How to Price T-Shirts (Run Size Changes Everything)

Two t-shirt sellers print the same design on the same blank and one earns twice the margin — because one printed fifty and the other printed twelve. T-shirt pricing isn't really about the shirt; it's about how setup costs spread across the run. Get that math right and the rest follows.

The per-shirt cost, honestly

A screen-printed graphic tee from a 50-shirt run:

• Blank tee (mid-weight) — about $2.95
• Screen printing ($90 in screens ÷ 50, plus ink) — about $1.80
• Neck tag + fold bag — about $0.40

$5.15 per shirt. Now run the same design as a 12-shirt test: the $90 screen setup becomes $7.50 a shirt, and the true cost jumps to $10.85. Same design, same blank — double the cost. That's why "what should I charge for a shirt?" has no answer without "how many are you printing?"

Price from the run you'll actually print

• Standard indie tee: $22–28 retail — $22 on a $5.15 cost is a 77% material margin
• Small runs and tests: either price higher ($28–30), accept thinner margin as a market test, or use DTF printing where setup is near zero
• Break-even check: a 50-run costs ~$258 all-in — at $22 you're profitable at shirt 12 — run that break-even math before committing blanks

Blanks aren't one price

Blank cost varies by size — 2XL runs $1–2 over a medium — and by color. If you charge one price across the curve (most sellers should, for simplicity), know that your margin varies by size and check that the 2XL still earns. Per-size costing beats discovering the problem in your year-end numbers.

Mind the channel math

A $22 shirt nets very differently across channels: marketplace fees take their cut online, booth fees take theirs at markets. The shirt's cost is constant; the channel decides the profit. Selling on multiple channels from one stock count keeps both the shirts and the numbers straight.

T-shirt pricing mistakes to avoid

• Quoting prices before choosing a run size — setup spread is the biggest cost lever you have
• Ignoring misprints — a 4% loss rate on a 50-run is two shirts your survivors must pay for
• Flat pricing without checking the 2XL margin — bigger blanks cost more
• Restocking bestsellers late — stockouts on a proven design are the most expensive kind

Run-size math, per-size blanks, misprint rates — it's a lot to keep current by hand. Hivara for t-shirt sellers holds it in recipes that update as your costs do, and the free pricing calculator will stress-test your current price against your real numbers today.