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T-Shirt Printing Price Calculator

Price a custom t-shirt order: blank cost, screen-printing setup and ink per colour or a DTF / heat-transfer print, labour and margin — price per shirt, order total and quantity price breaks.

Quantity

Blank shirt cost

Print method

Ink colours in the design (screen printing)

Setup per screen / colour

Ink & consumables per colour per shirt

Print or transfer cost per shirt (DTF / DTG / vinyl)

Labour minutes per shirt

Labour cost per hour

Profit margin

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How it works

screen printing: cost per shirt = blank + colours × ink + colours × setup ÷ quantity + labour · transfer methods: cost per shirt = blank + print cost + labour · labour = minutes ÷ 60 × hourly cost · price = cost ÷ (1 − margin)

Screen printing needs a screen (and setup time) for every ink colour, a fixed cost that is spread over the run — which is why small screen-printed orders are expensive per shirt and big orders get price breaks. Digital methods such as DTF transfers, DTG, heat-transfer vinyl and sublimation have little setup but a higher cost per print, so they suit short runs and full-colour designs. Add the blank garment, the print, handling labour and your margin; the quantity table shows where screen printing becomes cheaper.

Worked example

Fifty shirts screen-printed in 2 colours: blank $4.00 + ink 2 × $0.35 = $0.70 + setup 2 × $20 ÷ 50 = $0.80 + labour 1.5 minutes at $18 an hour = $0.45, a cost of $5.95 per shirt. With a 40% margin the price is $5.95 ÷ 0.60 = $9.92 per shirt and the order total is $495.83.

Sources: U.S. SBA — Calculate your startup costs · Investopedia — Profit margin

Frequently asked questions

How much should I charge for custom t-shirts?

Add the blank, the print cost (ink and setup spread over the order, or the transfer cost) and labour, then divide by (1 − your margin). Many shops aim for 35–50% margin on small orders.

Why does screen printing get cheaper with quantity?

Each colour needs a screen and setup time, a fixed cost. Over 12 shirts a $20 screen adds $1.67 each; over 250 shirts it adds $0.08.

Is DTF or screen printing cheaper?

For short runs and many colours, DTF or DTG is usually cheaper because there is no setup. For larger runs of one- to three-colour designs, screen printing wins once setup is spread out — compare both with the quantity table.

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Planning estimate only. Prices depend on your real costs, local taxes and regulations, and what your market will pay — check them before you quote.