T-Shirt Pricing Calculator
Price custom t-shirts from blank, print method, labor and setup, with wholesale and retail prices for any run size.
Your numbers
Your result · updates as you type
Cost per shirt
$7.95
48 shirts with 2 ink colors ($50 setup spread across the run). Wholesale at $12.23, retail at $18.93.
- Wholesale price
- $12.23
- Retail price
- $18.93
- Run total at wholesale
- $587
Keystone check: twice your wholesale price is $24.46. If your retail price sits well below that, shops that stock your shirts can undercut you online.
Breakdown
- Blank shirt
- $4.50
- Ink
- $0.60
- Labor
- $1.00
- Packaging
- $0.60
- Allowance for 3% misprints
- $0.21
- Setup ($50 ÷ 48 shirts)
- $1.04
- Cost per shirt
- $7.95
- Wholesale (35% margin)
- $12.23 · profit $4.28
- Retail (55% margin after 3% fees)
- $18.93 · profit $10.41
How the cost per shirt is worked out
Every shirt carries the blank, the print, your labor and packaging. Screen printing adds a setup cost for each ink color, spread across the run, which is why small screen-print runs cost so much more per shirt.
Example: 48 shirts, screen printed in 2 colors
- Blank + ink + labor + packaging
- $4.50 + $0.60 + $1.00 + $0.60 = $6.70
- Allowing for 3% misprints
- 6.70 ÷ 0.97 = $6.91
- Setup ($25 × 2 colors ÷ 48)
- $1.04
Cost is $7.95 a shirt. At a 35% margin, wholesale is 7.95 ÷ 0.65 = $12.23. At a 55% margin after 3% fees, retail is 7.95 ÷ 0.42 = $18.93.
Choosing a print method for the run
| Method | Cost shape | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Screen print | Setup per color, cheap per shirt | Larger runs with few colors |
| DTG | No setup, higher cost per shirt | One-offs and full-color designs |
| DTF | No screens, film and powder per print | Small runs on mixed fabrics |
| Vinyl (HTV) | No setup, slow to weed | Names, numbers and simple shapes |
The bars show cost per shirt by run size, so you can set a sensible minimum order for screen printing.
Selling the shirts online
- Size up-charges. Bigger blanks cost more. On Shopify and WooCommerce, make size a variant and price 2XL and up separately.
- Show the saving. For a sale, set Shopify's Compare-at price above the price on the product page, or use the Sale price field on a WooCommerce product.
- Keystone check. Your retail price should be about twice wholesale, so shops that stock your shirts aren't undercut by your own store.
Questions people ask
How much should I charge for a custom t-shirt?
Start from your cost per shirt and the margin you need. With the default numbers, a 48-shirt screen-print run costs $7.95 a shirt, so about $12 wholesale and $19 retail.
Why are small screen-print runs so expensive?
Setup (screens, film and press time) costs the same whether you print 12 shirts or 200. Spread over 12 shirts, it adds several dollars each.
Should I include my own labor?
Yes. Even if you don't pay yourself yet, a labor rate keeps your prices workable when you hire help or take bigger orders.
What's the difference between wholesale and retail price?
Wholesale is what you charge a shop, team or event buyer in bulk. Retail is what a single customer pays. Retail is usually about twice wholesale.
Related tools
Want this builtinto your store?
I'm Emmanuel, a Shopify and WooCommerce developer. If this tool pointed at something you'd rather have fixed for you (a faster store, cleaner product data, a migration, a custom feature), send me a note.
Emmanuel Asika
Shopify & WooCommerce developer, Dublin
I build and fix online stores: new builds, migrations, speed, SEO and the custom bits apps can't do.
Last reviewed 30 September 2026.
Sources: Shopify Help Center: Setting sale prices (compare-at price)