Cost of Custom T-Shirts in the UAE: What Really Drives the Price

Custom T-shirts in the UAE usually cost somewhere between about AED 25 and AED 60 per piece for a standard cotton tee with one logo. Prices drop as quantity rises and climb with heavier fabric, more print colours, extra placements or embroidery. The cheapest quote is not always the cheapest order, though. To compare suppliers properly, you need to know what goes into the unit price and whether 5% VAT will be added on top.

This guide breaks down each cost driver and lists what to send so you get quotes you can compare like for like.

What custom T-shirts cost in the UAE right now

UAE printers' websites (checked October 2026) show a fairly consistent range of starting prices:

• A single DTF-printed tee from a Dubai shop starts at around AED 50, falling to roughly AED 25–35 per piece at 50 pieces.
• Plain 180 GSM round-neck blanks are listed from about AED 20 before any printing.
• One Dubai supplier with a 20-piece minimum lists screen printing from AED 40 per piece, DTG and embroidery from AED 50, and sublimation and heat transfer from AED 60.
• Online "design your own" printed tees typically sell for AED 50–60 each.

These are "from" prices: the lightest blank, one small print and often a short list of colours. Real business orders tend to land higher once you add a back print, a heavier fabric or larger sizes. Some printers also quote their prices "+VAT", which adds 5% (see the VAT section below).

How a custom T-shirt price is built

Nearly every supplier builds the price the same way, even if the quote shows a single number:

Unit price = blank garment + branding per piece + (setup costs ÷ quantity) + finishing and packing + share of delivery (+ 5% VAT if the supplier is VAT-registered)

When you know this formula, a cheap or expensive quote usually makes sense. If one quote is much lower than the others, one of these lines has been cut, usually the blank, the print size or the number of colours.

The seven things that drive the price

1. Blank quality and fabric

The garment is usually the largest single cost. Two 100% cotton shirts can differ a lot in price because of:

• Yarn: combed, ring-spun cotton feels smoother and pills less than open-end (carded) cotton, and it costs more.
• Construction: taped neck seams, side seams rather than tubular bodies, and a neck rib that keeps its shape all add cost and lifespan.
• Fibre: 100% cotton suits everyday and office wear. Polyester or poly-blend performance tees cost a similar amount or more, and they suit outdoor teams in the UAE heat because they wick sweat and dry quickly. Organic cotton costs more again.

For staff who wear the shirt every week, a better blank is often cheaper per wear because it survives more washes. Our custom T-shirts range covers cotton, heavyweight, performance and oversized options.

2. GSM (fabric weight)

GSM (grams per square metre) measures how heavy and dense the fabric is. Heavier fabric uses more cotton, so it costs more.

GSM range	Feel	Typical use	Cost impact
140–160	Light, thin, can be slightly see-through in white	One-day events, giveaways, runs and walks	Lowest
170–200	Mid-weight, the "standard" tee	Staff tees, team shirts, promotional wear worn more than once	Moderate
210–240	Substantial, holds shape	Retail merchandise, premium staff wear	Higher
250+	Heavyweight, structured, often oversized cuts	Streetwear and fashion brands	Highest

In UAE summers, heavier is not always better. A 220+ GSM tee feels premium indoors but is warm for outdoor staff. For field teams, a 160–180 GSM cotton tee or a performance polyester tee is usually more practical.

3. Branding method

The decoration method changes both the per-piece cost and the fixed setup cost. For a deeper comparison, see our custom printing page.

Method	Setup cost	Cost per piece	Best for	Watch out for
Screen printing	Yes, one screen per colour	Very low at volume	Larger runs of 1–4 colour logos	Expensive for small orders or many colours
DTF (direct-to-film)	None or minimal	Fairly flat at any quantity	Small to medium runs, full-colour art, mixed garments	Sits on top of the fabric, so a large print feels stiffer
DTG (direct-to-garment)	Minimal	Higher per piece	Small runs of detailed artwork on cotton	Slower and less economical at volume
Sublimation	Low	Moderate	Polyester sportswear, all-over prints	Only works on white or light polyester
Embroidery	Digitising (one-off)	Priced by stitch count	Polos, premium tees, small chest logos	Adds weight to thin tees; not suited to large designs

The main trade-off is between screen printing and DTF. Screen printing has an upfront cost per colour, but once the screens are made each extra shirt is cheap. DTF has almost no setup cost, but its per-piece cost barely falls with volume. One print shop's break-even analysis puts the crossover at roughly 24–48 pieces for simple designs. Above about 100 pieces of a one- or two-colour logo, screen printing usually wins. For full-colour artwork, DTF often stays competitive at much higher quantities.

Embroidery is priced differently, by the number of stitches, so a small left-chest logo is affordable and a full-back design is not. On lightweight tees, a dense embroidered logo can pucker the fabric. It works better on polos and heavier shirts (see logo embroidery).

4. Number of colours in the design

With screen printing, every ink colour needs its own screen and its own pass on the press, so a five-colour logo costs noticeably more than a one-colour version. On a dark garment, screen printing usually needs an extra white base layer underneath the colours, which counts as another screen.

With DTF and DTG, colour count makes little difference to price. If your logo has gradients or many colours, a digital method may cost less than reducing the logo to fit screen printing.

5. Number, size and position of print placements

Each extra placement (front, back, sleeve, nape of the neck) is another setup and another handling step per shirt. A small left-chest logo plus a large back print can nearly double the decoration cost compared with a front print alone. Print size matters too. An A3 back print uses more ink or film than a 9 cm chest logo, and some suppliers charge oversize prints at a higher rate.

6. Quantity breaks

Quantity breaks exist because setup costs are spread across the run. Suppose, using round numbers just to show the maths, that a four-colour screen-printed job carries AED 400 of screen and setup cost:

Quantity	Setup cost per shirt
25	AED 16.00
100	AED 4.00
500	AED 0.80

Larger orders also let suppliers buy blanks in bulk or have them made to order. That is why quotes often step down at points such as 50, 100, 250 and 500 pieces. If your quantity sits just below a break, ask for the price at the next tier. A few spare shirts for new joiners can cost less than you expect.

7. Garment colour, sizes and extras

Smaller items that move the price:

• Garment colour: white blanks are usually cheapest. Dark or special colours can cost more and need a white base under screen prints.
• Sizes: many suppliers charge more for 2XL and above because those shirts use more fabric.
• Fits: women's fits, oversized cuts and kids' sizes may come from a different blank range at a different price.
• Personalisation: individual names or numbers are printed one shirt at a time.
• Finishing: custom neck labels, swing tags, individual polybags, folding by size or packing by department all add handling cost.

Where the shirt is made affects price and time

There are broadly two routes. Printing on stock blanks already in the UAE is the fastest and suits event deadlines, but you are limited to the colours and fabrics in stock. Made-to-order production (your fabric, GSM, colour and labels) through factories in India, China or elsewhere usually costs less per piece at larger volumes, but takes longer and needs a sample stage.

Imported goods carry UAE customs duty, generally 5% of the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value, plus freight by air or sea. A good quote shows a delivered price so you are not left adding these yourself. MISHAREN sources through partners in the UAE, India and China, so the right route depends on your quantity and deadline. If your timeline is tight, say so at the quote stage so the supplier can price the faster route.

VAT: check whether "AED 30" means AED 31.50

The UAE's standard VAT rate is 5%. Businesses resident in the UAE must register once their taxable turnover passes AED 375,000 a year (registration is voluntary from AED 187,500). A registered supplier has to charge VAT, and many print price lists are shown excluding it.

When comparing quotes:

• Confirm whether each price includes or excludes VAT.
• If your organisation is VAT-registered and can recover input tax, compare quotes on their pre-VAT prices and check the treatment with your accountant.
• If your organisation cannot recover VAT, for example because it is not registered or makes exempt supplies, the 5% is a real cost.

MISHAREN TRADING LLC is not VAT-registered, so no VAT is added to its quotations or invoices. The figure quoted is the figure invoiced.

How to bring the cost down without regretting it

1. Fix the purpose first. A one-day event shirt and a uniform worn twice a week need different blanks. Spending more on the first, or less on the second, wastes money.
2. Simplify the artwork for screen printing. A one- or two-colour version of the logo on a large run can cut decoration costs a lot.
3. Keep placements to what people will see. A front chest logo and one back print usually do the job. Sleeve prints are often an extra cost few people notice.
4. Choose stock colours. Standard white, black, navy or grey blanks are cheaper and quicker than special shades.
5. Order to the next price break if the gap is small, and keep spares for new staff.
6. Plan ahead. Rush jobs limit you to local stock and can carry express charges. Planning ahead lets the supplier use the most economical route.
7. Don't go below about 160 GSM for anything worn repeatedly. Very light shirts lose shape quickly, and the order ends up being repeated.

Checklist: what to send for an accurate quote

• Quantity, with a size breakdown (or an estimate) including 2XL and above
• Garment type, fit and preferred fabric/GSM, or the purpose so the supplier can recommend one
• Garment colour(s)
• Logo files in vector format (AI, PDF, EPS or SVG) and the number of colours in the design
• Each print or embroidery position and its approximate size
• Any names, numbers, custom labels or individual packing
• Delivery emirate(s) and the date you need the shirts in hand
• Whether you need the quote including or excluding VAT for your accounts

Get a quotation

If you have a quantity, a logo and a date in mind, send them through our contact page by WhatsApp, phone or email. We will suggest a blank and branding method that suits your budget, then quote a clear per-piece price with no VAT added for delivery anywhere in the seven emirates.