The Print Shop Blog
Practical writing on screen printing, DTG, embroidery, pricing, sourcing blanks, and building a profitable custom apparel business. No filler, no sponsored picks, no AI slop.
The shelf of dead blanks in the back of your shop is cash that stopped working. Here's the case for ordering per-job, the short list of styles worth stocking, and the reorder math that keeps you from ever missing a deadline.
July 9, 2026 · B2B Sportswear Editorial
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Trend reports say pastels and earth tones. Wholesale order data says black, white, and navy still pay the bills. Here's how to stock both sides of that truth without eating dead inventory.
July 8, 2026
DTF flipped the blank-selection rulebook: the fabric barely matters, so the cheapest shirts suddenly print like premium ones. Here's what to buy and exactly how to press it.
July 5, 2026
Order 100 shirts in the wrong sizes and you'll run out of L and XL by lunch while a box of smalls gathers dust. Here are the size curves that actually match American audiences — by audience type.
July 2, 2026
Tank season is short, brutal, and profitable — if you order in spring. Here's which cuts to stock, how much printable area each one really gives you, and why women's rib fabrics need a different game plan.
June 30, 2026
Most “wholesale” apparel sites are retail with a discount sticker. Here's the six-point framework we'd use to evaluate any blank apparel supplier — and how to tell real quantity pricing from marketing.
June 28, 2026
A uniform polo has one job: survive a hundred washes with the logo still crisp. Here's how pique, jersey, and performance poly actually hold up — and which blanks to buy in bulk.
June 25, 2026
The Comfort Colors 1717 is the most-requested premium blank in America right now — and the most misunderstood. Here's what garment dyeing actually does to sizing, print inks, and reorders.
June 21, 2026
A resale certificate is the document that lets you buy inventory without paying sales tax — because your customer pays it instead. Here's how it works, state by state, and how to set it up in your account.
June 18, 2026
Hi-vis is the easiest recurring order in wholesale apparel — construction and utility crews reorder every season. But one wrong print placement can void the ANSI rating. Here's how to buy and decorate it right.
June 16, 2026
There are really only four ways to buy blank tees in bulk, and three of them quietly overcharge you. Here's how each channel prices, what quantity breaks should look like, and the four styles to start with.
June 14, 2026
Why does shirt #48 cost less than shirt #6? Quantity-break pricing isn't a marketing gimmick — it reflects real warehouse and freight economics. Here's how the tiers work and how to profit from them.
June 11, 2026
Not every blank hat hoops the same. Here's how structured vs unstructured crowns, profile height, and panel count decide whether your logo pops or puckers — and why the Richardson 112 is the default answer.
June 7, 2026
Cotton, 50/50, or triblend isn't a style question — it's a production question. Each fabric takes ink differently, shrinks differently, and costs different money. Here's the full breakdown by print method.
June 4, 2026
Long sleeves are the most profitable square inches in blank apparel — a sleeve print costs you pennies and bills like a second location. Here's the calendar, the upcharge math, and the blanks that carry the season.
June 2, 2026
Fleece is where print shops make their real margin — a $12 blank hoodie sells printed for $35+. Here's how the Gildan 18500 and Champion S700 actually compare on press, plus the crewnecks worth stocking.
May 30, 2026
Embroidery punishes flimsy fabric. Heavier, tighter garments hoop flatter, pucker less, and make a $30 digitizing file look like a $300 one. Here's what to stock and why.
May 27, 2026
You don't need a factory in Portugal to launch a clothing brand. You need 2-3 proven blanks, one decoration method, honest margin math, and a supplier that ships fast in plain boxes. Here's the whole playbook.
May 24, 2026
Youth blanks are steady, repeatable money — schools, teams, and camps reorder every single year. But kids' apparel comes with federal rules (CPSIA) and sizing traps that adult blanks don't have. Here's what decorators need to know.
May 21, 2026
Fleece weight is the single spec that decides whether a hoodie feels like a gas-station giveaway or a $70 streetwear piece. Here's how to read oz and GSM — and match the number to the job.
May 18, 2026
Every print shop has the same debate: stock the cheap Gildan or the premium Bella? We tested both (and two others) on real jobs. The answer depends on who your customer is — not which shirt is "better."
April 11, 2026
Screen printing is still the cheapest way to print T-shirts in volume — but every new shop hits the same wall in month two. Here's the honest guide we wish we had.
April 10, 2026
The #1 reason print shops go out of business isn't bad prints — it's bad quotes. Here's the formula that stops you from underbidding every job.
April 9, 2026
You don't have to pick one method forever. Each decoration method has a sweet spot — here's exactly where each one pays off and where it loses you money.
April 8, 2026
Every print shop needs a go-to blank list. Here's the 10 we actually recommend in 2026 — no sponsored picks, no filler.
April 7, 2026
The tired version of print-on-demand has tired margins. Here's the 2026 playbook for launching a real apparel brand with zero inventory — and actual profit per unit.
April 6, 2026
Half your customers don't know what 'ring-spun' means — but they all feel the difference. Here's the science, the cost, and why you should charge more for it.
April 5, 2026