Custom T-Shirt Manufacturer in China (Low MOQ): Private Label & Bulk Guide (2026)

August 27, 20269 min readBy Essty Garment

The humble t-shirt is the most-tested product in apparel — and the smartest one to start a private-label line with. It needs no complicated pattern, it ships flat and cheap, and a single great basic can become your highest-reorder SKU for years. China's knitwear cluster in the Pearl River Delta keeps cotton yarn, jersey knitting, dyeing, cutting, sewing, and decoration within a short radius, which is exactly why a 100-piece custom run is a normal, everyday order for a small-batch factory rather than a favour. This guide walks through what actually matters when sourcing custom t-shirts from China — fabric weight, printing method, private-label steps, tiered FOB pricing, and realistic lead times — without promising more than any factory can deliver.

Why Source Custom T-Shirts from China

Guangzhou and the surrounding supply chain let you move from a design idea to a finished, labelled tee in a couple of weeks. Because cotton jersey is the most commoditised fabric in the world, small runs are priced fairly and fabric is almost always in stock in standard colours (black, white, navy, grey, sand). That means you can launch a capsule, test which neckline and fit your audience prefers on social, and reorder in days rather than committing to a warehouse. See our fabric selection guide for how material choice drives both cost and hand-feel.

What "Custom T-Shirt" Actually Includes

Before requesting a quote, lock down the build. Each choice changes fabric cost and production steps:

Style — crew neck, V-neck, henley, raglan, pocket tee, oversized, or cropped.
Fabric — combed cotton jersey, ringspun cotton, cotton-spandex, tri-blend (cotton/poly/rayon), or 100% polyester for sublimation; weight 140–240 gsm.
Finish — ribbed collar and cuffs, double-needle hems, side seams or tubular knit, covered shoulder seams, and tagless or woven neck label.
Decoration — screen print, direct-to-garment (DTG), embroidery, heat-transfer, or all-over sublimation.
Branding — woven neck label, size tag, hangtag, polybag, and custom tissue or sticker.

MOQ: What's Realistic

At a small-batch manufacturer like Essty, the standard is 100 pcs per style (sizes and colours can be mixed within reason). That is low enough to test a new graphic or fit on social without a warehouse, yet high enough for the factory to price fabric efficiently. See our MOQ explainer for the cost math behind the 100-piece floor.

Fabric & Weight Options (with Trade-offs)

Supplier Type	Typical T-Shirt MOQ	Best For
Mass-production knit factory	500–3,000 pcs/style	Chains, big reorders
Mid-size factory	200–500 pcs/style	Growing streetwear brands
Small-batch factory	100 pcs/style	Startups, test drops, influencers
Print-on-demand	1 pc	Prototype, ultra-niche

Option	Weight	Look / Feel	Best Use
Combed cotton jersey	160–180 gsm	Soft, breathable, prints cleanly	Everyday crew & V-neck
Ringspun cotton	180–200 gsm	Denser, smoother, premium hand	Premium basics, retail
Cotton-spandex	180–200 gsm	Slight stretch, recovers shape	Fitted tees, active looks
Tri-blend	150–170 gsm	Heathered, drapey, vintage soft	Fashion & music merch
100% Polyester	140–160 gsm	Light, moisture-wicking	Sublimation, sports

Tip: For a tee that reads "premium" rather than "giveaway", step up to a 200–220 gsm ringspun or combed jersey. The price jump is modest but the perceived quality is dramatic — and a heavier collar holds its shape after dozens of washes. Reserve custom piece-dye colours for hero pieces, since a bespoke dye lot often carries its own minimum (300–500 kg of yarn) that defeats a 100-piece test run.

Printing & Decoration: Pick the Right Method

Method	Best For	MOQ Note
Screen print	Bold chest/back logos, large runs	Lowest per-unit at volume; setup per colour
DTG (direct-to-garment)	Complex, multi-colour, small runs	No screen setup; great at 100 pcs
Embroidery	Left-chest logos, premium feel	Survives most washes; higher unit cost
Sublimation	All-over prints on polyester	Full-bleed, no feel on fabric

Most startups mix methods: screen print for the hero graphic, DTG for a small test batch, embroidery for a premium capsule. Our packaging guide covers how the right polybag and hangtag complete the branded look.

Private Label Steps (End to End)

Brief the factory — send a tech pack or clear photos: style, fabric weight, colour, size range (e.g. S–3XL), collar/hem spec, and print placement. Our tech-pack guide shows the minimum a factory needs.
Get a quote & confirm FOB price — tiered by quantity (100 / 300 / 500 / 1,000+). Confirm what's included: labels, polybag, hangtag, and whether DDP shipping is an option.
Sampling — order 1–3 pre-production samples to check fit, collar shape, wash stability, and print quality. The sampling process guide explains the rounds.
Confirm & deposit — production usually starts after a 30% deposit; balance on completion.
Production & QC — 10–15 days for a small batch; inline and final inspection per our QC checklist (seam strength, collar symmetry, print registration, label accuracy, and colour-fastness checks).
Ship — express (DHL/FedEx) for a test run, or sea freight for reorders. See shipping by destination.

What It Costs (FOB, Indicative)

FOB factory price for a basic custom cotton tee (combed jersey, single-position print, woven label) typically lands in a tiered band. Exact numbers depend on fabric weight, print method, and order size:

Order Size	Relative Unit Cost	Why
100 pcs	Medium	Setup absorbed, in-stock fabric
300 pcs	Lower	Better fabric & label pricing
500 pcs	Lower still	Efficient line, bulk trims
1,000+ pcs	Lowest	Optimised cutting & decoration

Always ask for the price inclusive of your branding (labels, polybag, hangtag) so there are no surprises at checkout. Our cost-breakdown guide walks through every line item, including the collar and cuff construction a quality tee needs.

Lead Time & Reorders

A 100–300 piece tee run runs about 10–15 days after sample approval, plus transit. Because t-shirt customers reorder the same fit repeatedly, plan reorders early: a confirmed second run lets the factory buy fabric ahead and shorten your next lead time. Plan seasons with our production calendar so you're not sampling heavyweight fleece in July.

Sizing & Fit Notes

T-shirt grading is usually stated in S–3XL or chest inches. Confirm the factory's block (Asian, EU, or US grading) before sampling — an Asian block runs smaller and will surprise Western buyers, which drives returns. Our sizing and grade rules guide explains how blocks and tolerance affect final fit, and our sample feedback guide shows how to write fit notes the factory can act on.

FAQ

Can I mix sizes within a 100-piece MOQ?

Yes, at most small-batch factories — e.g., S / M / L / XL can share one 100-piece style. Confirm the size-split rule before quoting, since some factories set a per-size minimum or charge for extra print plates.

Screen print or DTG for my first run?

Screen print wins on per-unit cost for a single bold logo at 300+ pieces; DTG wins for small, multi-colour, or photoreal runs at 100 pieces because there is no screen setup. Many brands start DTG at 100, then move to screen print once a design proves out.

Do I need compliance documents for custom tees?

Safety rules are lighter than for kids' wear, but fibre-content, care, and country-of-origin labelling still apply, and EU/US buyers may ask for REACH or OEKO-TEX® test reports on dyes. Ask the mill for the relevant report rather than assuming compliance; our sustainable fabric guide covers the options.

How do I protect my design?

Use a written agreement and confirm pattern/design ownership up front. Our IP protection guide covers NDAs and who owns the blocks.

At Essty Garment: We're a BSCI & ISO 9001 certified custom apparel manufacturer in Guangzhou. Standard t-shirt MOQ is 100 pcs/style, lead time 10–15 days, with tiered FOB pricing and full private-label branding (woven label, size tag, hangtag, custom polybag). We produce crew, V-neck, oversized, and cropped tees in combed, ringspun, and tri-blend fabrics, with screen print, DTG, or embroidery — and we're happy to discuss the compliance documents your destination requires. Send a photo or tech pack and get a quote the same day.

Bottom Line

Custom t-shirts from China are accessible at 100 pieces if you pick a small-batch factory, specify fabric weight and fit clearly, and confirm printing and labelling up front. The tee rewards consistency over novelty — get one great basic block right and it becomes your highest-reorder line — so treat sampling and grading as the step that decides your margins, not an afterthought. Confirm your branding is in the quoted price, and a 100-piece test can turn into a steady private-label business without a warehouse.