A small business deciding how to make its first batch of branded merch usually lands on one of three paths: buy a heat press and do it in-house, take a design to a local screen printer, or use an on-demand merch platform that prints after each sale. Each has a real place depending on order size and how predictable demand is. Here is how the three compare heading into 2026, with the tradeoffs a small business owner actually runs into.
Almost every small business path to custom apparel falls into one of three categories:
| Method | Upfront cost | Minimum order | Turnaround | Who ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY heat press or vinyl | $150 to $400+ for equipment | None, but labor per piece | Same day, limited by owner's time | The business owner |
| Local screen printer | Setup or screen fee per color | 12 to 48 pieces typical | 1 to 3 weeks | The business owner, after pickup |
| Bear Grips Pro Shops | $0 to $105 per month plan | None | About 1 week | Free, direct to the buyer |
A heat press earns its cost back for a business that needs a shirt the same afternoon, or that already owns the equipment for other reasons. The real cost that gets missed is labor: pressing each shirt takes real time, and quality depends entirely on the operator's consistency. For anything beyond a handful of pieces a week, the labor cost usually outweighs the equipment savings.
A local screen printer remains the better option for a single large bulk order, 100 or more of the same design in known sizes, especially for a one-time event where the business already knows exactly how many pieces it needs. The setup fee gets diluted across a large run, and the per-piece cost at that volume often beats print-on-demand pricing.
For anything other than a single known bulk event, demand is rarely predictable. A new hire needs a shirt in one size, a customer wants a hoodie in another, and neither fits neatly into a 48-piece minimum. An on-demand platform handles that variability with no minimum order, unlimited colors, free US shipping to the buyer, and a Free plan ($0 per month, 3 products) to test the model before committing to a paid plan. See the full cost breakdown for exact plan and per-item pricing.
No heat press, no screen fees, no bulk commitment. Upload your design and let orders print as they sell.
Start FreeIt can work for very low, predictable volume where the owner has spare time to press shirts, but labor cost adds up fast beyond a handful of pieces per week.
Commonly 12 to 48 pieces of the same design, though this varies by shop.
Per-piece base prices run from $19.88 for a tee, which is competitive with small screen-print runs once the setup fee is factored in, and there is no minimum to hit that price.
Yes. Many small businesses start with an on-demand platform for flexibility, then move a proven design to a local bulk order once volume is predictable.
Bear Grips Pro Shops