Branded clothing looks simple from the outside: choose a shirt, add a logo, place an order. In practice, the businesses that get the best results are the ones that settle a handful of decisions before they ask for a quote. This guide covers those decisions for companies ordering branded t-shirts, polos and hoodies in London.
Decide what the clothing is for
Staff uniforms, event shirts, client gifts and team-day tees need different things. A uniform must survive hundreds of washes and look consistent across a year of new starters. An event shirt must look striking on the day and cost less per piece. A client gift must feel good enough to be worn. Name the purpose first, because it determines the garment, the method and the budget.
Count heads and collect sizes
Orders go wrong most often on sizes. Send a short form to everyone who will receive a shirt and ask for their size and, if relevant, their role. Add a small buffer of spare pieces in common sizes for late changes and new joiners. Mixed sizes within one design carry no extra charge with us, so there is no saving in guessing. Our corporate t-shirt printing page explains how company-wide orders run.
Choose garments to match the job
- Polos suit client-facing staff and reception teams.
- Round neck t-shirts suit shop floors, warehouses, events and team days.
- Hoodies and sweatshirts suit colder months, remote teams and launch merchandise.
You can see the range on our polo shirt, round neck t-shirt and hoodie pages. Fabric weight and fit matter too: a heavier, structured cotton looks smarter, while a lighter blend is more comfortable in a warm office or kitchen.
Print or embroidery?
For logos on polos that are worn weekly, embroidery gives a polished finish that lasts longest. For larger artwork, back prints, slogans and multi-colour designs, printing is the better fit, usually DTF or heat transfer. Many companies use both: embroidered polos for staff who meet customers, printed tees for everyone else. We will recommend the best fit for each garment in the quote.
Get your brand assets in order
Gather three things before you ask for a quote: your logo as a vector file (AI, EPS or PDF), your brand colours with Pantone references if you have them, and any placement rules in your brand guidelines. We can match colours from Pantone references or your guidelines. If your logo exists only as a small image on a website, tell us early so we can explain what can be done instead of finding out at proof stage.
Logo placement
Placement is part of brand consistency. A small left-chest logo is standard on polos, and many companies add a larger mark on the back or a name under the logo. Whatever you choose, keep the placement the same on every garment of the same type, so a team looks matched. We can place logos on the chest, sleeve, back and cuff, and we keep your approved placement on file for reorders.
Approve a sample
Before a full rollout, approve a sample. A logo that looks right on a screen can sit differently on a chest pocket, and fabric colour can change how a brand colour reads. Ask for the sample to be on the exact garment and size you plan to order. For smaller runs a digital mock-up may be enough, but for anything above a few dozen pieces a physical sample is cheap insurance.
Timing
For a company order, allow two to three weeks from artwork approval to delivery, longer if you need to collect sizes first. If you have a fixed date, such as an opening, an event or the start of a campaign, work backwards from the date the shirts must be in your hands, not the date of the event. Rush production is available for an extra fee that we confirm in the quote before work begins.
Budget and quotes
Our pricing page shows starting prices by garment and method, and bulk prices step down automatically with quantity. As a guide, corporate uniforms start from £11 per piece at low volume, and estimated prices fall from about £8 per piece at 10 to 25 pieces to about £4.80 at 500 or more. When you compare quotes, check what each includes: the garment, the number of print positions, any set-up or digitising charge and delivery. Ours are written and itemised, with extra positions on their own lines.
Invoices, deposits and delivery
We supply formal invoices for business accounts. Orders over 100 pieces need a 50% deposit before production starts, and standard UK delivery is included in bulk quotes over 50 pieces. Delivery can be split across several offices in one order, which helps companies with more than one site.
Looking after branded clothing
Printed garments last longer when washed inside out at a moderate temperature and kept away from the hottest tumble-dryer setting. Embroidered logos are more forgiving, but should not be ironed directly. Handing staff a short care card with their uniform costs little and keeps the branding sharp for longer.
Reorders and new starters
Your artwork, colours and placement stay on file, so a reorder is a short message. For new starters, send their size and role and we will match the earlier order. That is the quiet advantage of working with one print shop: the fifth order looks exactly like the first.
Five questions to ask any print shop
- Is the price per piece for the garment only, or does it include the print and delivery?
- How many print or embroidery positions does the quote cover?
- Is there a set-up or digitising charge, and is it listed separately?
- Will I see a sample or mock-up before production, and who approves it?
- Are my artwork and placement kept on file for reorders?
A shop that answers these clearly, in writing, will almost always deliver a smoother order than one that cannot.
A typical rollout timeline
These are working guides rather than promises, but most company orders follow a similar shape. In the first week you confirm the brief, send the logo and collect sizes. Next, we send a written quote and a mock-up, and you approve both. A sample is produced and checked. Production follows, then quality checks and delivery. If every approval is quick, the whole process fits into two to three weeks. If sizes are still being collected or the sample needs changes, allow longer. Tell us your deadline at the start, and we will plan back from it.
Next steps
Send your logo, headcount and deadline through the free quote form, call 020 3355 6191, or message us on WhatsApp. For larger rollouts, read bulk printing for businesses and how to plan large t-shirt printing orders.
