Custom T-shirt Printing Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Printing Technique (Screen Printing, Digital Printing, Plot Printing), By Design, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028

Report Overview

The global custom t-shirt printing market size was valued at USD 3.64 billion in 2020. It is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7% from 2021 to 2028. Custom designed t-shirts are increasingly being used by companies as a modern branding strategy to brand their company, products, or offerings. This technique is used by companies, especially start-ups, to increase their brand visibility and grab the attention of their prospective customers. Therefore, the growing use of customized t-shirts as a branding tool is expected to be a major contributor to market growth over the forecast period. The fashion industry is witnessing a shift toward wearing customized clothing. Also, the increasing disposable income of consumers is enabling them to spend on customized clothes. As a result, people prefer wearing customized t-shirts with specific logos or slogans printed on them.

The entertainment industry is contributing to the market growth with a large number of people, especially movie fanatics, buying apparel with slogans or logos printed on them. For instance, television series such as Game of Thrones and Big Bang Theory have a huge fan base. The fans willingly spend a good amount on buying t-shirts or other apparel with their favorite dialogues or slogan printed on t-shirts. This trend is expected to majorly contribute to the custom t-shirt printing industry growth over the coming years.

There is an increase in the use of custom printed t-shirts to create social awareness, raise a voice, and support a cause. However, specific designs and slogans printed on the t-shirts related to sensitive issues, such as diseases, gender, crime, and politics, are subject to criticism and legal actions. Further, customers from various industries, including hospitality, logistics, construction, industrial, and medical, are increasingly providing custom printed t-shirts to their employees and customers which is used as a marketing technique.

Companies all over the globe are using custom made t-shirts as an off-the-clock advertising tool. This advertising strategy has been observed to involve less investment as compared to other forms of advertising such as hoardings or T.V. Therefore, companies are providing customized t-shirts to increase their brand identity as well as customer loyalty. Additionally, providing t-shirts with good quality material increases its shelf life, thereby helping the companies to gain visibility for a longer period, which in turn is anticipated to boost the market growth over the forecast period.

Sports teams and clubs of almost all sports have started to design and wear custom-designed t-shirts and jerseys with their unique logo and design. The trend is nowadays being followed by every sporting club to increase the visibility of their team and to provide a unique appearance to their team players. Sporting activities across countries such as China, India, and Germany are witnessing considerable growth with increasing investments by governments of these nations on sports-related activities. As a result, the demand for customized t-shirts is expected to increase in the years to come.

In the wake of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a significant disturbance in most industries across the globe. While few industries experienced a contraction in their productions and businesses, others faced severe outcomes such as the shutdown of businesses and movement restrictions. For instance, the travel, entertainment, hospitality industries had the most retrenchments, and on the other hand, healthcare, technology e-commerce businesses had an upsurge in demand. However, during the pandemic, the fashion industry experienced both the surge and decline all at once. While various outlets and large brand stores experienced a decline in customer footfalls and clothing demand, it has been observed that there was an increase in the demand for custom t-shirts from the e-commerce industry. Besides, the custom t-shirt printing business also witnessed several new entrants in the market during the pandemic.            

Printing Technique Insights

The screen-printing segment held the highest revenue share of more than 50% in the custom t-shirt printing market in 2020. The segment's high share can be attributed to its increased adoption on account of various benefits, including high print quality and high color vibrancy as thicker ink is applied to the product, particularly dark-colored apparel. It can also print on several synthetic fabrics such as viscose, polyester, silk, and others. As a result, it is mostly the preferred technique among service providers.

The digital printing segment is expected to emerge as the fastest-growing segment, registering a CAGR of 10.7% from 2021 to 2028. The popularity of digital printing is on the rise among custom t-shirt printing service providers, considering it involves the use of a computer for processing and printing the artwork directly printed on the product’s surface, making it less time consuming and affordable with a quick turnaround time. The technique is used where a high amount of detailing is required in the product's printed design. For instance, if a photographic print has to be applied in a light-colored t-shirt, the digital printing technique would be the best option as the photographic print will require a fair amount of detail.

Design Insights

The graphic design shirts segment held the largest market share of more than 56% in 2020. The high share is attributable to the rising demand for custom t-shirts with pre-printed graphics. Graphic design t-shirts involve the printing of an existing design that does not require any further modifications. Such pre-printed graphic design t-shirts are preferred by customers who want the product immediately at a lesser price.

The artwork segment is expected to emerge as the fastest-growing segment, registering a CAGR of 10.3% from 2021 to 2028. The growing preference of customers towards using t-shirts or other apparel to support a cause or deliver a message is expected to contribute to the high growth of this segment. The artwork segment involves custom artwork created by an individual to be printed on the t-shirt. Consumers who wish to print their designs or have a clear picture of the desired print are the potential customers of artwork designed for t-shirts.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific dominated the market and accounted for over 36% of the global revenue share in 2020 and is anticipated to continue its dominance over the forecast period. The regional growth is primarily attributable to the growing popularity of fashionable apparel among the young population. The growth is also driven by the high proliferation of the e-commerce industry in the region. Countries such as China and India are witnessing a rapid growth of e-commerce activities. Moreover, with the presence of a huge young population and the positive outlook for the apparel industry, several startups offering personalized printed t-shirts and other customized accessories have emerged in India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries. This region is also well known for encouraging various sports events, which is further expected to propel the demand for customized t-shirts in the region.

Europe holds the second-largest share in the market in 2020, owing to increasing investments and developments in printing technologies in countries such as the U.K., France, and Germany. The growth is also attributed to the presence of prominent market players such as Vistaprint., Spreadshirt, and CafePress Inc. On the other hand, North America is expected to witness significant growth in the forthcoming years. The popularity of outdoor sports in North America is expected to increase the demand for custom t-shirts in the region.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Prominent players in the market are Vistaprint B.V.; Threadbird LLC; Printful Inc.; CafePress, Inc.; and Blue Gecko (UK) Ltd. These market participants are focusing on several strategies to gain a higher market share. Mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, and other contractual agreements are being announced by these market players to emerge as the top custom printing companies. Moreover, these players are investing in research and development activities to bring new products to the market. Additionally, the companies are trying to expand their business operations to serve more customers with shorter delivery times. For instance, in October 2019, Printful Inc. announced the opening of its second fulfillment center in Europe to serve European customers in a better way and to meet the demand for faster shipping. Some prominent players operating in the global custom t-shirt printing market include:

• CafePress Inc.

• CustomInk, LLC.

• CustomThread

• Printful Inc.

• RushOrderTees.com

• Spreadshirt

• THEBLUEGECKOPRINTING

• THREADBIRD

• UberPrints, Inc.

• Vistaprint

Custom T-shirt Printing Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2028. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global custom t-shirt printing market report based on printing technique, design, and region:

• Printing Technique Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

  • Screen Printing

  • Digital Printing

  • Plot Printing

• Design Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

  • Graphic Designed Shirt

  • Artwork

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • U.K.

    • Germany

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

  • Middle East & Africa