How much do custom shirts cost?

The five things that set the price

Almost every custom-apparel quote comes down to the same levers:

• How many pieces. The single biggest factor. Setup is a fixed cost spread across the run, so per-piece pricing drops as the quantity climbs.
• Print method. Screen printing, embroidery, and DTF each price differently - see below.
• Ink colors / design size. Screen printing charges by the number of ink colors (each color is its own screen). Embroidery prices by stitch count, so bigger or denser designs cost more. DTF is roughly flat no matter how many colors.
• The garment. A basic Gildan tee and a heavyweight garment-dyed Comfort Colors piece start at very different blank costs. You pick from thousands of real blanks, so you control this directly.
• Placements & extras. A front print costs less than front + back + sleeve. Specialty inks (puff, metallic, glow) and oversized prints add a bit.

Screen print vs embroidery vs DTF - how cost differs

Screen printing is usually the cheapest per piece once you’re past the setup, especially on bigger runs and simpler color counts - the classic choice for bulk tees and hoodies. Embroidery prices by stitch count and carries a one-time digitizing fee for a new logo; it’s the premium look for hats, polos, and jackets. DTF has no per-color setup, so it’s the most economical for small batches, full-color art, and one-offs. Our print-methods guide breaks down when to use each.

No setup or screen fees — and the two fees that can apply

A lot of shops quote a low per-shirt number, then add screen fees and setup charges before you pay. We don’t — there are no setup or screen fees here. Setup, screens and ink are already in the per-piece price you see in the design tool, and that number doesn’t move at checkout.

Being straight with you about the exceptions, because we’d rather you read them here than meet them later. There are exactly two one-time fees, and both are shown in the design tool before you pay — neither is ever added at checkout:

• $50 art separation — only on screen-print jobs sent as a PNG or JPG, because those have to be hand-separated into individual screens. Send true vector art (.ai, .eps, or a vector .pdf) and we drop it. Printing full-color via DTF instead? No separation fee either.
• $50 embroidery digitizing — one-time, to convert your logo into a stitch file. Free if you already have an .emb/.dst, and free on any reorder of the same design.

One handling charge to know about too: a DTF item whose transfers come to under $149 carries $15 DTF handling, which covers our transfer supplier’s shipping on small orders. Like the fees above, it shows in the design tool before you pay.

The order minimum (and the exception)

Screen printing starts at 25 pieces and embroidery at 12 - below that, the setup cost per shirt gets steep for everyone. If you need fewer, DTF has no per-color setup and can print as few as one, so it’s the small-batch answer.

How to get your exact price

Instead of guessing from a generic chart, build the real thing: pick a blank, drop your art on it, choose your method and placements, and the all-in per-piece price updates live as you go - no quote request, no waiting. That price is our wholesale price, and it is the same one everybody gets - there is no retail rate and no account needed to reach it.