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How Much Do Custom T-Shirts Cost? A No-BS 2026 Pricing Guide

Updated July 2026 · 9 min read · Harborside Print Co.

Short answer: $7 to $28 per shirt, depending mostly on quantity and print method. 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 or Port & Company PC54), one-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

$20 order minimum · $0 setup fees · $0 screen fees · Free shipping over $50. See full pricing for embroidery, hoodies, polos, and Carhartt upgrades.

What actually drives custom t-shirt pricing

Six variables control your total. Move any one and the price shifts:

1. Quantity (the biggest lever)

Screen printing has fixed setup costs — burning screens, mixing inks, prepping the press. Those costs get spread across every shirt in the run, so per-piece cost drops fast as quantity climbs. Going from 12 to 24 shirts cuts your per-piece cost by ~12%. Going from 24 to 100 cuts it another 24%. That's why "how many are you ordering" is always the first question a printer asks.

DTF transfers don't share this dynamic. Because there are no screens to burn, one shirt costs the same per-piece as fifty — DTF wins on small runs. Screen printing wins once you're past ~24 pieces.

2. Print method

Three main options, each priced differently:

• Screen printing — $7–$25/pc. Best for solid colors, volume, and durability.
• DTF (direct-to-film) transfers — $7–$25/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 left chest. Full-back embroidery adds +$14/pc (25–30k stitches of machine time), jumbo back / jacket art +$32/pc.

3. Garment style

Different garments = different blank costs. On top of the decoration price you pay a "style upcharge":

• Long sleeve: +$4
• Polo (Port Authority K500): +$10
• Premium tee (Bella+Canvas 3001, Next Level, Comfort Colors): +$4
• Crewneck sweatshirt: +$12
• Hoodie (Port & Co PC78H): +$14
• Trucker cap (Richardson 112): +$8
• Heavyweight hoodie: +$22
• Carhartt K87 tee: +$16
• Carhartt K121 hoodie: +$48

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 (everyday tees +$3) · Single sleeve +$3 · Both sleeves +$6 · Front + back + both sleeves +$10
• Embroidery: Left chest = base · Full back +$14/pc (25–30k stitches) · Jumbo back / jacket art (30k+ stitches) +$32/pc · Sleeve +$5 · Both sleeves +$10 · Name/number personalization +$5/pc + $25 digitizing per unique name

Why embroidery costs more per location: unlike a screen print (fast press pass), a full-back embroidery run means 20–30 minutes of extra machine time per piece. 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. Standard upcharges: 2XL +$2, 3XL +$3, 4XL +$4, 5XL +$5 per shirt. This is normal across the industry.

6. Rush production

Standard turnaround is 4 business days in production plus tracked shipping. Need it in 2 days? Rush production 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, Port & Company PC54: 24 × $10 = $240 shipped free. Free shipping kicked in over $50.

Example 3: Contractor crew (12 embroidered Carhartts)

12 Carhartt K87 tees with embroidered left-chest logo: 12 × ($16 base + $16 Carhartt upcharge) + $55 one-time digitizing = $439 shipped. Reorders skip the $55 forever.

Example 4: Big event or fundraiser (100 shirts)

100 tees, two-color front, screen printed on Gildan 5000: 100 × $8 = $800 shipped free. Volume ladder drops again at 250+ pcs to $7/pc for school-district-sized runs.

Example 5: Team hoodies with chest + full-back embroidery (12 pcs)

12 Port & Company PC78H hoodies with embroidered chest logo and full-back logo: 12 × ($16 embroidery base + $14 hoodie upcharge + $14 full-back upcharge) = $528. The digitizing waiver is per design at 24+ pieces, and this order is 12, so both logos are chargeable: $528 + two $55 digitizing = $638 shipped for two brand-new designs. If we already hold both stitch files from a previous order, it's $528 shipped.

Example 6: Team polos with names (24 pcs)

24 Port Authority K500 polos with embroidered left-chest logo + a personalized name on each piece: 24 × ($14 embroidery base + $10 polo upcharge + $5 personalization) = $696. Names are digitized individually at $25 each, so the total depends on how many are unique. All 24 different: $696 + (24 × $25) = $1,296 shipped. One repeated team name across all 24: $696 + $25 = $721 shipped. The left-chest logo itself is free to digitize at 24+ pieces.

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 $20–$50 per color per design. We charge $0.
• Art fees — a "file preparation" charge for anything not perfectly print-ready. We include basic art review free.
• Shipping — often $15–$40 on smaller orders. We ship free on every order.
• 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; you approve before we print.

How to actually save money on your custom t-shirt order

1. Order at a price break. Ordering 22 shirts? Bump to 24 to drop from $12/pc to $10/pc — you save $1.95/piece, gaining 2 nearly-free shirts. Same math at 46 → 48 and 95 → 100.
2. Consolidate designs. Two designs of 15 shirts each = two 15-piece orders. One design of 30 shirts = 30 × $10 = $300 — hundreds cheaper than splitting.
3. Skip the extra print locations you don't need. A front + back tee costs $4 more per shirt than front-only. At 100 shirts that's $400. Only add locations you actually need for the design.
4. Use standard sizes when possible. Bulk of your order in S–XL keeps costs down. Extended sizes are extra per piece.
5. Order in one shipment. If your season needs 50 shirts total but you split into a 20 and a 30, you pay two order minimums + two shipping charges. Combined 50 = 48-piece pricing at $9/pc, free ship.
6. 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 order page calculates your exact total live as you fill in the quantity and options.

Ready to price your order?

Get your exact price on the order page →

Questions before you commit? Email orders@harborsideprint.com or call (856) 805-0663. Same-day reply, Mon–Fri.