# Tshirt Printing Cheaper in ASIA or USA? ( need some tips and advice)



## Photographer (Aug 19, 2009)

Tshirt Printing Cheaper in ASIA or USA? ( need some tips and advice)

I was wondering is printing in vietnam,china or anypart of the world is cheaper then usa if you're going to print a lot? Any recommendations from anyone, or have anyone printed outside the usa and been happy for it? I always been very curious since i'm new here.


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## TshirtGuru (Jul 9, 2008)

Photographer said:


> Tshirt Printing Cheaper in ASIA or USA? ( need some tips and advice)
> 
> I was wondering is printing in vietnam,china or anypart of the world is cheaper then usa if you're going to print a lot? Any recommendations from anyone, or have anyone printed outside the usa and been happy for it? I always been very curious since i'm new here.


What's a lot? 

Things to consider: Will you have quality control? Are you going to be able to fly to asia to visit the factory if need be? How much cheaper will it be after custom and shipping fees? And are you only going to be printing the shirts and not have them make the blanks for you? Those are just some things that come to mind (too late at night to think too much though).

I guess it could be cheaper, but there are thousands of printers in the US (if that is where you are), who can print for fair prices. Asia doesn't always mean sweatshop prices.


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## Photographer (Aug 19, 2009)

Thats very true, seems like there's a lot to think of. But considering labor prices is cheaper down there and factory doesnt paid their workers a lot. Wouldn't that make printing cheaper, or if its cheaper, would it be that much cheaper and worth dealing with different countries?


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## printing40years (Dec 27, 2008)

The blank T-Shirts are cheaper overseas but for better quality control and quicker turn times most printing is done here or Mexico. Call and get a price quote to find out your costs. www.kustomimprints.com


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## veedub3 (Mar 29, 2007)

The only two places, That I currently do business with in Asia is China, and South Korea. I have been importing things since 2001 and I can say that NO it is not *always* cheaper to have it made in Asia. I am in business with them because I can hop on a flight at a moments notice and check my products. Most can't do this and if you are not in a position to oversee your production you are bound to get a bunch of items you can't sell much less give away. Oh and forget about returning it!
I have been doing business with the same suppliers for years and I still have issues so doing it from home will not get you what it is you need. 
The cost of the item is low but you must order in the 10's of thousands for them to even crank it out. And with the cost being low, the quality may not be as good as a blank tee you can get here in the States from Gildan.

So if you add the cost of multiple trips to check on production, the cost to produce the items, Shipping cost (which would be astronomical), and Duty Fess/ Taxes on the items once your items reaches the US Customs Dept., you could have went to your local printer and had them print your shirts for you for a third of the price.

Katrina


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## Cam Lynch (Aug 13, 2009)

With a lot of t-shirts you have to take the amount of shipping and production time involved into consideration. If for example the shirt has a time sensitive nature, such as related to a tourist season, or other factor, you can't gamble on cargo arriving from half way around the world, without delay. 

I've worked in textiles here in N.C. all of my life, so consider I have a bias toward domestic prduction.

Winning the race to make something cheaper can result in a closed business. Over the years the list of products that consumers found desirable and companies found ways to make cheaper by mass production is endless. Many of these products are no longer on the shelves in stores. Once the profit margin gets to the point of being a fraction of a cent, they are either forced out of business by some unexpected cost, or they change to a new version of the product, with different features and a higher price. More often than not, the level of sales of the product also drops with the new higher price, hence only the companies best suited to survive stay in business.


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## moffett8 (Jun 26, 2008)

I checked prices in the far east before I built my DTG printer and the prices there were always higher than in the USA. They may do the actual printing a little cheaper (maybe) but the shirts and what ever you are printing on will be much cheaper in the USA. The end result is it's cheper to do business in the USA. Then dealing over seas you have much higher shipping costs and time delays etc. Get some quotes from USA vendors for shirts etc and then get some form any where else out side the USA and you will see the USA is much cheaper.
The idea that some have that everything is cheaper over seas is not allways the case.

Philip


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## Photographer (Aug 19, 2009)

ooh I just got done with reading everyone feed backs. Thank you for all of the information and knowledge. This will truly help open my eyes on USA printers. I didn't' realize that it would be that much hassle with custom and pricing in other countries.


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## bern (Feb 14, 2007)

I do some screen printing and had a customer that wanted pink or salmon coloured long sleeve polo shirts for a cricket day social event . The only place I found them was from a supplier in China . I told the customer I could not compete with their prices and since they offered printing as well to get it all done there . He wanted me to still do the printing so I bought the shirts . They arrived in three separate packages on different days and took ages to get here , postage was so slow . Anyway I thought all was going to be good , printed the first one up which was a large and tried the shirt on myself and had a good laugh . The shirt was skin tight , it was like a small as I am a large with Gildan shirts . I also visited a wildlife park here last Christmas and had a look at their shirts in the gift shop . A lot of these places get shirts printed overseas , I thought the printing was terrible , it was rough with fibres poking through the white ink . The printing would have been cheap but it is not a product that I would have been happy with .


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## linneasandel (Jul 16, 2019)

Hi,
for customizing t-shirts as per your requirement, you can search on a search engine, there you will find so many options. Well, China is also the best place to personalize your products.


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