Custom T-Shirt Printing in UAE: Complete Buying Guide
Custom T-shirts do three jobs at once: uniform, advertising and team identity. This guide covers how PrintOnline's custom T-shirt printing works, so you can choose the right garment and print method before you order. The main page is Personalized Printing on T-Shirts (Round Neck or Polo, bulk).
Round neck vs polo
PrintOnline prints both. Round neck is the casual, lower-cost choice; polo has a collar and reads as more formal. Round neck starts at AED 16.00 per shirt for 10 pieces and polo at AED 25.00 per shirt for 10. See round neck vs polo T-shirts for company uniforms.
Fabric
PrintOnline lists the material as cotton or cotton mix, which varies by style, so ask which applies to the garment you pick if it matters to you. Cotton feels softer against the skin; a cotton-polyester mix creases less and holds its shape through more washes, which is usually the better choice for a uniform worn daily.
The one specification not published is GSM, the fabric weight. If you are ordering uniforms for outdoor work in summer, ask for it before you commit, because weight is what decides whether a shirt is bearable at 45 degrees.
Sizes
All shirts are unisex, and a full size chart is on the product page. Adult sizes run XS to XXXL:
| Size | XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL | XXXL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length (in) | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Chest (in) | 18.5 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| Shoulder (in) | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| Sleeve (in) | 8.5 | 8.5 | 9 | 9 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 10 |
Kids sizes are also available, numbered 20 to 40 by age from 0 to 16 years.
Two things worth knowing before you collect sizes from your team. PrintOnline notes that because garments come from manufacturers, measurements can vary by roughly two inches either way, so measure a shirt that already fits rather than going by the label size someone usually buys. And your size breakdown has to add up exactly to your total order quantity, so collect the list before you start the order rather than during it. See how to order custom T-shirts online.
Printing methods
PrintOnline offers screen printing in one to four colours, thermal press (heat transfer) and embroidery. Which one you pick barely affects cost on a small run and dominates it on a large one; the comparison is in screen printing vs thermal printing vs embroidery.
Screen printing
Ink is pushed through a stencil, one colour at a time. It suits simple, one or two colour logos in larger runs.
Thermal transfer
A design is printed onto film and heat-pressed onto the shirt. It handles multi-colour artwork and small runs well.
Embroidery
A logo is stitched into the fabric, which looks premium and lasts. It is most common on polos.
Quantity
The bulk page starts at 10 shirts and runs up to 500, with roughly 26 price tiers in between (10, 15, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, then every 25 to 400, then 450 and 500), so you can order close to the number you actually need.
Below ten, use the separate small quantity T-shirt page, which runs from a single shirt. That page prices the garment and the print together: one printed round-neck tee is AED 45, ten are AED 300. It also offers a different print on each shirt option, which the bulk page does not, so it is the route for named staff shirts or numbered team tees.
Pricing
Full pricing is in how much does custom T-shirt printing cost in Dubai.
Artwork
Send vector artwork (PDF, AI or EPS) where you have it, with your brand colours named. For raster artwork, supply it at the size it will actually print. PrintOnline allows one working day to prepare the print file and approve the mockup.
Front and back printing
The two sides are priced separately and are not the same size, which catches people out:
- Side 1: a small print, 10 x 10cm. This is your chest logo.
- Side 2: up to A4, 21 x 29.7cm. Room for a large logo, a slogan or a sponsor block.
So the usual layout, small logo on the chest and something bigger on the back, is exactly what the pricing is built around.
Production
Standard production on the bulk page is 5 working days, with a rush option of 3 working days for a surcharge that scales with order size, from AED 24 on a small run. The small quantity page offers 5 working days as standard, 2 working days, or 1 working day from AED 30.
The one working day for print file preparation and mockup approval sits on top of that, and production starts once you approve. Use the delivery date calculator on the product page for your exact date.
Delivery: Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi
Pick a delivery location (Dubai/Sharjah/Ajman city limits, or other Emirates, which is where Abu Dhabi sits), then your mode: courier, 1 to 2 days after production and included, or a special driver within 6 working hours (AED 50) or 10 working hours (AED 150) of production finishing. The product page's delivery date calculator shows the real date for each combination.
Washing printed shirts
PrintOnline recommends hand washing in cold water and avoiding brushing the printed area. Worth passing on to staff with the shirts, since how a uniform is washed decides whether the print survives the year.
Order custom printed T-shirts from PrintOnline.
Related: custom T-shirt cost in Dubai, round neck vs polo and best T-shirts for corporate events and uniforms.