How much do custom t-shirts cost?

What drives custom t-shirt cost?

T-shirt quotes vary more than most buyers expect, but the variation always comes from the same four inputs.

• Blank quality. A 185 GSM tee and a 250 GSM ring-spun heavyweight sit a clear step apart in cost before any ink touches them. The blank sets the floor for how the finished shirt feels.
• Decoration method. Screen printing scales best with quantity, DTG suits small runs and complex art, and embroidery reads premium on chest logos. Each prices differently for the same design.
• Ink colors and locations. Screen print pricing scales with color count, and every extra location (back, sleeve) adds a setup and another pass through production. DTG is flat regardless of colors.
• Order quantity. Setup costs spread across the run, so 100 shirts price meaningfully better per piece than 15. Our minimum is just 3 pieces per style and color.

How much does a custom t-shirt cost per piece?

Two shirt orders are almost never the same, so exact numbers land on your written quote. Our guide to how pricing works covers every factor. As a rough map, most tee orders fall into one of three tiers:

• Everyday tier: a standard midweight tee with a one-color front print at around 50 pieces. The most accessible option per piece.
• Mid tier: a ring-spun blank with two print locations or a multi-color design. A clear step up in feel.
• Top tier: a heavyweight tee (230-250 GSM) with DTG, embroidery, or multiple locations, especially at smaller quantities. The retail-quality end.

Where you land depends on the blank, art, locations, and quantity, which is why everything gets confirmed on a written quote before anything goes into production.

What does a tee package include?

Every order is priced in writing, so the useful thing to compare up front is what a package actually contains. The relevant one for tees:

Every starter package is listed on the pricing guide. If this configuration is close to what you need, start from this package and we confirm exact numbers in writing.

How does print method change t-shirt cost?

The same design can quote very differently depending on how it's produced. Screen printing carries a setup charge per ink color, so a one-color logo across 100 shirts is about the cheapest thing in custom apparel, while a six-color design at 15 pieces is not. DTG skips setup entirely and prints any number of colors at once, which makes it the default for small runs and photographic art. If you're weighing the two, our screen printing vs DTG guide walks through the tradeoffs in detail.

How do you get more shirt for the same budget?

The wrong way to save on tees is dropping to a paper-thin blank that loses its shape after two washes. The right way is trimming production complexity:

• Consolidate ink colors. A one- or two-color design prints cheaper than four colors and usually looks more deliberate.
• Cut print locations. One strong front graphic beats front + back + sleeve for most brands, and it removes whole setup charges.
• Order together. Combining a club's or team's orders into one run spreads setup across more pieces and moves you into a better quantity break.
• Put the savings into the blank. Moving from a budget tee to a mid-tier ring-spun blank often costs less than adding a second print location, and people feel the difference every time they wear it.

When are premium tees worth it?

For a one-day event or a giveaway, a solid midweight blank does the job. But if the shirt represents your brand, a launch tee, retail merch, anything people choose to keep wearing, the heavier ring-spun blank earns its cost. It drapes better, holds its collar, and makes the same print look more expensive. Browse our blank styles to compare weights and fits, or read choosing blank apparel for how GSM and construction translate to feel. For a sense of what a real run looks like at scale, Whitney High School's Class of 2027 ordered 140 washed charcoal tees with a left-chest logo and a full back print.

How do you get an exact t-shirt price?

The fastest way to get an exact price is to send your quantity, blank preference, design, and deadline. We come back with written pricing and a production plan, standard decorated runs take 3-4 weeks, with simple rush runs possible in 5-7 business days when blanks are in stock and art is print-ready. See custom t-shirts for what we produce, or go straight to a quote.