Bulk Custom T-Shirt Pricing: Where Your Money Actually Goes
By The Velocity Wear Team
If you've collected a few quotes for bulk custom t-shirts, you've probably seen a spread that doesn't make sense at first. One printer is half the price of another. A few more shirts barely change the total. An extra color adds more than expected. All of that makes sense once you see what's inside a price.
The ingredients of a t-shirt price
- The blank: fabric weight, cotton type, fit and color.
- Setup: screens for screen printing, digitizing for embroidery.
- Print cost: size, number of colors, number of locations.
- Extras: names and numbers, custom labels, individual bagging.
- Freight to you, plus any import duties.
Why quantity drops the price
Setup is a fixed cost. Across 20 shirts it's a big slice of each one; across 500 it's almost nothing. Longer runs are also more efficient on press. Our per-shirt price steps down at 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1,000.
Why extra colors cost more
In screen printing, each color is a separate screen and a separate pass. A five-color design takes much more setup than a one-color design. If budget matters, cut colors first. It rarely hurts the design as much as you'd think. DTF doesn't charge per color, which is why it's popular for full-color artwork on smaller runs.
Why extra locations cost more
Every print location is another setup and another press run. Front and back is normal. Front, back, both sleeves and a neck print adds up. Pick the two locations that matter most.
Where to save and where not to
Save on colors and locations. Don't save on the shirt. A thin, scratchy tee doesn't get worn, which makes it the worst value in the order. Combed ring-spun cotton costs a bit more and gets worn a lot more.
Watch the quantity trap
Sometimes 100 shirts cost only slightly more than 75. That's only a deal if you can use the extra 25. For an event, leftover shirts are waste. For a brand, they're cash sitting in boxes. Check several quantities on the price calculator and pick the one you'll actually use.
Compare quotes fairly
- 1Same shirt weight and cotton type.
- 2Same print size, colors and locations.
- 3Setup included or not.
- 4Shipping included or not.
- 5Same turnaround.
Budget for the whole project
Shirts are one line on the budget. For an event, add a few spares for late sign-ups and damaged pieces, the cost of handing them out, and maybe individual bagging if people pick them up by name. For a brand, add labels, packaging, photography and postage. Planning the full number up front avoids the moment where the shirts are paid for and there's nothing left for the boxes to ship them in.
Shipping and duties
Freight costs vary with order weight and speed. Imported goods may be subject to duties. Ask whether shipping is included and consult a customs broker if you're unsure about duties.
Budget examples
A 50-shirt company event, a 150-shirt church camp and a 500-shirt charity run each land at different per-shirt prices because of quantity breaks. Test your exact number on the calculator.
Our numbers
Tees start from $13 each at 20 pieces with one standard print. Minimum 20 per design with sizes mixed. Production takes 10 to 15 working days from artwork approval. We invoice in US dollars. Browse custom t-shirts to get started.
