T-Shirts for Charities: print or embroidery
By The Velocity Wear Team
Charity t-shirts are usually screen printed, because a campaign logo in one or two flat colours across a run of 50 or more is exactly what screen printing is efficient at. DTF handles detailed or multi-colour marks without screens, and embroidery suits a small chest logo on a heavier shirt for staff who want something smarter than campaign kit. Sublimation needs synthetic fabric, so it does not apply to cotton tees.
Print or embroidery for a charity shirt?
Print, for almost every campaign shirt. A charity tee needs to be legible across a fun run or a collection point, which means a large mark, and a large mark stitched into 150 GSM cotton would be heavy and stiff. Embroidery earns its place on a small left-chest logo on the heavier end of the 150-240 GSM range, typically for staff or trustees rather than volunteers on the day. Every method available on a cotton tee is set out on the wholesale t-shirts page.
How do you handle a logo plus partner marks?
Separate them by position and be ruthless about size. The campaign logo goes on the front where it is seen; partner and sponsor marks go on the back or a sleeve, in a single colour, in a row that reads as a group rather than competing with the main message. Every additional colour is a separate screen, so asking partners for a mono version of their logo is the single easiest saving in a charity job. It also avoids the file-format problem, since mono marks are usually easier to supply cleanly.
What suits a shirt worn once?
If the shirt is genuinely for a single day - a marshal shirt, a one-off collection - keep it simple: one position, one or two colours, a lighter weight. There is no case for embroidery on a garment that gets worn for six hours. If the shirt is being sold to supporters who will wear it for years, that calculation flips, and the print quality and fabric weight matter far more than the setup cost. Deciding which of those two shirts you are making is the most useful thing a campaign team can do before asking for a quote - charity t-shirt cost shows the difference in numbers.
Does the decoration change the price per piece?
Yes, in two ways. Setup happens per design and per colour, so a four-colour logo is four screens before a single shirt is printed. And each print position is another pass, so a front logo plus a back message plus a sleeve mark is three. Those add up quickly on a 50-piece run and barely register on a 500-piece one, which is why large campaigns can afford detail that small ones cannot. The charities and fundraising page covers how campaigns usually scope it.
What should you check before approving?
Look at the artwork at actual print size on paper, at arm's length, and check that the smallest element is still readable. Check the ink against the garment colour, since a light ink on a dark shirt needs an underbase and shifts slightly. Confirm that partner logos are being used at the sizes their guidelines require. If anything about the design is unusual, see it printed first - the charity sample post covers what the £150 sample tests.
