At a glance, T-shirt manufacturing seems pretty intriguing. However, if you’re trying to break into the fashion realm through T-shirt manufacturing, you’re looking at one of the most saturated niches in e-commerce. More and more fashion entrepreneurs launch online clothing stores by the hour. But, if you play your cards right while working with the best t-shirt manufacturers in the business—having the limelight among a sea of unique brands might not be difficult.
Nevertheless, suppose you’re constantly thinking about how to start a t-shirt business or how to get t-shirts manufactured. In that case, you should also know that this niche is filled with many t-shirt manufacturers. Obviously, they will make or break your business at the end of the day. So, from where should you start?
That being said, this guide will provide you with all the nitty-gritty on how to find the best t-shirt manufacturers, depending on your requirements. Let’s dive right in.
The T-shirt Manufacturing Process In A Nutshell
The T-shirt manufacturing process has much more than meets the eye. Even so, let’s break it down briefly.
Once the manufacturer receives the order, they’ll examine every aspect of the requirement, from construction and seams to the precise fabric type. Then, they source the materials for garment manufacturing and inspect the fabrics’ quality—for example, testing for fabric shrinkage.
The patterns are finalized, and garments are carefully cut and sewn by qualified tailors.
Then the T-shirts are printed, for instance, using screen printing. Finally, the T-shirts are separated, folded, and packed for shipping.
8 Best Custom T-shirt Manufacturers
When the question—How to start a t-shirt business—pops up, you should first narrow down some ideal T-shirt manufacturers in the business. You can purchase a print of demand (POD) manufacturer or a custom clothing manufacturer.
Print-on-demand manufacturers
They fulfill your order by manufacturing the T-shirt and delivering it to the customer on your behalf. With POD, it’s possible to go low as 1 order and bulk orders. It is one of the best ways to start your business without a massive investment.
Custom clothing manufacturers
Wholesale bulk t-shirt manufacturers are great if you prefer to keep stocks in your retail store. Even though the design flexibility is limited, the price will be lower. In addition, imagine you have a single remarkable design. If that’s the case, this option will be perfect.
Printful
Printful is the crème de la crème of POD manufacturers. They do all over prints, direct to garment, embroidery, etc., in the best quality possible. They also produce 100% ring spun cotton for American Apparel, Anvil, Alternative, and Bella + Canvas brands.
Moreover, pairing Printful up with eCommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce is effortless. There is no minimum order quantity (MOQ) in Printful, although if you buy in bulk, you can save up to 30%.
Pineapple Clothing
If you were wondering how to get t-shirts explicitly manufactured for women and children, Pineapple Clothing is a wise choice. This US-based clothing supplier and manufacturer offers top-tier prints and designs that suit day-to-day use or special occasions.
Amazon Business
Amazon Business is another exceptional place to find some pre-eminent T-shirt manufacturers, independent suppliers, and wholesalers. If you were struggling with how to start a t-shirt business, you’d be thrilled to know that Amazon Business is free to use. Moreover, if you want to order in bulk through Amazon, you’ll get a 5% discount.
The only flip side is that Amazon Business is currently only available to small and midsize businesses based in the USA.
MGOO Fashion
Are you curious to know how to get custom t-shirts manufactured sustainably? Then MGOO Fashion Apparel Company is a good choice that you shouldn’t overlook. Whether you’re a rookie designer or a seasoned brand, or a fresh business starter, MGOO can bring a lot to the table such as design development, sample, bulk production, fabric selection, quality printing, custom packaging and so on.
More over, they have been in the fashion industry for 15 years. They are so professional to provide various types of custom clothing and boost your business.
Apliiq
In an over-saturated market, creating a one-of-a-kind brand isn’t easy. But, with Apliiq you can come one step closer to your goal. With its free mockup generator, you’re allowed to design your private t-shirts and sell them with private labeling and branding.
Having extensive experience in the POD industry for over 12 years, Apliiq provides you with an array of t-shirt options like pocket tees, stitching-based clothing, and pattern variations, including short/long sleeves, tank tops, tie-dye, polo shirts, etc.
Their manufacturing locations are in Los Angeles, CA, and Philadelphia.
Apparel Production Inc
Established in 1949, Apparel Production Inc is a highly-experienced New York-based garment manufacturer. They are pretty famous for being incredibly good at what they are doing, at the same time constructing reasonably priced garments. If you’re a bit concerned about your budget, you can undoubtedly give Apparel Production Inc a shot because they will make you feel like a high-end fashion label.
Oasis shirts
It’s safe to say that Oasis Shirts is one of the biggest wholesale t-shirt manufacturers in the market. They offer a range of t-shirts for men, women, and kids with various prints, design patterns, collar styles, and fabrics. With a MOQ of 250 units, you can have a cheap cost while maintaining an inventory.
DSA Manufacturing
This UK-based clothing manufacturer offers a perfect set of top-notch garments while working with clothing companies all across the globe. Plus, they have design, marketing, and photoshoot packages worth checking if you’re breaking into the industry. DSA Manufacturing provides a trusted service for any eCommerce entrepreneur with no hidden costs.
Tips on how to start a t-shirt business for startup
1.Pick a niche and develop your brand.
Picking a niche could be daunting, but a little research could send in heaps of help. The bottom line is narrowing down the type of clothing you’d want to sell. Then you can think about your target audience, logos, and colors and develop a potential business plan.
2. Research your competition
Without researching your competition, you cannot understand how they promote their brand and stand out. This way, you’ll get a head start on your counterparts.
3. Set up a budget
Find out about the manufacturer costs, shipping, legal fees, website costs, etc., and keep realistic expectations.
4. Designing your T-shirts
You can either take an online design course or rely on an in-house designer of your chosen manufacturer. Using Adobe Illustrator is highly recommended if you’re designing the clothes yourself. It’s vector graphic software, meaning you can expand the design without pixelating it.
5. See how to get t-shirts manufactured
While keeping the T-shirt mentioned above manufacturers in mind, you can attend local events and larger-scale trade shows to gain clothing manufacturer contacts. Also, you can participate in industry meetups to choose the proper manufacturer for you.
Although it seems counter-intuitive, a simple Google search or joining Facebook groups including Shopify Entrepreneurs or Kingpinning could point you in the right direction.
Be that as it may, even after you’ve chosen some options for manufacturing, always scrutinize their price and quality, shipping details, and experience.
Wrapping Up
Suppose you’re thinking of how to start a t-shirt business and get t-shirts manufactured for your brand-new business; props to you because you’re a brave risk-taker. Albeit establishing a nonpareil T-shirt business is tricky, it is plausible with the correct T-shirt manufacturers and a practical business plan.
Incorporating these pointers, let’s make you an unmatched T-shirt brand that steals the spotlight over goliath entrepreneurs.