Finding a shop for custom t-shirt printing calgary businesses actually trust isn’t as simple as picking the first name on Google. You need a printer who nails your colours, doesn’t bury you in minimum order requirements, and gets your gear back to you before your event, launch, or team season starts. With dozens of local print shops all claiming fast turnaround and quality work, sorting the real contenders from the rest takes some digging.
This guide does that digging for you. We’ve reviewed nine of the top options for calgary custom t shirt printing, comparing their pricing structures, printing methods (screen printing, DTG, and embroidery), and how easy each one makes the ordering process from quote to delivery.
Below you’ll find a straightforward rundown of each shop’s strengths, so you can match your project, whether it’s a small run of staff shirts or a bulk order for an event, with the right printing partner. And if you’re comparing options beyond Calgary, such as the best custom t-shirt printing shops in Edmonton, Apex Workwear ships custom apparel across Canada with no minimum orders and quick production times worth factoring into your decision.
1. Apex Workwear: Canada-wide custom apparel with no minimums
Apex Workwear isn’t headquartered in Calgary, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a go-to option for teams and businesses across the city who want custom apparel shipped straight to their door. Rather than restricting itself to t-shirts, the company handles hoodies, hats, and embroidery alongside printed marketing materials, so you can order matching gear and business cards printed in Canada from a single supplier. Production runs entirely in Canada, which keeps turnaround times predictable even when you’re ordering from outside their home base, making it a solid pick if you’re weighing calgary custom t shirt printing options against a national provider.
How it works
Ordering starts with a free quote request on the Apex Workwear site, where you upload your logo or artwork and describe the apparel you need. A team member reviews the file and responds within 24 hours, seven days a week, flagging any resolution or colour issues before they become a print problem. Once you approve a digital proof, the shirts go into production, and most orders ship within five to seven business days, with rush options available if your event is closer than that.
Beyond basic screen printing, the shop offers direct-to-garment printing for detailed, full-colour designs and custom embroidery across Canada for a more polished, corporate look. Which method fits your order depends on the artwork’s complexity and your budget, and the design team will suggest whichever produces the sharper result rather than upselling you into embroidery on a simple one-colour logo.
Pricing and minimums
Pricing follows a straightforward per-unit structure that drops as your order size grows, with bulk pricing discounts kicking in for larger runs. There’s no published minimum on most apparel items, meaning no minimum order quantity stands between you and a quote, unlike printers who require 24 or 36 pieces before they’ll even talk numbers.
No minimum order requirements mean small Calgary businesses never have to overbuy just to get a quote.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Quote turnaround | Within 24 hours, 7 days a week |
| Minimum order | None on most apparel items |
| Production time | 5 to 7 business days (rush available) |
| Shipping | Free within the GTA and surrounding areas |
| Printing methods | Screen printing, DTG, embroidery |
Shipping outside the Greater Toronto Area isn’t free, since that perk applies specifically to the GTA and nearby regions, but Calgary orders still ship at standard courier rates and arrive within the same production window. Factor that cost into your comparison against local Calgary shops, though the savings from no-minimum ordering often offset it once you account for what you’re not overbuying.
Who it’s for
Small businesses, contractors, and event coordinators who want one supplier for both custom apparel and print materials, like business cards, banners, and flyers, tend to get the most value here. The no minimum order approach suits anyone testing a new logo or ordering a small batch of staff shirts without committing to a bulk run, and the free design review takes the guesswork out of submitting artwork for the first time.
2. T-Shirt Elephant: no-minimum custom tees shipped to Calgary
T-Shirt Elephant ships across Canada from its production base, and Calgary buyers make up a decent share of its online orders. The company built its reputation on no-minimum ordering, letting you print a single shirt or a few hundred without a sales rep negotiating quantity first. That flexibility appeals to anyone doing custom t shirt printing calgary searches for a one-off gift, a stag party, or a small pilot run before committing to a bigger batch.
How it works
Everything runs through an online design tool where you upload artwork, pick a garment style and colour, and preview the print placement before checkout. You get an instant price rather than waiting on a quote email, which speeds things up if you already know your artwork is print-ready. The catch is there’s no dedicated design review built into that workflow, so files with low resolution or the wrong colour mode can slip through unless you catch the issue yourself before submitting.
Pricing and minimums
Pricing scales with quantity and print complexity, and the site displays per-shirt costs upfront as you build your order. There’s no order minimum, which matches what Apex Workwear offers, but shipping to Calgary comes at standard courier rates since the company isn’t based in Alberta.
Instant online pricing works well if your artwork is already print-ready, but it offers little safety net if it isn’t.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Quote method | Instant online pricing calculator |
| Minimum order | None |
| Design review | Not included by default |
| Shipping to Calgary | Standard courier rates apply |
Who it’s for
This shop suits buyers who already have finished, print-ready artwork and just want a fast, self-serve checkout without back-and-forth emails. It’s a weaker fit if you need someone to catch design errors before printing, since that guidance isn’t part of the standard order flow. Businesses that value calgary t shirt printing custom options with hands-on design support may prefer a shop that reviews files manually, like Apex Workwear’s free quote process, before production starts.
3. Pixel Imaging: Calgary’s local custom printing specialist
Pixel Imaging runs its production out of a Calgary facility, which means anyone searching for custom t shirt printing calgary gets a shop they can actually walk into rather than just a courier drop-off. The company has built its name on screen printing and embroidery for local sports teams, corporate events, and small retail brands, and that local footprint lets staff talk through artwork problems face to face instead of over email threads. If you want to see a physical proof or touch fabric samples before committing to a run, that in-person option puts Pixel ahead of shops that only operate online.
How it works
Customers typically start by dropping off artwork in person or emailing files ahead of a visit, and staff walk through garment selection and print method on the spot. Screen printing handles the bulk of the shop’s volume, since it’s the most cost-effective choice for team orders with one or two ink colours, while embroidery covers polos, jackets, and caps that need a more corporate finish, and comparing screen printing with embroidery helps if you’re unsure which suits your logo. Turnaround depends on order size and current shop load, so it’s worth calling ahead if you’re working against a tight event date rather than assuming a fixed shipping window.
Pricing and minimums
Quotes come from direct conversation rather than an automated calculator, and pricing reflects quantity breaks typical of screen printing, where per-shirt cost drops sharply once you cross into the dozens. Minimum order requirements apply on most screen-printed runs, since setting up screens for a single shirt rarely makes financial sense for the shop or the customer.
Local pickup and in-person proofing suit buyers who’d rather see the shirt than trust a photo.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Calgary-based, walk-in service |
| Minimum order | Applies on most screen-printed runs |
| Printing methods | Screen printing, embroidery |
| Quote method | In-person or by phone/email |
Who it’s for
This shop suits Calgary businesses and teams that want a local relationship with their printer, particularly for recurring orders like seasonal team kits or annual staff uniforms. It’s a weaker match for anyone chasing calgary t shirt printing custom projects under a strict small quantity, since the minimum order requirement rules out one-off single-shirt jobs that a no-minimum supplier would happily fill.
4. Custom Kings: instant custom printing at CF Market Mall
Custom Kings operates a retail kiosk inside CF Market Mall, giving Calgary shoppers a rare chance to walk in, pick a garment off the rack, and walk out wearing a custom-printed shirt within the hour. The shop leans on heat-press and vinyl transfer technology rather than traditional screen printing, which suits novelty tees, bachelorette shirts, and one-off gifts far better than a 50-piece team order. Anyone browsing the mall who suddenly needs a same-day print job tends to end up here, since there’s no other Calgary shop offering same-day t-shirt printing options this close to instant.
How it works
You choose a blank shirt from the in-store stock, then select or upload a design using the kiosk’s touchscreen system, with staff on hand to help with placement and sizing. The heat-press method bonds a vinyl transfer to the fabric under pressure, which prints fast but doesn’t hold up to the same wash-and-wear durability as screen printing or DTG ink, as vinyl transfers compared with screen printing on cost and durability makes clear. That trade-off makes sense for a single event shirt, less so for a uniform you’ll launder weekly for a year.
Pricing and minimums
Pricing runs per shirt with no bulk discount structure to speak of, since the shop isn’t set up for high-volume production runs. There’s effectively no minimum order, given the whole model is built around single or small-quantity purchases made on the spot.
A mall kiosk print job solves a same-day problem, not a season’s worth of team uniforms.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | CF Market Mall, Calgary |
| Print method | Heat-press / vinyl transfer |
| Minimum order | None, single shirts welcome |
| Turnaround | Same day, while you wait |
Who it’s for
Custom Kings fits shoppers who need one or two shirts printed immediately, think birthday gifts, party shirts, or a last-minute costume, rather than businesses planning calgary custom t shirt printing for staff or events. If you’re outfitting a whole team or ordering apparel that needs to survive regular washing, a supplier using DTG or screen printing, such as Apex Workwear’s custom apparel service, will hold up far longer than a same-day vinyl transfer.
5. Great West Graphics: screen printing shipped to Calgary
Great West Graphics prints out of a production facility outside Calgary and ships finished apparel to businesses across Alberta, positioning itself as a screen printing specialist rather than a general print shop. The company focuses heavily on bulk team and corporate orders, which means its whole process is built around getting quantity discounts right rather than handling one-off novelty tees. Anyone comparing calgary custom t shirt printing shops for a large staff rollout should have this one on the shortlist, even though you won’t get a storefront to walk into.
How it works
Ordering starts with an emailed quote request where you specify garment style, colours, and print locations, and a rep responds with pricing based on your total quantity. Screen printing dominates the shop’s workflow, since the screen printing process on t-shirts produces the sharpest results at scale and keeps per-unit costs low once you’re ordering dozens of identical shirts. Embroidery is available for polos and outerwear, but it’s treated as a secondary service rather than a core offering, so expect longer lead times if that’s your main ask.
Pricing and minimums
Pricing drops in clear steps as order size increases, which is standard for screen printing given the setup cost per colour and design. Minimum order requirements apply here, typically in the range most bulk screen printed apparel suppliers enforce, so small test orders or single shirts aren’t really the shop’s focus.
Screen printing rewards volume, and shops built around it will always push you toward bigger quantities.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Primary method | Screen printing |
| Secondary method | Embroidery |
| Minimum order | Applies, geared toward bulk runs |
| Quote method | Email-based |
Who it’s for
This shop suits businesses ordering calgary t shirt printing custom batches of 50 pieces or more, like corporate uniforms, sports leagues, or conference giveaways, where the per-shirt savings from bulk screen printing actually matter. It’s a poor match if you need a handful of shirts without hitting a minimum, in which case a no-minimum supplier like Apex Workwear’s custom apparel service or a local walk-in shop will serve you faster and without the quantity pressure.
6. Coyote T-Shirts & More: DTG and embroidery in Calgary
Coyote T-Shirts & More runs a Calgary shop built around direct-to-garment printing, a method worth understanding before you order DTG, which suits customers whose designs use full colour, gradients, or photo-realistic detail that screen printing simply can’t reproduce cleanly. Alongside DTG work, the shop offers embroidery for polos, jackets, and caps, giving it two solid options depending on whether your project needs a soft, printed finish or a more durable stitched logo. Businesses researching custom t shirt printing calgary for small, detailed runs tend to land here once they realise screen printing charges extra for every colour in their design.
How it works
Customers submit artwork through email or an in-person consultation, and staff advise on which method, DTG or embroidery, will hold up best on the chosen garment. DTG printing works directly onto the fabric with specialised inkjet technology, so there’s no per-colour setup fee the way there is with screen printing, which keeps costs predictable even on complex artwork. Embroidery orders go through a digitising step first, converting your logo into stitch data, which adds a small lead time compared to a straight print job.
Pricing and minimums
Pricing for DTG scales mainly with garment size and print area rather than colour count, so a five-colour design costs the same to print as a single-colour one. Embroidery pricing depends on stitch count and logo complexity instead, and the shop applies minimum order requirements on embroidery runs since digitising a design for one shirt rarely pencils out financially.
DTG printing removes the colour-count penalty that makes complex designs expensive elsewhere.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Primary method | Direct-to-garment (DTG) |
| Secondary method | Embroidery |
| DTG minimum | Low, suited to small runs |
| Embroidery minimum | Applies due to digitising cost |
Who it’s for
Designers, artists, and small businesses with detailed or multi-colour logos get the most value here, since DTG handles that complexity without the price jump screen printing would charge, something how DTG and screen printing compare on cost spells out in detail. Startups testing a new brand mark before committing to a bulk screen-printed order also fit well, given the lower barrier to a small DTG batch. If your logo is simple and single-colour, though, a screen printing specialist or a no-minimum supplier such as Apex Workwear’s custom apparel service will likely beat Coyote on cost per shirt.
7. Klothing.ca: Calgary print shop shipping across Canada
Klothing.ca operates out of Calgary but ships finished apparel to buyers across the country, blending a local production base with a national reach that competes directly with online-only printers. The shop covers screen printing, DTG, and embroidery under one roof, so you’re not stuck picking a supplier based on which single method they happen to specialise in. Businesses running calgary custom t shirt printing searches while also needing gear shipped to a satellite office in another province tend to find this flexibility useful.
How it works
Orders start with an online quote form where you specify garment type, print method, and quantity, and a team member follows up with pricing and a proof. Because the shop keeps all three printing methods in-house, staff can recommend embroidery for a corporate polo run and DTG for a small batch of full-colour event tees within the same conversation, rather than referring you elsewhere. Turnaround varies by method and order size, and the shop doesn’t publish a fixed production window the way some no-minimum suppliers do, so confirming a date before you pay matters if you’re working against an event deadline.
Pricing and minimums
Pricing follows standard bulk pricing tiers for screen printing and embroidery, meaning cost per shirt drops as quantity climbs, while DTG orders price more by print size than colour count. Minimum order requirements apply on screen-printed and embroidered runs, consistent with the setup costs those methods carry, though DTG offers more room for smaller quantities.
Carrying three printing methods in-house means one shop can match the right technique to your order instead of forcing every job through the same process.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Calgary-based, ships nationally |
| Printing methods | Screen printing, DTG, embroidery |
| Minimum order | Applies on screen printing and embroidery |
| Quote method | Online form, follow-up by team |
Who it’s for
Klothing.ca suits Calgary businesses that want a single local supplier capable of handling mixed orders, say, shirts embroidered with your logo for management and DTG-printed tees for staff, without splitting the job between two shops. It’s less appealing if you need a guaranteed fast turnaround, since production timing isn’t as clearly published as it is with suppliers such as Apex Workwear’s custom apparel service, where the five-to-seven-day window is stated upfront.
8. Budget Promotion: affordable custom apparel for Calgary
Budget Promotion built its Calgary business around volume orders for schools, non-profits, and companies watching every dollar on a marketing budget. The shop keeps overhead low and passes those savings on through discounted bulk pricing rather than competing on turnaround speed or design support. Anyone searching for custom t shirt printing calgary purely on price, without needing a flashy proofing process, tends to end up comparing quotes here first.
How it works
You submit a quote request by email or phone with your garment style, quantities, and artwork attached, and a rep replies with pricing once they’ve confirmed print feasibility. Screen printing handles most orders, since it keeps per-unit costs down on larger runs, and staff will flag if your file needs cleanup before it goes to press. The shop doesn’t advertise a polished online design tool or instant checkout, so expect a slower back-and-forth than you’d get from a self-serve site, though that trade-off usually comes with a lower final price.
Pricing and minimums
Pricing tiers reward quantity heavily, and the gap between ordering twelve shirts versus fifty can be significant given how bulk apparel orders work in Canada and how screen printing setup costs get spread across a run. Minimum order requirements apply on most jobs, generally sitting higher than what no-minimum suppliers accept, since the shop’s whole pricing model depends on volume to keep costs low.
Budget printers save you money on quantity, but they rarely bend on minimums to get there.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Primary method | Screen printing |
| Minimum order | Applies, higher than no-minimum shops |
| Quote method | Email or phone |
| Design support | Limited, basic file checks only |
Who it’s for
Budget Promotion suits schools, sports leagues, and non-profits ordering large batches where cost per shirt matters more than a fast quote turnaround or a slick online experience. It’s a poor fit for anyone running calgary custom t shirt printing searches for a small team or a single event shirt, since the minimum order will price out small runs entirely. A supplier without that barrier, such as Apex Workwear’s custom apparel service, makes more sense once your quantity drops below what bulk pricing here actually rewards.
9. Staples Print & Marketing: retail custom tees in Calgary
Staples Print & Marketing runs custom apparel printing out of several Staples retail locations across Calgary, giving shoppers a familiar big-box option alongside the usual office supplies and copy services. The department leans on direct-to-garment printing for most orders, which suits customers who want a handful of shirts without wading through a specialist print shop’s quote process. Anyone already running errands at Staples for business cards, Staples Canada label printing, or signage tends to add a custom t-shirt order to the same trip rather than seeking out a dedicated printer.
How it works
Ordering happens either in-store, where staff walk you through garment options on a countertop terminal, or online through the Staples website, where you upload artwork and preview placement before checkout. The DTG process works well for photo-quality or multi-colour designs since there’s no per-colour setup fee, though staff at busier locations may take longer to process files during peak retail hours. Digital proofs come standard before printing starts, giving you a chance to catch sizing or colour issues on screen rather than after the shirts arrive.
Pricing and minimums
Pricing runs per shirt with modest quantity breaks, but nothing close to the steep bulk discounts a screen-printing specialist offers on runs of fifty or more. There’s effectively no minimum order, since the retail model is built to serve walk-in customers buying one or two shirts just as readily as a small team order.
Retail convenience comes with retail pricing, so Staples rewards small orders more than big ones.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Locations | Multiple Staples stores across Calgary |
| Print method | Direct-to-garment (DTG) |
| Minimum order | None |
| Ordering | In-store or online |
Who it’s for
Students, individuals, and small teams needing a few shirts fast, without pre-planning a bulk order, get solid value from Staples’ walk-in convenience. Larger businesses ordering custom t shirt printing calgary teams of 30 or more will usually find better per-unit pricing elsewhere, since Staples isn’t optimised for volume the way a screen-printing shop or a no-minimum national supplier such as Apex Workwear’s custom apparel service can be.
Choosing the right printer for your project
Nine shops, nine different strengths, and no single winner for every job. Walk-in kiosks like Custom Kings solve same-day gifts, screen-printing specialists like Great West Graphics reward bulk orders, and DTG shops like Coyote handle detailed logos without the colour-count penalty. The right pick depends on your quantity, timeline, and budget, not just who ranks first for custom t shirt printing calgary searches.
If you’re still weighing options, start with the questions that actually narrow the field: How many pieces do you need? Does your artwork demand embroidery, DTG, or screen printing? Can you wait five to seven days, or do you need shirts tomorrow? Answer those honestly and most of this list sorts itself.
For small businesses that want no minimum order requirements, honest pricing, and one supplier for apparel and print materials alike, get a free printing quote from Apex Workwear and see your options within 24 hours.
