What is the typical MOQ for custom t-shirts manufacturing?

VANRD's minimum order quantity for custom t-shirts is 100 pieces per color per style. It is a per-color minimum rather than a per-order minimum, so a two-color program starts at 200 pieces and a four-color program at 400. Sizes can be mixed inside a colorway as long as the total for that color reaches 100.

The minimum exists because t-shirts carry setup costs that a basic tee does not. Fabric minimums, pattern development, trims with their own supplier minimums and a separate sampling round all have to be carried by the first order. At 100 pieces those costs sit on a small quantity; at 500 pieces the same setup spreads across five times as many units, which is why unit price falls as volume rises.

Three things can push the minimum higher:

• Custom-dyed colorways carry their own mill dye-lot minimum on top of the garment minimum.
• Specialist constructions — at $3.50–10+ per unit, t-shirts sit well below hoodies at $8–28+ and jackets at $15–60+, which is what makes them the usual entry point for a new brand.
• Exclusive trims — custom zipper pulls, branded drawcord tips, custom buttons and patch work each carry a supplier minimum of their own.

Once shoulder-to-shoulder taping or seam reinforcement is approved, a second or third colorway becomes a fabric and trim decision rather than a new development cycle. Brands that plan for a reorder before the first order usually start with one color on a spec designed to accept more.

Sampling runs 7–10 days after the specification and available materials are confirmed, and bulk production takes 30–45 days after pre-production approval.

Send us your target quantity per color and size range and we will confirm the minimum against your actual t-shirt fabric and trim choices, rather than quoting a generic number — contact VANRD.