“How much will my shirts cost?” It’s the first question everyone asks, and the most frustrating one to answer without details — because custom t-shirt pricing isn’t one number. It’s a handful of factors working together.
This guide breaks down exactly what drives the price of a custom shirt order in 2026, so you can budget with confidence and spot easy ways to save.
Factor 1: Quantity — the biggest lever you have
Quantity affects your price more than anything else. Here’s why: every screen printing job has fixed setup work — burning screens, mixing ink, setting up the press. That setup costs the same whether we print 24 shirts or 240.
So the more shirts you print, the further that fixed cost spreads. This is why bulk orders of 24+ shirts earn volume discounts: your per-shirt price drops as the run gets bigger. As a rough illustration (not a quote), the setup for a one-color design is the same job at 24 shirts and at 100 shirts — but divided across 100 shirts, it barely registers per shirt.
Practical takeaway: if you’re at 20 shirts, ask what 24 would cost. The per-shirt price often drops enough that the total barely moves.
Factor 2: Number of colors in your design
In screen printing, each color needs its own screen and its own setup. A one-color design needs one screen. A four-color design needs four. More colors, more cost — it’s that direct.
This is also where method choice matters. DTF printing has no per-color setup fees, so a full-color design costs roughly the same to produce as a one-color design. If your heart is set on a detailed, multi-color logo and you’re ordering a smaller quantity, DTF may beat screen printing on price.
Factor 3: Print locations
A front-chest logo is one print location. Add the same logo to the back, plus a sleeve print, and you’ve tripled the printing work. Every additional location is essentially an additional print job on the same shirt.
Money-saving move: for budget orders, stick to one location. A single bold front print usually has more visual impact than three small ones anyway.
Factor 4: The garment itself
Not all blank shirts cost the same. A basic cotton tee is the most economical choice. Move up to a premium ringspun tee, a performance polyester shirt, or a hoodie, and the blank garment costs more before any printing happens.
That doesn’t mean you should always buy the cheapest shirt — a nicer garment can be worth it for employee uniforms or retail merch. Just know it’s a real line item in your price, and mixing garment types in one order (say, tees plus a few hoodies) is completely fine. We’ll price each garment type separately.
Factor 5: Turnaround time
Our standard turnaround is two weeks, and we average about five business days. Need it faster? Rush service is available at a flat rate based on the time frame you need — and we can even do same-day on select items. Planning ahead is the simplest way to keep rush fees off your invoice entirely.
Putting it together: an illustrative example
Let’s walk through the logic with a hypothetical order (illustrative only — your quote will depend on your specific design and garments):
- Scenario A: 24 shirts, one-color front print, standard tees, standard turnaround. This hits every value lever: bulk quantity, one color, one location, no rush. Lowest per-shirt cost.
- Scenario B: 12 shirts, full-color detailed design. Screen printing’s 24-piece minimum rules it out, but DTF handles it with no minimum and no per-color setup fees — the right method for the job.
- Scenario C: 100 shirts, two-color front and back print. More colors and two locations add cost, but the 100-piece quantity spreads setup thin. Strong per-shirt value despite the extras.
Notice the pattern: quantity and color count pull the hardest. Everything else is fine-tuning.
Five ways to save real money
- Reduce your color count. Can your three-color logo work as a bold one-color version? Ask us — we do free artwork setup and can show you options.
- Print in one location. Front only beats front-plus-back-plus-sleeve on price every time.
- Round up to 24. If you’re ordering 18–23 shirts for screen printing, pricing 24 often costs nearly the same total.
- Choose standard garments for giveaways and events; save premium blanks for retail or uniforms.
- Order ahead. Standard turnaround avoids rush fees completely. Two weeks of lead time is free money.
What to include when you request a quote
To get an accurate price fast, have these ready: quantity, garment type (or “standard tees is fine”), number of colors, print locations, your artwork or logo file, and the date you need them. With that info, we can usually turn a quote around quickly.
Get your free quote
Every order includes free artwork setup — no hidden design fees, ever. Tell us what you’re thinking and we’ll give you straight pricing with the method that fits your order best.
Call SP101 at (256) 263-6009 or request your free quote online. Family-owned and women-operated in Rogersville, Alabama, serving Northern Alabama and Middle Tennessee — with local pickup, free delivery on orders over $2,000 when requested, and statewide shipping.
Frequently asked questions
Screen printing has fixed setup costs — screens, ink mixing, press setup — that are the same for 24 shirts or 240. Larger runs spread that fixed cost across more shirts, which is why orders of 24+ earn volume discounts and the per-shirt price keeps dropping as quantity rises.
The biggest savings come from using fewer ink colors, printing in one location instead of several, choosing standard garments, and ordering with standard turnaround to avoid rush fees. If you're ordering 18–23 shirts, ask what 24 would cost — the per-shirt drop often makes the total nearly identical.
For orders under 24 pieces, DTF is the better value because screen printing carries a 24-piece minimum and per-color setup fees. DTF has no minimums and no per-color setup fees, so small runs and full-color designs price out favorably. For 24+ pieces with simple art, screen printing's bulk pricing wins.