T-Shirt Pricing Calculator
- Materials
- Your time
- Overhead
- Profit
You're paid for your time at your hourly rate even before the markup; the markup is profit for the business.
How the t-shirt pricing calculation works
Add the materials per shirt
In the example, a $4.50 blank and $2 of ink or transfer is $6.50 per shirt. Use the current price from your own blank supplier.
Spread your time over the order
3 minutes per shirt plus 60 minutes of setup over 24 shirts is 5.5 minutes each, $2.29 at $25 an hour.
Add overhead
$15 of order overhead over 24 shirts is $0.63, for a cost of $9.42 per shirt.
Add markup
A 50% markup gives $14.13 per shirt, $339 for the order. Small orders cost more per shirt because the setup is shared by fewer.
Worked example. A 24-shirt order with $4.50 blanks, $2 of print materials, 3 minutes per shirt and an hour of setup at $25 an hour, plus $15 of overhead, costs $9.42 per shirt. With a 50% markup, charge $14.13 a shirt, $339 for the order.
T-Shirt Pricing FAQ
How much should I charge for custom t-shirts?
Add the blank and print materials, your time per shirt plus setup spread over the order, overhead, then markup. Price per shirt falls as the order grows because setup is shared.
Why do small orders cost more per shirt?
Setup takes about the same time for 1 shirt as for 100. Try a quantity of 6 instead of 24 to see the per-shirt price rise.
How do I price screen printing versus heat transfer?
Screen printing has long setup and fast prints; heat transfer or vinyl has little setup but more minutes per shirt. Enter your own setup and minutes for each method.
Should I charge more for extra print locations?
Yes: add the extra materials and minutes per shirt for each extra location or color.
How do I set quantity price breaks?
Run the calculator at 12, 24, 48 and 100 shirts and use the per-shirt prices as your tiers. With the example inputs that gives $16.63, $14.13, $12.88 and $12.23 a shirt.
How much does it cost to make a t-shirt?
Add the blank, the print materials and your time. With the example inputs ($4.50 blank, $2 of print materials, 3 minutes at $25 an hour), one shirt with no setup or overhead costs $7.75. In a 24-shirt order with an hour of setup and $15 of overhead it costs $9.42 a shirt. Blank prices vary by brand, fabric weight and supplier, so enter your own.
Does this work for DTF, sublimation or print on demand?
For DTF or sublimation, put the transfer, paper and ink in print materials and your press time in minutes per shirt. For print on demand, the platform's base price covers the blank, printing and labor, so enter it as the blank cost and set print materials, minutes, setup and overhead to zero. Check that platform's current price list for the product you sell.