How Much Do Custom T-Shirts Cost? A No-BS 2026 Pricing Guide
Custom t-shirts cost $7 to $20 per shirt in 2026: $20 for a single printed Gildan 5000, $12 each at 12, $10 at 24 and $8 at 100, with no setup or screen fees. A softer tee adds +$3 a shirt, a hoodie +$12, a second print location +$3, and orders of $50 or more ship free.
Production time: 4 business days after you approve your free proof (2 business days with the $50 rush), then 2–5 business days in transit by UPS or USPS ground. Door to door, about 7–10 business days; with rush, about 5–8.
Gildan 5000 tee, one front print, S–XL. Hoodies, polos and hats are priced the same way in the shop; anything unusual, a real printer prices by email within two business hours.
This guide breaks down every variable that moves the price, shows what you'll actually pay at each quantity tier, and calls out the sneaky fees other shops hide until checkout.
The 30-second answer
For a standard adult tee (Gildan 5000), one-color or full-color front print, at Harborside:
- 1 shirt — $20 + $12 shipping = $32 (3 shirts = $60, ships free)
- 6 shirts — $14/pc = $84 shipped free
- 12 shirts — $12/pc = $144 shipped free
- 24 shirts — $10/pc = $240 shipped free
- 48 shirts — $9/pc = $432 shipped free
- 100 shirts — $8/pc = $800 shipped free
- 250 shirts — $7/pc = $1,750 shipped free (250+ is priced right in the cart)
$20 order minimum · $0 setup fees · $0 screen fees · Free shipping on orders of $50 or more. See full pricing for embroidery, hoodies and polos; Carhartt is quoted per order.
Custom t-shirt cost and turnaround — quick answers
How long do custom t-shirts take?
Your free proof arrives within 24 hours on business days. Production is 4 business days after you approve it (2 business days with the $50 rush), then 2–5 business days of UPS or USPS ground shipping. Plan on about 7–10 business days door to door, or 5–8 with rush.
How much do custom t-shirts cost in 2026?
On a Gildan 5000 with a one-location print, any number of colors: $20 a shirt for 1–5, $14 at 6, $12 at 12, $10 at 24, $9 at 48, $8 at 100 and $7 at 250 or more. Better garments add their own amount per piece — a Bella+Canvas 3001 +$3, a Gildan 18500 hoodie +$12 — and a second print location adds +$3 on a tee. No setup or screen fees.
What is the minimum order for custom t-shirts?
There is no quantity minimum — one shirt is a real order. The only floor is a $20 order total, which a single $20 tee clears. Orders under $50 pay $12 shipping; orders of $50 or more ship free.
Is there a minimum for custom embroidered hats?
No — one cap is an order. An embroidered Richardson 112 trucker cap is $31 for 1–5 pieces, $23 each at 12 and $21 at 24. A new logo adds a one-time $55 digitizing fee, waived at 24 or more embroidered pieces and never charged again on reorders — so 12 caps with a new logo are $331 shipped.
Does a full-color design cost more than one color?
Not here. There is no per-color charge on screen printing or DTF, so a full-color photo print costs the same as a one-color logo at the same quantity. The price changes with quantity, garment, print locations and extended sizes — not the number of colors.
How much does it cost to print 1 custom t-shirt?
One printed Gildan 5000 tee is $20, plus $12 shipping because a single shirt is under the $50 free-shipping line — $32 delivered. Three tees ($60) ship free. There is no setup fee and no quantity minimum; the only floor is a $20 order total.
How much do 12 custom t-shirts cost?
$12 a shirt on a Gildan 5000 with a one-location print in any number of colors — $144 for 12, shipped free. Embroidered left-chest logos are $16 a shirt at 12 plus a one-time $55 digitizing fee for a new logo.
How much do 24 custom t-shirts cost?
$10 a shirt — $240 for 24 printed Gildan 5000 tees, shipped free. Adding a back print makes it $13 a shirt ($312). Every garment at this quantity is priced at harborsideprint.com/custom-shirts/24/.
How much do 100 custom t-shirts cost?
$8 a shirt — $800 for 100 printed Gildan 5000 tees, shipped free; $1,100 with a back print. At 250 the price drops to $7 a shirt, and the cart prices every quantity above that.
Why are custom t-shirts so expensive?
Three things set the price: the blank (a basic tee costs a few dollars wholesale, a premium or heavyweight tee more), the labor and setup of printing it, and the fees a shop adds on top — screen fees per color, art fees, per-piece rush, shipping. Quantity spreads the labor, which is why 100 shirts are $8 each and one shirt is $20. We cut the add-ons: no setup or screen fees, no per-color charge, a free proof, and free shipping on orders of $50 or more.
What hidden fees do custom apparel companies charge?
The common ones: setup or screen fees per color, art or file-preparation fees, per-color upcharges, per-shirt rush fees, sample fees, minimum-order surcharges, and $15–$40 shipping on small orders. Here: $0 setup, $0 screen fees, $0 per color, placing your logo into a layout is free with the proof (a design from scratch is $45–$85, quoted first), rush is a flat $50, shipping is free on orders of $50 or more and $12 below, and the only minimum is a $20 order total.
Is custom apparel pricing cheaper in bulk?
Yes. The per-shirt price steps down at 6, 12, 24, 48, 100 and 250 pieces, and every color and size of the same style counts toward one break. On a Gildan 5000 that is $20 for 1–5, $14 at 6, $12 at 12, $10 at 24, $9 at 48, $8 at 100 and $7 at 250.
What actually drives custom t-shirt pricing
Six variables control your total. Move any one and the price shifts:
1. Quantity (the biggest lever)
Printing has fixed setup work — burning screens, mixing inks, prepping the press — and bigger runs spread it thinner, so per-piece cost drops as quantity climbs. Going from 12 to 24 shirts cuts your per-piece cost by 17% ($12 → $10). Going from 24 to 100 cuts it another 20% ($10 → $8). That's why "how many are you ordering" is always the first question a printer asks.
No setup fee, at any quantity. We charge no setup or screen fees and print small runs by DTF, so a small order isn't loaded with a fee — the per-piece price is simply the one for its quantity, from $20 for 1–5 shirts down to $7 at 250+.
2. Print method
Three main options:
- Screen printing — $7–$20/pc on a Gildan 5000. Best for solid colors, volume, and durability.
- DTF (direct-to-film) transfers — $7–$20/pc. Best for full-color art, photos, and small quantities. Same price bands as screen printing at Harborside because we don't upcharge for full color.
- Embroidery — $9–$24/pc for a left-chest logo. Adding a back logo adds +$14/pc; a big embroidered back or jacket art is jumbo / all-around, +$24/pc.
3. Garment style
Different garments = different blank costs. The price ladder includes a Gildan 5000 tee; better garments add their own amount per piece (S–XL), and every product page shows today's price:
- Long sleeve (Gildan 5400): +$5
- Polo (Harriton M200 piqué): +$7 · Gildan 8800 DryBlend: +$8
- Premium tee (Bella+Canvas 3001): +$3 · Comfort Colors 1717: +$7
- Crewneck sweatshirt (Gildan 18000): +$8
- Hoodie (Gildan 18500): +$12
- Trucker cap (Richardson 112): +$7
- Heavyweight hoodie (Bella+Canvas 3719): +$21
- Carhartt: quoted per order
4. Print placement (how many locations)
A front-only print is the base price. Additional locations add (per piece):
- Print (screen/DTF): Front + back +$4 (tees +$3) · One sleeve +$3 · Both sleeves +$6 · Front + back + both sleeves +$10 · Jumbo / all-around +$10
- Embroidery: One logo up to 4 × 4 in (left chest, right chest, upper back or cap front) = base · + back logo +$14/pc · Jumbo / all-around (jacket art, big embroidered backs) +$24/pc · Sleeve +$5 · Both sleeves +$10 · Names or numbers on each piece are quoted before you pay
Why embroidery costs more per location: unlike a screen print (fast press pass), every extra embroidered logo is more machine time per piece, and a big embroidered back can run 20–30 minutes on its own. It's not a design change — it's real production hours.
5. Extended sizes
2XL, 3XL, 4XL cost more from the wholesaler because more fabric = more money. On a Gildan 5000 that is 2XL +$4, 3XL–5XL +$6 per shirt; every product page lists its own. This is normal across the industry.
6. Rush production
Standard turnaround is 4 business days in production plus 2–5 business days of tracked ground shipping. Need production in 2 business days? Rush is $50 flat — not per shirt, not per hour. Any quantity.
What real orders actually cost
Example 1: Small run (6 tees)
6 Gildan 5000 tees, one-color left chest: 6 × $14 = $84 shipped free. No quantity-minimum games, no setup fee, free proof first.
Example 2: Restaurant staff (24 shirts)
24 tees, one-color front, Gildan 5000: 24 × $10 = $240 shipped free — orders of $50 or more ship free. Hoodies, polos or a premium tee instead? See exact prices for 24 shirts.
Example 3: Contractor crew (12 embroidered heavyweight tees)
12 Comfort Colors 1717 tees with an embroidered left-chest logo: 12 × ($16 + $7 heavyweight tee) + $55 digitizing = $331 shipped. Reorders skip the $55 forever. Want Carhartt instead? It's quoted per order.
Example 4: Big event or fundraiser (100 shirts)
100 tees, two-color front, screen printed on Gildan 5000: 100 × $8 = $800 shipped free. The ladder drops again at 250+ pieces to $7/pc for school-district-sized runs.
Example 5: Team hoodies with chest + full-back embroidery (12 pcs)
12 Gildan 18500 hoodies with an embroidered chest logo and a back logo: 12 × ($16 + $14 back + $12 hoodie) + $55 digitizing = $559 shipped. Digitizing is free at 24+ embroidered pieces and on every reorder of a logo we already hold.
Example 6: Staff polos (24 pcs)
24 Harriton M200 polos with an embroidered left-chest logo: 24 × ($14 + $7 polo) = $504 shipped — the logo is free to digitize at 24+ pieces. A personal name under each logo is custom work we quote before you pay.
Hidden fees to watch for from other shops
Custom apparel is riddled with fees other shops bury. Here's what to ask about before signing:
- Setup / screen fees — some shops charge a setup fee for every color screen in the design. We charge $0, and full color costs the same as one color.
- Art fees — a "file preparation" charge for anything not perfectly print-ready. Placing your logo or photo into a layout is free with your proof; a custom design from scratch is usually $45–$85, quoted with your proof.
- Shipping — often $15–$40 on smaller orders. We ship free on orders of $50 or more and charge a flat $12 below that.
- Minimum-order surcharges — some shops require 24+ pieces and charge a per-piece penalty below. Ours is a flat $20 order minimum, no per-piece penalty.
- Rush fees per shirt — some shops charge per-piece rush. Ours is $50 flat, any quantity.
- Sample fees — a physical sample can be $25–$75 elsewhere. We send a free digital proof within 24 hours on business days; you approve before we print.
How to actually save money on your custom t-shirt order
- Order at a price break. Ordering 22 shirts? That's $264; 24 shirts are $240 — two more shirts for less money, because 24 drops the price from $12 to $10 a piece. Same math at 46 → 48 and 95 → 100 (exact prices for 24 shirts, every garment).
- Put it all in one order. Quantity pricing counts every piece of the same garment in the cart, so two 15-shirt designs on Gildan 5000s ordered together price at 30 — $10 a shirt instead of $12.
- Skip the extra print locations you don't need. A front + back tee costs +$3 more per shirt than front-only — 100 tees are $1,100 instead of $800. Only add locations you actually need for the design.
- Use standard sizes when possible. Bulk of your order in S–XL keeps costs down. Extended sizes are extra per piece.
- Order it all at once. If your season needs 50 shirts but you split them into a 20 and a 30, each half prices at its own quantity — $240 for the 20 ($12 each) and $300 for the 30 ($10 each). Order all 50 together and every shirt is $9: $450.
- Approve your proof quickly. The clock on production doesn't start until you approve. Slow approvals push you into rush pricing.
Screen print vs. DTF vs. embroidery — what should YOU order?
Quick rules of thumb:
- Screen print: 24+ shirts, 1–4 solid colors, standard cotton or blends
- DTF: 1–24 shirts, OR any full-color/photographic/gradient design at any quantity
- Embroidery: polos, hats, jackets, corporate/uniform apparel where "premium" matters
Deep dives: Screen Printing vs. DTF and Embroidery vs. Screen Printing for Workwear.
What Harborside charges (bottom-line pricing)
Everything laid out on the pricing page — no login required, no "call for quote," no salesperson between you and the number. The shop calculates your exact total live as you fill in the quantity and options.
Ready to price your order?
Get your exact price in the shop →
Questions before you commit? Email orders@harborsideprint.com or call (856) 805-0663. Same-day reply, Mon–Fri.
Getting fewer than 24 shirts? DTF is usually the right method.
At many shops a screen-printing setup fee lands hardest on a small order. DTF has no screens to burn, and we charge no setup fee on any method — so a 6-shirt order pays only the 6-piece price. Same wash durability, full color, no quantity minimum — no order is too small.
See how DTF works →Or just send us the order
Roughly how many, what it’s going on, and your logo — a real printer emails your exact price within two business hours (9–6 Eastern, Mon–Fri). Free proof before anything prints, no setup fees.