Twelve Shirts Is a Real Order, not a favor
Printed Essentials runs DTF printing and embroidery from 12 pieces for Pelzer, SC. Small counts get the same proof, the same press time and the same 5 to 7 day turnaround as a 300 piece job.
Why Small Orders Cost So Much Everywhere Else, and What We Do Instead
Screen printing charges you long before the first shirt moves. Every color in the art needs its own screen, and every screen gets coated, burned, washed out, registered on the press and reclaimed afterward. That labor costs the same whether the run is 12 shirts or 500. On a short run the setup swallows the whole job and the quote comes back looking ridiculous, which is why so many shops quietly tell a 12 piece customer to go away. DTF printing removes that math. The design prints onto film, gets powdered, cured and heat pressed onto the garment, so there is no screen to pay off and no color count to argue about. That is how custom t-shirt printing in Pelzer, SC starts at a dozen here.
DTF is our main method on tees and custom hoodies, and it handles full color art, gradients, photographs and small text without adding a dime per color. It presses onto cotton, blends and most polyester, so a crew can mix a soft tee, a performance shirt and a heavyweight hoodie in one order and the print still matches. Embroidery covers hats, polos, jackets and workwear, stitched from a digitized file so the logo stays sharp through years of washing. Screen printing is still the right call once the count climbs, and we run it on qualifying bulk orders from 48 pieces where the setup finally earns its keep.
The people ordering 12 to 40 pieces around Anderson County are usually the ones who need them most. A three truck plumbing outfit that wants company shirts with the name on the chest. A church small group printing something for a weekend trip. A nonprofit with a board of fifteen. A restaurant replacing worn staff tees, a booster club testing a design before committing to a full season, a retailer trying a short run to see what actually sells. None of those are practice runs for a bigger order. They are the order, and the shop you find when you search screen printing near me should treat them that way instead of pushing you into 72 pieces you will never hand out.
Small does not mean casual on our end. A 12 piece order still gets a real digital proof before anything prints, real garment options instead of whatever is cheapest, and a person on the phone who can tell you why one blank will hold the print better than another. The difference between a dozen and a gross is the invoice, not the attention.
What We Print and Stitch
Six things cover most of what comes through the door for Pelzer customers, and five of the six start at a dozen pieces.
Custom T-Shirts
DTF printed tees from 12 pieces in soft cotton, tri blends or moisture wicking performance. Full color art costs the same as one color, so a detailed logo is not a penalty on a short run.
Hoodies and Crewnecks
Pullovers, zip hoodies and fleece crewnecks printed with DTF for cold months and crew wear. Prints stay flexible instead of cracking, and heavyweight fleece takes a large front or back design cleanly.
Embroidered Hats
Structured caps, dad hats, trucker styles and beanies stitched with your logo. Stitching reads as professional on headwear in a way print never does, and it holds up to sweat, sun and daily wear.
Polos and Workwear
Embroidered polos, button downs, jackets, hi vis and work shirts for crews who need to look official on a job site or in a customer's driveway. Names on one chest, company mark on the other.
Bulk Screen Printing
Once a job clears 48 pieces on a simpler design, screen printing becomes the better value and lays down a thick opaque print. Good for annual staff runs, big events and anything reordered every year.
Event and Fundraiser Apparel
Shirts and hoodies for tournaments, benefit nights, reunions, camps and church trips. Order the count you actually expect to move rather than gambling on a high minimum and eating the leftovers.
The Things People Hesitate Over
Most of the hesitation on a small order comes down to four worries, so here they are answered straight.
Is 12 pieces too small to bother?
No. Twelve is our published minimum on DTF and embroidery because it is a count we can run profitably, not a number we tolerate. You get a proof, a real production slot and the same 5 to 7 day turnaround as any other order.
Will the per shirt price be insane?
It will be higher per piece than a 200 shirt run, because volume always earns a break. But it will not carry screen setup fees, and that is the charge that usually makes short run quotes unreasonable. We quote the whole job so you see the real number.
You are not in Pelzer.
Correct. We work out of the Greenville Upstate and serve Pelzer and the rest of Anderson County from there. Orders ship or get delivered, proofs happen by email, and nothing about the process requires you to drive anywhere.
Can I reorder later without redoing art?
Yes. We keep your print file and, for embroidery, the digitized stitch file. A reorder of another dozen next season starts from what we already have, so there is no repeat art charge and no drift in how the logo looks.
How a Small Order Moves
Send the details
Tell us the count, the garments you want and what needs printing or stitching. Rough art is fine here. So is a phone photo of an old shirt.
Get a real quote
We come back with pricing on the actual count you asked for, plus honest notes on where a slightly different blank or method would serve you better.
Approve the proof
A digital proof shows placement and sizing before anything is printed or stitched. Nothing goes into production until you say the layout is right.
Production and delivery
Typical turnaround is 5 to 7 days after proof approval. Finished pieces ship to you or get delivered, boxed and counted.
Ratings and Feedback
"Where I get all the embroidery and printing done for my company. Love the quality! Unbeatable prices too."
Elias Acevedo"Could not be happier with this business! The quality of the shirts is top notch and the design came out exactly how I wanted."
Angela Danielsen"Moe was awesome. Great communication and got the order done quickly. We are very happy with the results."
Joseph KellerQuestions From Pelzer Customers
Twelve pieces for DTF printing and twelve for embroidery. Screen printing typically starts at 48 because of the setup work involved. The 12 piece floor applies to the order, so you can split a dozen shirts across several sizes without a problem. Mixing garment styles in one order is usually workable too, and we will tell you upfront if a particular mix changes the pricing.
Usually yes, as long as the total hits the minimum and the same design is going on both. DTF handles the different fabrics without needing separate setups, so a group can take tees in warm weather and hoodies in cold from a single design file. Pricing follows the garment cost, so hoodies come in higher per piece than tees.
Typical turnaround is 5 to 7 days after you approve the proof. Small counts are not pushed to the back of the line behind bigger jobs. If you are working toward a hard date like a tournament, a grand opening or a church trip, say so when you first reach out and we will tell you honestly whether it fits.
Yes, and that is one of the real advantages of DTF. Color count does not change the price the way it does with screen printing, so a photo, a gradient or a six color logo prints the same as a one color mark. Fine detail and small text hold up well, which matters on left chest logos and back of neck placements.
Yes. Printed Essentials is based in the Greenville, SC Upstate and works with customers across Pelzer, Williamston, Belton, Anderson and the surrounding area. There is no public storefront to visit. Everything runs by phone and email, artwork and proofs move digitally, and finished orders ship or are delivered to you.
Get a Number on Your Dozen
Send the count, the garment and the design, and we will quote the order you actually want instead of the one that suits us.