Optimal template component printing includes reading from a pool, a set of printable pieces, each corresponding to a pattern for a respective garment, and each having known dimensions. A starting point is located on a section of a fabric substrate onto which the pieces are to be printed. Different piece combinations are then computed for different subsets of the pieces in the set for which a sum of the known dimensions of the pieces of the subset is less than or equal to a constraining dimension of the fabric substrate as measured from the starting point. A combination is selected which minimizes a difference between the constraining dimension and the sum and a printer is directed to print the pieces of the selected combination onto the fabric substrate. Finally, the pieces of the selected combination are removed from the pool and the process repeats for remaining pieces in the pool.