to lower your per-piece cost. Custom printing has fixed costs (production setup, screen burning, machine calibration) that get spread across your total quantity. The more pieces you order in one run, the less each piece costs.
Per-piece pricing drops at every tier break. The biggest jumps happen at these key quantities:
- 1–3 pieces — sample/single tier (highest per-piece cost)
- 4–8 — small group savings kick in
- 9–24 — small team / family pricing
- 25–49 — mid-size order tier
- 50–99 — bulk pricing tier
- 100–249 — significant volume discount
- 250–499 — wholesale-level pricing
- 500–1,499 — large-event pricing
- 1,500+ — best per-piece pricing
2. Simplify Your Design
Design choices have a bigger impact on price than most people realize, especially for screen printing. Each color in your design requires its own screen and a separate print pass. Reducing colors reduces production time.
Specific ways to save:
- Reduce print colors. A 2-color logo on 50 shirts is significantly cheaper than a 6-color full-back graphic. Going from 4 colors to 2 colors typically saves 30–40% on screen printing.
- Use solid colors instead of gradients. Gradients require halftone screens and more careful registration.
- Skip specialty inks unless you need them. Metallic, glow-in-the-dark, puff, and discharge inks all add cost.
- Use standard placements. Front, back, and left chest are standard. Sleeves, collar tags, and inside-neck prints are extra setup.
- For embroidery, use standard thread colors. Custom thread color matching adds time.
3. Pick Cost-Effective Garments
The blank garment is often the largest single cost in your order — sometimes more than the printing itself. Choosing wisely here can dramatically change your final price.
- Gildan and Hanes basics are the most cost-effective for general use. Great for events, fundraisers, and giveaways.
- Bella+Canvas, Next Level, and Comfort Colors are mid-range — softer feel, better fit, retail-quality. Worth it for branded merch you want people to actually wear.
- Premium brands (Independent Trading Co., Champion, Adidas) cost more but justify it for higher-end products.
- Avoid specialty fabrics if you don't need them. Performance/moisture-wicking, tri-blend, and ring-spun cotton all add cost compared to standard cotton.
Not sure which to pick? Tell us your use case and budget, and we'll recommend the best value option for your specific situation.
4. Limit Print Locations
Each print location on a garment is a separate production step. A shirt printed only on the front is cheaper than the same shirt printed front and back. Each additional location adds time and cost.
One location
Standard. Front-only or back-only is the most cost-effective option for budget projects.
Two locations
Common for team shirts (front logo + back number). Adds setup but the per-piece cost stays reasonable on larger runs.
Three or more
Worth it only when the multi-location design is the whole point. Otherwise, consolidate to fewer placements.
5. Combine Multiple Orders
If your team, school, business, or organization places several small orders throughout the year, combining them into fewer larger orders saves money. Same logo + same colors + same garment = you only pay for setup time once across the combined quantity.
This is especially useful for:
- Team uniforms — Order full season's worth at once instead of per-game replacements
- Corporate apparel — Combine departments into one order rather than separate runs per team
- Event swag — Plan multi-event merchandise needs together
- Family or friend group orders — One person collects sizes and pays once
Combined orders also ensure consistent ink mixing and color across all pieces. Two separate runs can have slight color variations even with the same Pantone reference.
6. Plan Ahead — Avoid Rush Fees
Rush production costs more, period. Standard turnaround is 7 business days at no extra cost. If you need it faster:
- Rush: 5 business days — adds 20% to order total
- Super Rush: 3 business days — adds 25% to order total
- Same-Day: Custom pricing, phone-only, before 11 AM Pacific Time
To avoid rush fees: place your order at least 7 business days before your event date, approve your proof immediately when you receive it, and lock in your design and quantity early. Last-minute changes after production starts can also add cost.
If your event is recurring (annual fundraiser, weekly games, monthly meetings), put a reminder on your calendar 2 weeks before the date so you order with breathing room. See our Turnaround Time page for full details on every tier.
7. Choose the Right Print Method
The cheapest print method depends on your quantity and design complexity. Picking the wrong one for your order size is one of the most common ways customers overpay.
Screen Printing
Best for orders of 25+ pieces with simple designs (1–6 colors). Per-piece cost drops sharply as quantity goes up. Most cost-effective for bulk.
DTG Printing
Best for under 25 pieces or full-color/photo designs. No setup or color limits. Great for small runs and complex artwork.
DTF Printing
Versatile — works on cotton, polyester, blends, and dark fabrics. Sweet spot is small to mid-size runs with full-color designs.
Embroidery
Premium look but more expensive per piece. Best for hats, polos, and high-end corporate apparel. Reorders are cheaper because we keep your digitized file on hand.
Not sure which to pick? Call us with your quantity, garment type, and design and we'll recommend the most cost-effective method. We'll never push you toward a more expensive method when a cheaper one works fine.
8. Save on Shipping
Shipping is one of those quiet costs that adds up. Here's how to minimize it:
- Free local pickup: If you're in or near Los Angeles, pick up at our 2633 S Broadway facility for free. Select "Store Pickup" at checkout. We'll text or email when your order is ready.
- Free shipping over $100: Orders over $100 ship free anywhere in the contiguous US. Orders under $100 are a $9.79 flat rate.
- Push your order over $100 to unlock free shipping. If you're at $93 with shipping, adding one more shirt is often cheaper than paying the $9.79 fee.
- Standard turnaround uses standard shipping. Don't pay for expedited shipping unless you've actually missed the rush deadline — our turnaround tiers already account for delivery date.
For full shipping rates, carriers, and delivery details, see our Shipping Policy.
9. Use Coupons & Promotions
We run promotions year-round. Many customers don't realize they qualify for a discount until we mention it. Always check before you order:
- Seasonal coupons: Code HAPPY10 takes 10% off; we add new codes throughout the year
- First-time customer specials: Ask if you're new to us
- Volume discounts: Automatic on larger quantities (no code needed)
- Industry promotions: Schools, nonprofits, teams, and certain industries qualify for additional savings — just ask
- Repeat customer pricing: If you're a returning customer with regular orders, ask about preferred pricing
Visit our Coupons page for current active codes, or just ask when you call — we'll tell you what you qualify for.
10. Wholesale & Tax-Exempt Options
If you're buying for a business, nonprofit, school, or reseller account, two options can lower your effective cost:
50% Deposit Option
For new business or wholesale accounts on larger orders, we offer a 50% deposit at order placement, with the remaining 50% due before the order ships. This helps with cash flow on big projects without adding interest or fees.
Tax-Exempt Status
If your organization is tax-exempt (nonprofit, school district, government entity, reseller), submit your valid resale or tax-exemption certificate to print@rapidssp.com with the email address used on your account. Once approved, no sales tax will be charged on future orders. We accept any state's valid certificate.
For more on payment options, see our Payment Options page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best way to save money on custom apparel?
Order more pieces in one run. Per-piece pricing drops at tier breaks of 4, 9, 15, 25, 50, 73, 100, 150, 250, 500, and 1,500+ units because setup costs spread across more garments. Combine team, staff, or event orders into one run to maximize savings.
How much does fewer ink colors save on screen printing?
Reducing your design from 4 colors to 2 colors typically saves 30–40% on screen printing. We never charge setup fees, but each additional color still adds production time. A 2-color logo on 50 shirts is significantly cheaper than a 6-color full-back graphic on the same quantity.
Is it cheaper to combine multiple small orders into one?
Yes. If your group, team, or company has multiple small needs, merging them into one production run reduces total per-piece cost. You also get consistent color matching across all items, which can't be guaranteed across separate orders.
Do you charge setup fees or digitizing fees?
No. We never charge setup fees on screen printing, DTG, DTF, or embroidery — saving you $25–$50 per color compared to most competitors. Embroidery digitizing is also free for new logos. Reorders using existing digitized files are even faster.
How do I avoid Rush fees?
Place your order at least 7 business days before you need it for Standard turnaround, which has no extra cost. Rush adds 20% to your order total (5 business days) and Super Rush adds 25% (3 business days). Same-Day printing has custom pricing. Order early, especially for events, holidays, and seasonal launches.
When is DTG cheaper than screen printing, and vice versa?
Roughly: DTG is more cost-effective for orders under 25 pieces with full-color or photo-quality designs, while screen printing wins above 25 pieces for designs with 6 colors or fewer. The crossover depends on your colors and complexity. Call us with your quantity and design and we'll recommend the most cost-effective method.
What's the cheapest way to ship my order?
If you're in the Los Angeles area, free local pickup at our South Broadway facility costs nothing. For shipping, orders over $100 ship free; orders under $100 are a $9.79 flat rate. To unlock free shipping, consider adding a few extra pieces to push your order over the $100 threshold — often cheaper than paying $9.79 to ship a smaller order.
Are there discount codes available?
Yes. We run seasonal promotions, first-time customer specials, and volume-based discounts. Check our Coupons page for current codes, and ask our team about any active promotions when you request a quote — sometimes you qualify for savings you weren't aware of.
Do you offer wholesale or bulk pricing?
Yes. For wholesale or new business accounts, we offer a 50% deposit option with the balance due before shipping. This helps with cash flow on large orders. Tax-exempt entities can also save by submitting a valid resale or tax-exemption certificate to print@rapidssp.com to remove sales tax from future orders.
