How to Choose a Custom T-Shirt Printer in Hanoi: 8 Criteria
Hanoi has hundreds of places that print custom T-shirts, from large workshops and uniform companies to individuals selling through a social media page. Instead of asking “who is cheapest”, compare them on the 8 checkable criteria below. Each one takes a few minutes to verify, before you pay anything.
This guide is written by Startee, a T-shirt printing workshop in Hanoi. The criteria work for comparing anyone; each section ends with how Startee meets it, so you can check for yourself.
1. A registered company that issues VAT invoices
If the shirts are paid from a company budget, a school or association fund, or you need paperwork to be reimbursed, you need a supplier that can issue a VAT invoice in your organization’s name and tax ID. Individual traders often can’t, or quote before tax and add it once you ask for an invoice.
- Ask for the registered company name and tax code, and look it up on the tax authority’s portal. The name should match the quote.
- Ask whether the price includes VAT and at what rate (see cheap shirt printing quotes: a quote before VAT looks cheaper even when it isn’t).
Startee: STARTEEX Co., Ltd. (CÔNG TY TNHH STARTEEX), tax code 0111168054. Listed prices include 8% VAT, with electronic VAT invoices on request.
2. A mockup before you order
“Print it like this picture” causes more disputes than anything else. A trustworthy printer shows you the shirt with your design placed on it (a mockup), with the shirt color and the print position and size, before production. That image is what you check the delivery against.
Startee: place your design and preview it for free on Startee Mockup, with the price shown instantly.
3. Public prices by quantity
A published price list that states the fabric and print size lets you compare fairly instead of getting a different quote depending on who asks. If a printer only quotes by message, ask them to state the fabric, weight, print size, number of print positions, VAT and shipping.
Startee: a published price list by quantity tier, covering the shirt plus a one-side print up to 35×40cm and one 10×10cm logo.
4. Printing from a single piece
Gifts, couple shirts, a handful of team shirts or a sample before a big order all need a printer with no minimum order. Screen printing usually needs volume because each color needs a screen; digital printing (DTG, DTF) is what makes single pieces affordable.
Startee: prints from 1 piece for T-shirts, polos, hoodies, sweaters and tote bags.
5. The right printing technique for the fabric
There is no single “best” printing method, only the one that suits the fabric and design: DTG for full-color or photographic designs on cotton, DTF for many fabrics including dark ones, screen printing for large runs with few colors, embroidery for uniform logos. A printer with only one machine will recommend that machine. See printing methods compared.
Startee: DTF is printed in-house at the Startee workshop in Hanoi; DTG is printed on a Brother GTX with OEKO-TEX certified Innobella ink at a partner workshop in Startee’s network; screen printing, sublimation, vinyl and embroidery are done by partner workshops, coordinated and checked by Startee.
6. Lead time and delivery stated in days
“Done in a few days” for any quantity in any season is a reason to ask more questions. Ask for a specific number of working days, the delivery method and cost, and who is responsible if it’s late. For an event, plan to receive the shirts a few days before you need them.
Startee: usually 3–5 working days for printed stock blanks; delivery anywhere in Vietnam, free for online orders of 2 pieces or more, 30,000 VND for a single piece.
7. A real workshop address and stable contacts
A street address you could visit or collect from, and a phone number and Zalo that match the website, are much harder to fake than a polished page. Payment should be clear too: the receiving account name should match the company. See also ordering shirts online safely.
Startee: workshop at No. 1, Lane 96 Tan Xuan, Dong Ngac, Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi, open Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00. Payment by bank transfer or VietQR (no card payment, no cash on delivery).
8. Genuine reviews, including the less positive ones
Praise screenshots on a social page are chosen by the seller. Google Maps reviews are harder to curate: read the 1–3 star ones to see how problems were handled, and look for reviews that name the product and the time.
Startee: 4.6/5 from 101 reviews on Google Maps (Oct 2026).
Quick checklist
| Criterion | What to ask / where to check | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| Company, invoice | Company name, tax code you can look up; is VAT included | No tax code, tax added when you ask for an invoice |
| Mockup | The shirt with your design placed, before production | Only a promise to “print it like the picture” |
| Price | A price list stating fabric, print size, VAT, shipping | Prices only by message, different each time |
| Minimum order | Can they print single pieces, from how many | Pushing volume for a multi-color design |
| Technique | Why that method for this fabric | One method for every fabric |
| Lead time | Working days, delivery method and cost | “A few days” for every order |
| Address, payment | A street address; account name matches the company | Only a social page; a personal account under another name |
| Reviews | Google Maps, including low ratings | Only praise screenshots on a social page |