Summary: On November 3, 2026, Printing Uncle checked the published prices of 6 Toronto-area custom apparel printers, including ourselves. One custom t-shirt with a front print costs about $20 to $38 in Toronto (median about $31), and 50 shirts cost about $13 to $18 each (median about $15), in CAD before tax. Standard turnaround for a 50-piece order runs from about 3 to 14 business days (median 10). Two of the 5 other printers give prices only by quote.
Disclosure: Printing Uncle wrote this survey and included its own prices. The other printers are not named; their figures are reported only as ranges and medians, taken from each company's own website. Prices change, so confirm with any printer before you order.
Key numbers, November 2026
| Measure | Range across printers | Median | Printers that publish it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tee, one front print | About $20 to $38 | About $31 | 4 of 6 |
| Per piece at about 24 tees | About $15 to $29 | About $25 | 4 of 6 |
| Per piece at about 50 tees | About $13 to $18 | About $15 | 4 of 6 |
| Standard turnaround, about 24 tees | About 3 to 10 business days | About 5 to 7 business days | 6 of 6 |
| Standard turnaround, about 50 tees | About 3 to 14 business days | 10 business days | 6 of 6 |
| No minimum order | 4 of 6 printers; one lists 12 pieces per design for screen printing | Not applicable | 5 of 6 |
| Screen printing setup fee | Only 1 of the 6 printers publishes a separate setup fee; the others build it into the price or do not publish it | Not applicable | 1 of 6 |
| Free shipping threshold | $99 to $250 | Not enough data | 4 of 6 |
| Prices by quote only | 2 of the 5 other printers | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Printing Uncle's own published prices
| Quantity (Gildan 5000, one front DTF print) | Price per tee, CAD before tax |
|---|---|
| 1 | About $20.13 |
| 24 | About $15.13 |
| 50 | About $12.63 |
| 250 | About $9.13 |
Most orders are ready within 72 hours (Monday to Friday); screen printing takes one day longer. There is no minimum on DTF. Screen printing is priced instantly online from 25 pieces with no separate setup fee, and the design studio shows the price live and picks the cheaper method automatically. Pickup in East York is free; standard shipping is free on orders of $250 or more before tax to most of Canada (Ontario and Quebec at any size; other provinces up to $2,000; not the territories).
How much does a custom t-shirt cost in Toronto?
A single custom t-shirt with a front print costs about $20 to $38 in Toronto, and the per-piece price falls to about $13 to $18 at 50 shirts (CAD before tax, November 2026).
The biggest drop happens between 1 and 25 pieces. Among printers that publish tier prices, the price per tee at about 24 pieces was about $15 to $29, and two printers cut their price to about $19 once an order reached 25. The highest single-tee prices we found came with on-the-spot printing at a walk-in storefront, so part of that cost is speed and convenience.
What moves the price:
- Print method: DTF, screen printing or embroidery.
- Quantity: every printer we checked that publishes prices uses quantity tiers.
- Garment: a basic cotton tee and a premium fitted tee can differ by several dollars before printing.
- Print size and locations: each extra location (back, sleeve) adds a charge.
For our full breakdown, see how much custom t-shirt printing costs in Toronto.
How long does custom t-shirt printing take in Toronto?
Standard turnaround for a 50-piece custom t-shirt order in Toronto ranges from about 3 to 14 business days, with a median of 10 business days (November 2026).
Smaller orders are often faster: for about 24 shirts, the median was about 5 to 7 business days. Two of the 6 printers publish on-the-spot printing for a single tee at a storefront. Three of the 5 other printers publish paid rush options, and where rush pricing is published it adds about 30% to 100% of the order subtotal. Always ask when the clock starts: at order, at payment or at proof approval. Several printers count from proof approval.
Is there a minimum order for custom t-shirts in Toronto?
Most Toronto custom t-shirt printers no longer require a minimum: 4 of the 6 printers we checked publish no minimum order (November 2026).
The exceptions are usually tied to the method. One printer lists a minimum of 12 pieces per design for screen printing and 12 or 24 for embroidery, and one does not publish a minimum at all. "No minimum" can also apply to one method only, so check the minimum for the method you want. At Printing Uncle, DTF has no minimum, screen printing is priced online from 25 pieces and embroidery usually starts at 6.
What are setup fees for custom t-shirt printing?
Only one of the six Toronto printers we checked publishes a separate screen printing setup fee; the others build setup into the per-piece price or do not publish it (November 2026).
Setup covers making one screen per colour for each print location, so a four-colour front and a one-colour back means five screens. Printing Uncle charges no separate setup fee. DTF printing generally has no setup fee because there are no screens. Embroidery usually needs a one-time digitizing file; ours is $35.
DTF vs screen printing: which is cheaper for my quantity?
For under about 25 shirts or full-colour designs, DTF is usually cheaper because it has no screen setup; for larger runs with a few solid colours, screen printing usually wins.
The crossover depends on the number of colours and print locations. Of the 5 other printers, all list screen printing and 4 list DTF. In our design studio, any order from 25 pieces is priced both ways and the cheaper method is used automatically, so you do not have to work out the crossover yourself. For a full comparison, read DTF vs screen printing vs embroidery.
How do I compare custom t-shirt quotes?
Compare the all-in price per piece (garment, printing, setup and art fees, before tax and shipping) and the turnaround in business days, because a low blank price or a vague "fast" promise can hide the real cost.
- Same garment: make sure every quote uses the same brand and style.
- Same print: same size, same number of colours, same locations.
- Setup: ask whether it is per colour, per location, per design or included.
- Turnaround: ask for business days and when the count starts.
- Shipping or pickup: published free-shipping thresholds ranged from $99 to $250.
- Rush: ask for rush pricing up front.
Methodology
- Date checked: November 3, 2026.
- Who: 6 custom apparel printers that serve Toronto, including Printing Uncle. Two of the printers appear to be related businesses; we counted them separately because each publishes its own prices.
- Source: only facts published on each printer's own website. We did not request quotes or use third-party listings. If a figure was not published, we left it out of the range.
- Normalised to: a standard cotton tee with one front print, CAD before tax and shipping, no discount codes. Where a printer publishes the blank and the print price separately, we added the lowest published blank price to the print price for that quantity. Where a printer's tier did not match 24 or 50 exactly, we used the tier that contains that quantity.
- Turnaround: the standard (non-rush) time, in business days. "Within 72 hours" counts as about 3 business days.
- Rounding: ranges and medians are rounded to the nearest dollar.
- Corrections: if you run one of the printers checked and see an error, email meet@printinguncle.com and we will fix it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to print one custom t-shirt in Toronto?
About $20 to $38 for one tee with a front print, CAD before tax, based on the published prices of 6 Toronto-area printers checked on November 3, 2026. At Printing Uncle, one Gildan 5000 tee with a front DTF print is about $20.13.
How much do 50 custom t-shirts cost in Toronto?
About $13 to $18 per shirt, with a median of about $15, for a standard cotton tee with one front print (November 2026). At Printing Uncle, 50 tees are about $12.63 each.
How fast can I get custom t-shirts in Toronto?
Standard turnaround for 50 shirts ranges from about 3 to 14 business days, with a median of 10. Printing Uncle has most orders ready within 72 hours, Monday to Friday, and two Toronto storefronts print single tees on the spot.
Do Toronto t-shirt printers have a minimum order?
Mostly no: 4 of the 6 printers we checked publish no minimum order. One lists 12 pieces per design for screen printing. Printing Uncle has no minimum on DTF.
Do Toronto printers charge screen printing setup fees?
Only one of the six printers we checked publishes a separate screen setup fee; the others build it into the price or do not publish it. Printing Uncle charges no separate setup fee.
Do Toronto t-shirt printers offer free shipping?
4 of the 6 printers we checked publish free shipping, with thresholds from $99 to $250. Printing Uncle ships free on orders of $250 or more before tax to most of Canada (Ontario and Quebec at any size; other provinces up to $2,000; not the territories) and offers free pickup in East York by appointment.
Last updated: November 3, 2026.
Printing Uncle, 16 Bermondsey Rd, East York, Toronto. Phone 437-424-3934. Email meet@printinguncle.com. Hours Monday to Saturday, 10 to 6; pickup by appointment.