How Much Do Custom T-Shirts Cost? A Pricing Breakdown

Custom t-shirt pricing isn't one number — it moves based on the blank shirt quality, the number of print colors, print location, and order quantity. Here's a realistic breakdown of what to expect.

What Drives the Price

• Blank shirt quality. A basic cotton tee costs less than a tri-blend or moisture-wicking performance shirt. This is often the single biggest factor in the final price.
• Number of print colors. Each additional ink color in a screen-printed design typically adds a per-color setup fee and a small per-unit cost increase.
• Print locations. A front-only print costs less than a front-and-back design.
• Quantity. Setup fees get spread across more units at higher quantities, meaningfully lowering the per-shirt price.

Typical Price Ranges

These figures assume screen printing, the most economical decoration method for t-shirts at volume. Full-color digital printing costs more but removes color-count limitations entirely, which matters for detailed or photo-based designs.

Setup Fees

Screen printing involves a one-time setup fee per color in your design — this covers creating the screen used to apply that color of ink. This fee is usually charged once and doesn't repeat on reorders using the same design, which is one more reason ordering in fewer, larger batches is often more economical than several small reorders.

How to Lower the Cost Without Sacrificing Quality

Simplify your design to one or two colors if possible, print on one location instead of two, and order in a single larger batch rather than multiple smaller ones. If budget is the primary constraint, a basic cotton blank with a clean one-color logo will look professional and cost meaningfully less than a premium blend with a complex multi-color design.

When Embroidery Makes More Sense

If you're ordering polos or need a more premium, long-lasting result, embroidery is usually the better call — see our full comparison of screen printing vs. embroidery for the details on when each method fits best.