There are many different ways to print or decorate custom clothes. Therefore, their cost and pricing will also differ.
To compare prices on a particular project, you must first make sure what you are comparing. How many pieces will you print? How many colors is the design? Are there multiple items such as t-shirts and hats within the same project? You should think about the answers to these questions in detail.
Once you know the basics of your project, you can compare prices.
When looking for vinyl, you can buy it in sheets or rolls. If you have bedsheets, know how big the page size is and how big your t-shirt design is. Can you fit more than one design on each sheet? Can you fit a full-size t-shirt design and a hat design?
You will then be able to set your "per piece" price. The same is true if you are buying rolls. Find out how many pieces you can fit from the roll and how many per piece.
If it's a 2 or 3 color design, don't forget to consider this as well. You need to determine how much you can fit on the sheet/roll for each color.
You can then easily compare these figures and prices with silk-screen printed transfers. For the same number of sheets, see the price tables and find out the transfer size.
With screen printed transfers, you usually work with certain paper size. Just as you can fit multiple images when cutting your own vinyl sheets, you can fit multiple images on the same sheet for the same price.
If that's the case, determine how many pages you need in total to get the price drop, and then how many per image on the page.
Check the prices for the number of colors, too.
Don't forget to take your time into account. If the price is similar or the screen print transfers are a bit more for the quantity you're printing, is it worth spending time cutting and extracting all parts to save a few cents per piece?
Be sure to give the correct answer to this question. How valuable is your time to you and how much margin do you want to put on your finished garments?
Answering these types of questions will help you determine which type of transfer to use for your next custom apparel business: heat transfer vinyl or silk-screen printed transfers?