Apparel
Real Thread
Soft-feel, water-based screen printing for church staff, volunteer and event tees, plus embroidery and fulfillment. 20-piece minimum.
- Price
- Priced by shirt style, ink colors and print spots; 20-piece minimum
- Works on
- Web, Service
- Learning curve
- Easy
The short answer: is Real Thread right for your church?
Real Thread is a custom apparel printer known for soft, water-based screen printing on retail-style shirts, with embroidery and fulfillment too. It's best for churches that want merch people choose to wear on Saturday. The catch: there's a 20-piece minimum per design, and standard turnaround is 10 business days plus shipping.
Who Real Thread is for
Great for
- Churches that want merch people wear outside of Sunday
- Volunteer teams ordering 20 or more matching shirts
- Churches selling merch online that want printing, storage and shipping handled
Skip it if
- Small groups that need fewer than 20 shirts. Look for a printer with no minimum.
- Last-minute orders. Standard turnaround is 10 business days, so plan ahead or pay for rush.
How churches use Real Thread
Church merch people wear
Print your church name on a garment-dyed or boxy tee so members wear it to the gym and the grocery store, not just to church.
Serve day shirts
Order bright shirts for a community serve day so neighbors can tell who's with your church.
Hats for the youth room
Add embroidered or patch hats for students and leaders as a second item alongside the tee.
Getting started with Real Thread
- 1
Ask your account manager for a blank garment sample to feel the fabric.
- 2
Pick a shirt style and keep ink colors to a few to control cost.
- 3
Order at least three weeks before your event to cover turnaround and shipping.
Pros and watch-outs
What we like
- Water-based screen printing for a soft feel
- Free standard shipping across the continental US
- Mix sizes freely with no per-size minimum
- Fulfillment can store and ship orders for an online store
Watch out for
- 20-piece minimum per design
- Standard turnaround is 10 business days plus shipping
- No published church or nonprofit discount
Need the design before you print it?
Real Thread can print it. Someone still has to design something people want to wear or read. Church Media Squad designs print and merch for churches, so you have something worth sending to the printer.
See Squad graphic design ↗Church Media Squad also runs Pro Church Media.
Real Thread FAQ
What is Real Thread's minimum order?
The minimum is 20 units per design. There's no per-size minimum, so you can mix sizes freely within the order.
How long does Real Thread take?
Standard turnaround is 10 business days after your order is approved, plus shipping. You can pick an earlier delivery date at checkout for a rush fee.
Can Real Thread run our church's online merch store?
It offers fulfillment that stores your printed inventory and ships online orders, with integrations for Shopify, Squarespace, Wix and others. It's not print-on-demand, so you still order in bulk first.
How is Real Thread priced?
Your price depends on the shirt style plus how many ink colors and print locations your design needs. Fewer colors and one print spot keep it lower.
