There are many reasons you may want to get a shirt embroidered; maybe you want custom matching t-shirts for a party, a personalised gift for a friend, or you simply have a cute idea for a top but don’t know how to go about getting it… well you came to the right place!
I am a hand embroidery artist based in the UK (though I ship worldwide), and I’m going to tell you how much it truly costs to get a shirt embroidered so that you can get the best price for what you are after!
Getting 1 t-shirt embroidered
Ordinarily, getting just 1 t-shirt (or less than 10) embroidered is the hardest to find as most business only cater to bulk orders. If you are after just 1 t-shirt (or a small quantity), I offer custom hand embroidered t-shirts on my shop. These are just £25 and they are done by hand, made to order, and with good quality materials.
£25 is the average price for a custom left (or right) breast design on my shop, so lets break that down. The price of the t-shirt itself can range between £2-5, the threads are roughly £1 per colour (can be more depending on how big the design is), and then there is the time for the embroiderer (me!). Usually it takes me 2-3 hours to embroider 1 t-shirt, so for the price of £25 that is actually really good value. Bear in mind that doesn’t account for the fees of setting the listing up on my shop, the cost to run my shop & website, or packaging supplies for sending the order (not to mention the hours of time I have to put into marketing in order to get people to find my shop!).
Bulk Orders
If you are looking for a bulk order of embroidered t-shirts it’s important to remember not many businesses in the industry will do orders for less than 25 t-shirts. The embroidery will also be done by a machine which has a very different texture and finish to hand embroidery. Embroidery machine work also tends to be more durable, whilst hand embroidery is a lot more delicate (take a read at caring for embroidered clothing).
Embroidery machines are usually able to do left breast designs in a matter of minutes, this means the cost to run the machine is usually built into the price rather than time. They also quote by stitch count which can be a little tricky to navigate if this is a new world to you! In all it is going to be quite pricy if you are looking for a small quantity of embroidered t-shirts. You may have better luck with a company like Awesome Merchandise or small businesses on Etsy.
Generally companies will charge between £1-4 per 1,000 stitches for 1 colour (+ the cost of materials, shipping, digitising your design, and employee time).
Regular Bulk Orders
If you are looking to start a business with regular bulk orders, you will definitely have more options! You should be able to make an account with a clothing manufacturer that does embroidery, making it easy to continue with your design orders. It is important to still do your research to find the best fit and price for your needs, and don’t forget to take into account where the manufacturer is based to ensure they are able to ship to you (and that it is still affordable after shipping costs).
