Searches comparing print on demand to offset printing usually come from a mix of contexts, since offset is a real and common printing method, just not one built for garments. Understanding what offset actually is clears up the comparison and points toward the apparel method that is actually relevant: bulk screen printing.
Offset printing transfers ink from a plate to a rubber blanket and then onto the final material, and it is the standard method behind books, magazines, packaging, and large paper print runs. It is not a common apparel decoration method, since garments do not run through the same flat, rigid press equipment that paper and packaging use.
For apparel, the bulk method that plays the role offset plays for paper is screen printing, where a screen is set up per color and per design, then a large run of identical shirts passes through the same setup. That is the comparison that actually matters for a business deciding between print on demand and a bulk method.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.| Bulk screen printing | Bear Grips print on demand | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum order | Often a dozen or more per style/color | None, one piece at a time |
| Setup fee | Per color, per screen, typical | None |
| Per-unit cost at high volume | Can undercut per-piece prices on large identical runs | Flat per-piece price regardless of volume |
| Inventory risk | Full risk on unsold sizes/colors | None, prints only after a sale |
| Turnaround | Varies by shop and run size | About a week, order to delivery |
True offset printing still matters for paper collateral, packaging inserts, or hang tags, none of which Bear Grips produces. Bear Grips prints apparel only, one order at a time. A business that also needs printed paper materials alongside its apparel line will need a separate print vendor for that side of the project.
The question that actually matters is how many identical pieces, in one size and color, need to exist at once. A large known quantity favors a bulk method. Anything smaller, mixed, or uncertain favors printing per order. Start a shop at shops.beargrips.com to test a design before committing to any bulk run.
No minimum order, no setup fee. Print one piece at a time and see what sells first.
Start FreeNo. Bear Grips is an apparel print on demand platform, not a paper or packaging print shop. Offset printing is a paper and packaging process.
Bulk screen printing, where a screen is set up per color and design, then a large identical run passes through that same setup.
No. DTG prints digitally straight onto the garment with no plate setup, closer in spirit to print on demand than to offset.
On very large, single-design, single-color, known-size runs, where a bulk shop can amortize its setup cost across hundreds of identical pieces.
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