Custom Apparel & Screen Printing

Custom apparel and screen printing businesses produce custom-printed t-shirts, hoodies, promotional products, and branded merchandise for businesses, organizations, and events.

With custom apparel market worth $10+ billion and businesses requiring branded merchandise, printers generate revenue of $120,000-$380,000 annually with profit margins of 35-50% through custom orders and corporate accounts.

The business requires printing equipment (screen printing setup, heat press, or direct-to-garment printer), blank garment inventory, design software, and workspace.

Screen printing is most cost-effective for larger orders (24+), while heat transfer or DTG works for small runs.

Typical pricing for screen-printed shirts ranges from $8-$25 per shirt depending on quantity, colors, and garment quality.

Success factors include quality printing, fast turnaround times, design assistance for customers, competitive pricing, and excellent customer service.

Common clients include businesses needing employee uniforms or promotional items, schools and sports teams, events and fundraisers, and bands/artists.

Many shops specialize in specific markets (corporate, schools, retail designs) or printing methods.

The business can start small with heat press or small screen printing setup and scale to automated equipment.

Marketing focuses on building relationships with businesses and organizations, online presence for custom orders, and partnerships with promotional product distributors.

With corporate branding continuing strong and events returning in 2025, custom apparel printing offers opportunities for entrepreneurs who can provide quality printing with good customer service and competitive pricing.