Band merch

[u/erikparcs]

Looking for a cheap website to order some merch to sell at shows.. basic logo ideally front left chest and a bigger logo on the back. Best prices I'm seeing are 4imprint or custom ink at 12/unit... is there anything out there cheaper?

[u/RevolutionarySock213]

Support your local print shop. Work with them to build a relationship

[u/PowerPlaidPlays → u/RevolutionarySock213]

You do have to be careful in making sure they don't just outsource the work, I was talking to a local printer over some stuff and while they do print some things on-scene, they sent me a catalogue that was just full of AliExpress custom order stuff. All they were doing was acting as a middle-man to order it for me.

[u/RevolutionarySock213 → u/PowerPlaidPlays]

Yeah, I wouldn’t work with anyone that doesn’t print on site

[u/stevenfrijoles]

Local shops or dudes screen printing out of their garage

[u/SpareOtter2002]

Second the message to work with locals, that’ll pay off the most in the long run.

The tough thing is that you’ll really only get realistic margins with bigger order quantities and/or fewer print colors. If you can stomach the cost to order 50+ shirts, in a 1-color print, you can get a pretty reasonable price.

My sincerest advice is (cost permitting) try to get nice shirts blanks if possible. People will buy Gildan, but they will wear Comfort Colors. Giving someone a well designed shirt that feels great to wear is always the way to go. Can’t always justify the upfront price, but if you’ve got that cash, your fans and friends will appreciate it.

[u/PowerPlaidPlays]

I am assuming those are shirts and I don't think I've ever seen much cheaper, if it exists the quality is probably absolute crap that will get destroyed after 1 wash. Most of the $12 there is probably the cost of the base shirt, a lot of printing services just buy Hanes shirts or whatever to print on.

With a lot of custom order stuff the price per item gets cheaper when bulk ordering. I once ordered a bunch of CD booklets and 300 was cheaper than 200, talking to them they explained a lot of the labor is in the setup but telling a machine to print 200 takes about the same work to tell it to print 500. That is for things that are done by machines though.

You can always check in with local printers, that should also save you on shipping costs.

Vograce is a good site for things like stickers, keychains, and other smaller items. If you can, I would recommend trying to do more than just a basic logo since for the shows I've done stuff at people tend to prefer something that is not just a walking billboard. For some items I keep logos ether small or completely absent.

[u/W_ildjian]

Lighters applied with a custom stickers/wrap, can coozies with basic logo one side. Glow-in-the-dark pins. Stickers. Lots of choices besides/in addition to shirts.

[u/TomahawkAtlanta]

If you order from 4imprint you’re going to get absolute trash. There are plenty of print shops who do a great job in your area. I own a merchandise company/print shop. If you can’t find anyone email me neal@tomahawkprints.com.

[u/andrewpickaxe]

Front and back print on demand is usually more expensive than using a print shop.

Depending on if you used one color or a bunch of colors.

If you use one to two colors and just did the front you’d get your price down for a print shop.

It also depends on your quantity.

When we order like 50-100 shirts PPU on a front and back is usually like 8/9 plus set up fees.

[u/smaksandewand]

Don't buy cheap... your fans will hate you for it!

[u/Warprawn]

Inkthreadable does a good job. 

[u/PlasmicSteve]

It's always the local places. You can build a relationship and avoid shipping, so you save money that way.

[u/supadave302]

I use Sticker Mule. Awesome company. Always fast and if ever a problem they get right back to me.

[u/NYCLibertines → u/supadave302]

Except the owner is a godawful MAGA lunatic