How Much Does It Cost to Print a Logo on a T-Shirt? (UK Guide)

Last reviewed: 18 August 2026 · Written and reviewed by the Xcel Print & Promotions team

Printing a logo on a t-shirt in the UK usually costs somewhere between £5 and £20+ per shirt all-in. What moves it up or down? The quality of the blank tee, how complex your artwork is, the number of colours in your design, and how many you order. Small runs cost more per shirt. Bigger runs bring the unit price right down. Get your head around what drives each part and you’ll get a fair price, and a result you’re actually proud of.

Why Is There Such a Wide Price Range?

It’s the question we get asked most, and it’s a fair one. Walk into a conversation about branded t-shirts not knowing the variables and you’ll get wildly different quotes from different suppliers. Comparing them like for like becomes almost impossible.

Every printed t-shirt order really comes down to three costs:

• The blank garment itself. A basic single-jersey tee is a world away from a heavyweight ring-spun cotton shirt or a performance polo.
• The decoration. How your logo is applied, how many colours it has, how big the print area is, and whether setup or origination fees apply.
• The quantity. Per-unit costs fall as your run grows, because the fixed setup cost gets spread across more shirts.

Get a clear picture of all three and you can budget with confidence, and ask the right questions when you request a quote.

What Does the Blank T-Shirt Cost?

The garment is often the biggest line on the invoice. It’s also the one customers most often underestimate. Budget own-brand blanks sit at the bottom of the scale, but for most business use (trades, hospitality, events, sport) a reliable mid-range garment from a brand like Uneek gives you a noticeably better finish, better colour retention and a longer life.

As a rough guide for the blank alone, before any decoration:

• Entry-level tees: roughly £2-£5 each
• Mid-range branded garments: roughly £5-£10 each
• Premium or performance styles: £10-£18+ each

Kitting out a team that works hard, on a building site, in a kitchen, outdoors in all weathers? It genuinely pays to spend a bit more on the blank. We see it in the workshop all the time: the cheap shirts look tired after a dozen washes, while a decent mid-range garment holds its shape and colour for a couple of seasons of proper use. That matters when your logo is on the front.

Have a look through our range of custom t-shirts to see the garment styles we work with most.

What Does the Printing Actually Cost?

Once you’ve got your garment, the printing cost comes down to a few things.

Number of colours in your logo

A single-colour logo is the simplest to reproduce, and usually the cheapest. Multi-colour or photographic designs take more time and setup to get right, so they cost more. Got a complex gradient or a detailed full-colour illustration? That’ll push the price up.

Print size and placement

A small chest logo is quicker and simpler than a large back print or an all-over design. Extra placements (chest and back, say) are usually costed separately.

Setup or origination fees

Some suppliers charge a one-off setup fee per design, especially on smaller runs. It covers artwork prep and getting your job ready to produce. At Xcel we keep this transparent, so always ask for a fully itemised quote and you’ll know exactly what you’re paying for.

Quantity

This is where ordering smart saves real money. Here’s a simplified illustration of how the unit cost typically moves with quantity:

We have no minimum order quantity. That matters if you’re a small business needing five shirts for a new team, or a single replacement for someone who’s just joined. You won’t be pushed into ordering more than you need.

Should You Choose Printing or Embroidery for Your Logo?

Worth pausing here, because printing isn’t always the right answer, and an honest supplier will tell you that upfront.

Printing works best for large, detailed or colourful designs, big back prints, and event or promotional tees where you want a bold visual statement. Printed logos feel lighter on the fabric and suit casual, fashion-forward styles well.

Embroidery tends to win for smart workwear, corporate uniforms, and anything you want to look premium and last for years. A well-stitched logo on a polo or fleece reads as professional in a way print can’t quite match. It’s ideal for chest logos, caps and jackets. Take a look at our embroidered workwear range for examples of where it shines.

For a lot of our trade and business customers ordering personalised workwear, the right answer is actually a mix: printed back with a name or slogan, embroidered logo on the chest. We’ll advise on what works best for your design and garment, straight from our Haverhill workshop.

A Worked Example: Kitting Out a Small Trade Team

Let’s make this concrete. Say you run a five-person plumbing firm and you want branded t-shirts for the team. Your logo on the left chest, full-colour, on a decent mid-weight cotton tee.

• Garment: mid-range branded t-shirt at roughly £6-£8 each
• Printing: single placement, multi-colour logo. Add a per-unit decoration cost, plus a one-off setup charge spread across 5 shirts (so it’s higher per unit at this quantity)
• Estimated all-in range: roughly £12-£18 per shirt at a quantity of 5

Now scale that to 25 shirts. The setup cost gets absorbed across more units, the garment may come down a little at volume, and the all-in cost per shirt is likely to drop to somewhere around £8-£13, depending on spec. These are illustrative ranges. Your real quote depends on your artwork and exact garment, so always ask for a full breakdown.

Looking at hi-vis for site work or hoodies for the colder months too? Same principles apply. See our custom hi-vis and personalised hoodies pages for options.

What Are the Hidden Costs to Watch Out For?

In our experience, the surprises that catch people out tend to be these:

• Artwork fees. If your logo only exists as a low-res JPEG, it may need redrawing before it’ll reproduce cleanly. Supply vector artwork (an .ai, .eps or high-res .pdf) if you’ve got it. If you haven’t, use our free online designer or ask us about artwork support.
• Postage and carriage. Check whether delivery is included in the quote.
• Size surcharges. Some suppliers charge extra for 2XL and above, worth checking if your team spans a range of sizes.
• Colour-matching. Exact Pantone matching can attract an extra charge. For most business use, a close match to your brand colours is perfectly fine.

Who Is This NOT For?

To be straight with you: if you need one or two t-shirts purely for personal use and price is your only concern, a low-cost online print-it-yourself tool might work out cheaper. The quality and service won’t be the same, but the price point will be lower. We’re at our best when you care about the result: quality garments, clean logo reproduction, consistency across a team, and a supplier you can come back to when you need more.

How Do I Get an Accurate Quote?

The quickest way to get a real number for your project is to get in touch with us directly, or give us a ring on 01440 712290. Tell us the garment type (or ask us to recommend one), your logo colours and complexity, the number of shirts, and any sizing breakdown you have. We’ll come back with a clear, itemised quote. No obligation, no pressure. Family-run, UK-based, everything made in-house. We’ve been doing this for over 20 years and we’re not going anywhere.

FAQs

How much does it cost to print a logo on a t-shirt in the UK?

All-in costs typically range from around £5 to £20+ per t-shirt depending on the garment quality, number of colours in the logo, print size and quantity ordered. Smaller orders cost more per unit; larger runs bring the price down.

Is there a minimum order quantity for printed t-shirts?

At Xcel Print & Promotions, there is no minimum order quantity. You can order as few as one shirt if needed, though the per-unit cost is higher on very small runs because setup costs are spread across fewer items.

What file format do I need for my logo to get it printed on a t-shirt?

Vector files (.ai, .eps or a high-resolution .pdf) give the best results and avoid extra artwork fees. A low-resolution JPEG or PNG may need redrawing before it’ll reproduce cleanly, which can add cost and time.

Is printing or embroidery better for a logo on a t-shirt?

It depends on the design and use. Printing suits large, colourful or detailed designs and promotional tees. Embroidery looks more premium and lasts well on workwear and corporate uniforms, particularly for chest logos on polos or jackets. Many teams use both: printed back, embroidered chest.

How long does it take to get printed t-shirts made?

Turnaround varies by order size and complexity, but because Xcel handles printing in-house from our UK workshop, we can usually turn orders around faster than suppliers who outsource production. Contact us with your deadline and we’ll be upfront about what’s achievable.

Does the number of colours in my logo affect the printing cost?

Yes, generally. A simple one or two-colour logo is more straightforward and cost-effective to produce. Multi-colour or photographic designs need more setup and resource, so the decoration cost tends to be higher. Simplifying your artwork where you can helps keep costs down.

Written by Andy · Founder, Xcel Print & Promotions

Xcel Print & Promotions is a family-run UK workwear, branded-clothing and print company with over 20 years' experience. We embroider and print in-house from our base in Haverhill, Suffolk, with no minimum order, so this advice comes from kitting out real teams every working day, from single tradespeople to large sites and schools.

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