Nobody publishes real numbers for branded workwear, which is why every buyer's first quote comes as a surprise in one direction or the other. Here are the actual variables, some genuine figures, and the questions that stop you comparing two quotes that aren't the same thing.
The four things that set the price
1. The garment tier. A lightweight budget tee and a heavyweight combed-cotton one can differ by £5+ before any decoration. Neither is wrong — they're for different jobs. One-day event kit doesn't need what a daily uniform needs.
2. The decoration method. Embroidery is priced by stitch count; print by size. A large multi-position print costs more than a single left-chest mark, but full colour in DTF costs no more than one colour.
3. Positions. Front logo only is the baseline. Add a back print, a sleeve, a name — each position is a pass through the press or the machine.
4. Quantity. Setup effort spreads across the run, so unit prices fall in bands. The jumps usually sit at around 25, 50, 100 and 250 units — if your order is near a band edge, crossing it can cost less in total.
Realistic UK numbers
For guidance — our own volume pricing, per unit, decorated:
- Premium printed tee: £22 at 20–49 units, falling to £18.50 at 100+
- Performance polo: £34 at 20–49 units, falling to £28.50 at 100+
- Embroidered cap: £17 at 20–49 units, falling to £14 at 100+
Cheaper exists — thinner garments, offshore production, slower and less accountable. Dearer also exists, usually with a retail brand name on the tag. The numbers above are what a proper mid-market UK job costs; full details are on our product pages.
What a fair quote already includes
Three items should be in the price, not surcharges that appear after you've agreed it:
- Artwork preparation — vectorising and colour separation of your logo
- A visual proof you approve before production
- Delivery
If any of those arrive later as extras, you weren't comparing like with like. This is the single most common way a “cheaper” quote ends up dearer.
The cost nobody puts on the quote
Buying twice. The budget tee that loses its shape in ten washes gets replaced mid-season; the logo that was never proofed prints off-centre on forty garments. Annualised, the mid-tier garment with a proper proof process is routinely the cheapest option a business can buy.
Get a number for your actual job
Generic price lists only go so far because positions, sizes and mixes vary. Tell us what you need and we'll quote it properly — or start with a free mock-up of your logo on the garments you're considering, so you're pricing something you've already seen. Request a quote here.