Buying Guide

Custom T-Shirt Printing With No Minimum Order

Michael Monfared Sep 28, 2026 10 min read

Last Updated: 09/28/2026

Key Takeaways

DTG printing has no minimum. Order a single custom t-shirt at the same setup cost as a hundred.
Screen printing needs 12 pieces because each color requires its own screen.
Every shirt gets a free mockup and proof before it prints.
Turnaround is 10 to 14 business days, with rush service in 3 to 5.
Pantone matching keeps logo colors accurate at any quantity.

DTLA Print offers custom t-shirt printing with no minimum order when you choose DTG. A single shirt costs the same setup as a hundred. Screen printing needs 12 pieces because of per-color screen costs. Standard turnaround is 10 to 14 business days, or 3 to 5 with rush.

Custom t-shirt printing usually means committing to a dozen shirts before a shop will even quote you. That works fine for a team order, but not for a sample, a one-off gift, or a design you want to test before scaling up. DTG printing at DTLA Print removes that barrier, since it is decorated in-house downtown with no bulk requirement.

Can I print just one custom t-shirt?

Yes, as long as you are using DTG printing. It works the same at 1 piece as it does at 100, so there is no setup penalty for a small order. Screen printing is different. Every color in your design needs its own screen, and that cost only makes sense once it is spread across a run, which sets the screen print minimum at 12 pieces.

DTG printing vs. screen printing for t-shirts

Both methods produce a finished, durable print, but they solve different problems.

DTG printing

Direct-to-garment printing works like an inkjet printer for fabric. It handles full-color designs, photos, and gradients without any extra cost per color, which makes it the practical choice any time your order is small or your design is detailed.

Screen printing

Screen printing pushes ink through a mesh stencil, one screen per color. At volume, it is often more cost-efficient per shirt than DTG, and the ink sits on the surface with a slightly different hand-feel than DTG's soaked-in finish.

Embroidery on t-shirts

Embroidery works on t-shirts too, usually for a left-chest logo rather than a full design. It has no minimum, the same as DTG, and gives a more durable, textured finish for a small mark instead of full coverage art.

What if my design has small text?

Small text is where DTG and embroidery genuinely diverge. DTG prints fine text cleanly since ink lies flat rather than stitching thread, so a tagline or fine wordmark stays legible at a small size. Embroidery struggles once letters drop below a certain height, since thread has width that flat ink does not, and tiny letters can blur into each other. If your design leans on small text rather than a bold mark or icon, DTG is usually the safer call.

DTG vs. embroidery vs. screen printing for t-shirts

Method	Minimum order	Best for	Turnaround
DTG printing	1 piece	Full-color designs, photos, gradients	10-14 business days
Embroidery	1 piece	Small logos, left-chest placement	10-14 business days
Screen printing	12 pieces	Bold flat-color designs at volume	10-14 business days

How much does custom t-shirt printing cost per piece?

Cost depends on the blank, the print size, and how many colors or how much detail the design carries. DTG pricing does not scale down as sharply with volume the way screen printing does, but it also does not punish a single shirt with a setup fee built for a dozen. DTLA Print does not publish flat per-shirt pricing online for exactly this reason: a small logo on a Gildan tee and a full-front photo print on a premium blank are not the same job, even at the same quantity. Get a quote with your design and quantity, and a rep will price it against the exact blank you want.

Choosing a blank t-shirt

Gildan's DryBlend 50/50 tee is the standard choice for team orders and reliable bulk pricing, with a consistent fit across sizes.

Gildan DryBlend 50/50 t-shirt blank for custom printing — Gildan DryBlend 50/50 T-Shirt, a reliable blank for DTG or screen print

For a softer, more fitted retail feel, Bella+Canvas's heavyweight street tee holds detailed DTG art well without stretching out of shape.

Bella and Canvas heavyweight street t-shirt blank — Bella+Canvas Heavyweight Street T-Shirt, a fitted option for detailed DTG art

For a lighter, more tailored fit, Next Level's fitted v-neck works well for a single sample piece meant to look more finished than a boxy team tee.

Next Level fitted v-neck t-shirt blank — Next Level Premium Fitted V-Neck T-Shirt, a tailored option for sample pieces

What does turnaround and rush service look like?

Standard turnaround on custom t-shirt printing runs 10 to 14 business days from art approval, whether you are ordering 1 shirt or a full case, since the print process itself does not move faster for a smaller run. Rush service brings that down to 3 to 5 business days for tighter deadlines. Every order includes a free mockup and proof first, so you see the design on the actual blank before it prints.

What to send before you order

DTLA Print includes free artwork touch-ups before your file goes to print, so a rough logo or a low-resolution file gets cleaned up rather than printed as-is. You will also get a free mockup on the exact blank you picked, along with a creative proof showing placement and color before production starts. On a single shirt, that proof step matters more than it does on a big run, since there is no second piece to fall back on if something is off.

When does it make sense to size up to screen printing?

DTG makes the most sense for a single shirt or a small test run, but the economics shift once quantity climbs. Screen printing spreads its per-color screen cost across the whole order, so at 12 shirts and up with a simple, flat-color design, it often lands cheaper per piece than DTG. If today's sample run is a step toward a bigger team or event order, ask your rep to price both DTG and screen printing before committing to one.

Where should your design go on the shirt?

A full front print reads well for detailed DTG art, since the space allows gradients and photo-based designs to hold their detail. A left-chest placement, whether printed or embroidered, works better for a simple wordmark or logo meant to look like a uniform rather than a graphic tee. Your rep will flag if a design is too fine for the fabric or too large for the placement you picked before it goes to proof.

Frequently asked questions

Can I print just one custom t-shirt?

Yes, with DTG printing. It has no minimum, so a single shirt gets the same setup as a full order. Screen printing is the exception, with a 12-piece minimum.

Why can't I get one screen-printed t-shirt?

Screen printing burns a separate screen for every color in your design. That cost only makes sense spread across a run, which is why the minimum sits at 12 pieces.

What's the difference between DTG and screen printing?

DTG sprays ink directly into the fabric and handles full-color art and photos with no per-color setup cost. Screen printing pushes ink through a mesh stencil and holds up better at high volume with simpler, flat-color designs.