June 10, 2025
You save money with volume, your customers get quality they can feel, and your brand gets a boost every time someone wears your gear.
But too often, businesses fall into the trap of chasing the lowest number, only to get stuck with stiff shirts, inconsistent prints, and the kind of quality that ends up in a donation pile.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
With the right planning (and the right print partner), you can stretch your budget without cutting corners. Whether you're printing for retail, an event, your team, or a giveaway campaign, here’s how to keep quality high and costs low - at the same time.
This is the golden rule: bulk printing is all about hitting the right quantity thresholds.
Most screen printers price jobs using “breaks”- set order quantities where your per-piece pricing drops. These breaks aren’t random. They reflect efficiency in the setup and printing process. Once the press is ready, printing more shirts barely increases the total time or cost. That’s why it’s often more affordable to print 100 than it is to print 80.
Ask your printer where the best value lies for your project volume. A good partner will walk you through the break points and help you determine where it’s worth scaling up.
Your blank t-shirt is the foundation of your entire product. But more expensive doesn’t always mean better for your brand or budget.
At Superior Ink, we help clients balance price and feel, offering guidance on what works for your use case and helping you stay on brand without overspending. We’ve teamed up with some of the best sustainable brands out there — and our catalog is packed with fresh, accessible options.
Design isn’t just about how it looks, it also affects how much it costs to print.
Every screen costs time and money to burn, set up, and clean. The more colors, placements, and complexities your design has, the more expensive your job becomes.
A quality printer will review your art and make suggestions that preserve your creative direction while helping you avoid unnecessary costs.
That adds up—fast. If you’re printing 5 designs at 36 units each, you’re paying for setup five times. But if you print 2 designs at 90 units each, your per-piece cost drops dramatically, and you’re getting a better return on your investment.
This strategy also helps simplify fulfillment and reduce leftover stock - another way to save both the planet and your bottom line.
When you give your printer more lead time, you not only avoid these premiums, but you also get:
A general rule: try to allow at least 2–3 weeks for bulk orders. If you’re planning merch for an event, campaign, or season, start early. You’ll save money and reduce last-minute stress.
Printing is just one piece of the puzzle. If you’re doing your own bagging, labeling, or shipping, the “savings” you got on printing might be eaten up in labor hours and logistical chaos.
These services allow you to treat your printer as a full merch partner, not just a print shop. At Superior Ink, for example, we manage printing, finishing, storage, and shipping for clients so they can focus on growth, not packing orders.
The best pricing comes from knowing your priorities and working with a team that’s honest about what you need - and what you don’t.
If all you get is a flat quote and zero conversation, you’re missing out on huge opportunities for savings.
At Superior Ink, we walk you through options, share honest feedback, and collaborate on a plan that gets you exactly what you need - on time, on budget, and on brand.
A lot of people assume that high-end equals high-cost, but that’s not always true. Water-based inks can deliver a soft, retail-quality feel while remaining budget-friendly when used correctly.
Unlike plastisol, which sits on top of the fabric, water-based inks soak into the material for a more natural look and feel. And when you're printing light colors on light garments or doing large runs with few ink colors, they can actually be more cost-effective than you think.
They’re especially great for minimalist designs, event merch, or brands that want a subtle, stylish finish that doesn’t scream “promo tee.”
At Superior Ink, we’re known for our water-based printing expertise - and we’ll help you figure out whether it’s the right move for your next project.
One of the easiest ways to save money on future orders? Reordering designs you’ve already printed.
Most printers keep your screens, files, and setup notes on hand. That means the second (or third, or tenth) time you run that same design, your setup fees are lower - or gone entirely.
It’s the easiest way to reduce waste, improve profit margins, and build merch that stays consistent with your brand. Better yet, you’ll be able to move faster and at a better price, every time you reorder.
Based in Denver, Superior Ink is a screen printing, embroidery, and merch fulfillment studio helping brands of all sizes create high-quality apparel that people actually want to wear.
We don’t just print—we partner with you to bring your merch to life and make sure it performs.
There’s a way to save money on bulk t-shirt printing without losing the quality your brand deserves. With the right strategy and the right supplier, you can stretch your budget further and walk away with merch you’re proud to sell, ship, or wear.
Let’s talk about your next project.
Reach out to Superior Ink today and let’s make merch that works for your goals and your wallet.
