Pricing
How custom merch pricing works
There's no flat price tag on custom merch, and that's a good thing, because it means you only pay for what your order actually needs. We're a swag partner, not a swag subscription: real bulk pricing, delivered, with no platform fees or monthly minimums. Here's exactly what goes into the number. For the short version, see how much does custom merch cost with real per-unit ranges by product and quantity, or get an instant quote estimate for a specific product and quantity.
Last updated
- Order type
- Bulk, made to order, single run
- Lead time
- About 2 to 3 weeks from approved mockup
- Decoration methods
- Screen print, DTF (Direct-to-Film)
- Mockup policy
- Free mockup, approve before production
- Payment terms
- 50% deposit at mockup approval, balance before shipping. Schools and districts: net 30 on an approved PO. 3% off to pay in full at approval. How POs work
Quick answer
Custom merch typically runs $0.20–$2.50 per unit for small items like pens and stickers, $4–$12 for t-shirts, totes, and mugs, and $15–$44 for premium pieces like hoodies, quarter-zips, and backpacks: delivered, with standard shipping to one address included. Per-unit cost falls as quantity rises, since one-time setup spreads across more pieces. Most orders start from 50 units, with some items lower.
What drives the price of custom merch?
Every quote comes down to a handful of factors. Understand these and you can dial an order up or down to hit almost any budget without cutting the wrong corners.
Have a number in mind? Use the budget calculator to see what your budget gets for your headcount.
The product itself
The undecorated item, a heavyweight hoodie costs more than a tee, a stainless tumbler more than a pen. Material and fabric weight matter too: organic cotton or a 320 GSM heavyweight fabric costs more than a standard one.
Decoration method
How your logo goes on. Screen print is the best value at volume; embroidery costs a little more per piece but reads premium; digital and full-color prints suit detailed artwork. Most methods carry a small one-time setup, covered below.
Quantity
The biggest lever. Setup costs spread across more pieces and product costs step down at volume, so the per-piece price always falls as the order grows. Bigger runs are dramatically cheaper per unit.
Number of print locations
A single left-chest logo is the most economical. Each additional placement, full back, sleeve, second color, adds a little per piece.
Shipping & kitting
Shipping everything to one address is cheapest. Packing and addressing kits per recipient (to homes or offices) adds a per-kit handling cost, often well worth it for onboarding and gifting.
Why does the price drop when you order more?
If you remember one thing about merch pricing, make it this: the per-piece cost falls as the quantity rises. A one-time setup spread over 50 pieces stings; spread over 250 it nearly disappears, and the products themselves get cheaper at volume.
That's why it pays to consolidate. Ordering one larger run of hoodies for the year usually beats three small ones, and folding a few products into a single company swag order spreads setup across the whole project. If you order merch regularly, an online swag store keeps pricing consistent without re-setting up each time.
What are typical custom merch prices by quantity?
Real, decorated per-unit ballparks by quantity, to help you budget before you ask for a quote, and these are delivered prices: standard shipping to one address is included, so there's no surprise freight at checkout. Prices fall as quantity rises. These are estimates, not live offers, every real order is itemized in a free quote.
Apparel
| Product | 50 units | 100 units | 250+ units |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-shirts | $8–12 | $7–10 | $5–8 |
| Long-sleeve tees | $11–16 | $9–13 | $7–11 |
| Hoodies | $24–32 | $22–28 | $19–25 |
| Zip-up hoodies | $23–31 | $21–28 | $18–25 |
| Crewnecks | $22–30 | $20–27 | $18–24 |
| Polos | $15–24 | $13–20 | $11–17 |
| Quarter-zips | $30–44 | $26–38 | $23–33 |
| Caps | $8–14 | $7–11 | $5–9 |
| Beanies | $7–12 | $6–10 | $5–8 |
| Jackets | $35–70 | $31–61 | $27–53 |
| Varsity jackets | $60–120 | $53–104 | $47–91 |
Bags & totes
| Product | 50 units | 100 units | 250+ units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canvas totes | $5–9 | $4–7 | $3–6 |
| Backpacks | $20–32 | $17–27 | $15–23 |
| Drawstring bags | $2.50–5 | $2–4 | $1.80–3.50 |
| Laptop sleeves | $10–15 | $8–12 | $7–10 |
| Zip pouches | $4–7 | $3.50–6 | $3–5 |
Drinkware
| Product | 50 units | 100 units | 250+ units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tumblers | $13–20 | $11–17 | $10–15 |
| Water bottles | $12–18 | $10–15 | $9–13 |
| Ceramic mugs | $6–10 | $5–9 | $4.50–7 |
Desk & event essentials
| Product | 50 units | 100 units | 250+ units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pens | $0.70–2 | $0.55–1.50 | $0.45–1.20 |
| Stickers | $0.35–1.20 | $0.30–0.90 | $0.20–0.70 |
| Lanyards | $1.30–3 | $1.10–2.50 | $0.90–2 |
| Blankets & throws | $22–40 | $19–35 | $17–30 |
| Mousepads | $4–8 | $3.50–6.50 | $3–6 |
Want the full breakdown with budgeting tips per item? See the complete custom merch cost guide, or dig into a specific item with our custom t-shirt, custom hoodie, custom quarter-zip, employee welcome kit, and client gift box pricing guides.
For the full table of current per-unit ranges across every product, see the bulk merch price index.
Cost by quantity
Working to a specific number of pieces? These break down the market range, total order and per-piece, at common quantities, all drawn from the price index above.
Every run starts at our published quantity tiers, and the per-piece price improves at 100 and 250+.
Why teams choose us over DIY print-on-demand
Self-serve print sites look cheap until you factor in the design work, the per-item pricing, and shipping each piece yourself. Here's how a done-for-you run compares. Weighing a swag platform instead? Our vendor vs platform comparison breaks down the full fee stack.
Your Merch Factory
Done for you
DIY print-on-demand
Self-serve
- Design help
- Real designers lay out your logo and send a free mockup
- You upload print-ready files and DIY the layout
- Free mockup before you pay
- Yes, instant in the Design Studio, no obligation
- On-screen preview only; no human proof
- Consistent quality across a bulk run
- One production run, color-matched piece to piece
- Printed on demand, color and quality can drift
- Bulk pricing that drops at volume
- Per-unit price falls at volume, and it's delivered, shipping to one address included
- Flat per-item price, plus shipping billed per order
- Kitting & ship-to-many addresses
- Packed per recipient, shipped to homes or one dock
- Single items to single addresses
- A human on your account
- An expert who knows your brand and reorders
- Support tickets and help docs
- Sourcing beyond a fixed catalog
- We'll source specialty items you don't see listed
- Limited to the platform's catalog
- Nothing's made until you approve
- You sign off on design and price first
- You commit at checkout
Which decoration method is cheapest?
How your logo is applied changes both the look and the price. Here are the options, roughly from best value to most premium.
Screen print
Bold, flat logos and large graphics at volume. The most cost-effective method once you're printing many of the same design; carries a small per-color setup.
Heat transfer
Smooth, full-color artwork on smaller runs. A printed film heat-pressed onto the item: low setup, great for lower quantities.
Embroidery
Premium left-chest logos on polos, quarter-zips, hoodies, and caps. Costs a touch more per piece and a one-time digitizing setup, but reads upscale and lasts for years.
Digital / full-color print
Detailed, photographic, or all-over designs. Priced to the artwork: we quote these custom so the number reflects exactly what you're printing.
Not sure which to choose? Our guide to screen printing vs embroidery breaks down the trade-offs, or just send your logo and we'll recommend the right method for your artwork and budget.
What's always included
- A free, itemized quote: every line spelled out, no hidden fees
- An instant mockup and an honest quote by the next business morning, before you commit
- Mixed sizes across XS–2XL in a single apparel run at no extra cost
- Honest guidance on the products and methods that fit your budget
Want a fast ballpark? Call us at (737) 253-8727 and we'll talk through your project, or browse the full product range to see what fits.
Custom shirt pricing questions, answered
How much do custom t-shirts cost?
Custom t-shirts run about $8–12 per shirt delivered at 50, dropping toward $5–8 at 250+, decoration, standard US shipping, and duties included. The exact figure depends on decoration method, print locations, and blank, so we send a free, itemized quote before you commit to anything.
- delivered pricing by quantity per design
- About $8–12/shirt at 50, $5–8 at 250+
- Delivered: US shipping to one address included
- Free mockup and itemized quote first
How much are custom shirts?
Custom shirts are quote-based and volume-driven: printed tees start around $8–12 each delivered at 50 units, with polos and premium blanks higher. Price depends on quantity, decoration, and blank, the more you order, the less per shirt. You approve a free mockup and quote before anything is produced.
- Quote-based: no fixed retail list price
- Printed tees from $8–12/unit at 50 (module-sourced)
- delivered pricing by quantity per design
- Nothing produced before you approve mockup + price
How much does it cost to make t-shirts in bulk?
In bulk, custom t-shirts cost less per piece as the run grows, roughly $8–12 each at 50 units and about $5–8 at 250+, delivered with decoration and US shipping included. One-time setup spreads across more shirts and blank costs step down, so a bigger order is meaningfully cheaper per shirt.
- Per-unit cost drops 20–35% from 50 to 250+
- 250+ ≈ $5–8/shirt (module-sourced)
- One-time setup amortizes over the run
- delivered pricing by quantity per design
How to price custom shirts
To price custom shirts, add the blank cost, decoration (screen print per color or embroidery digitizing), one-time setup spread across the quantity, and delivery, then let volume pull the per-unit price down. We build every quote cost-up from real blank and decoration costs, so the number matches what you'd actually pay, not a marked-up retail list.
- Blank + decoration + setup + delivery
- Setup amortized across the quantity
- Built cost-up, reconciled to the live quote
- delivered pricing by quantity per design
Can I see a proof before ordering?
Yes. You get a free mockup before any payment or production: nothing is made until you approve exactly how it looks. We send an itemized quote alongside it, so you sign off on both the design and the price first, and any revisions happen before you approve.
- Free mockup before payment
- Nothing produced before your approval
- Design and price both approved first
- Revisions handled before sign-off
Can I order bulk t-shirts in mixed sizes?
Yes: you can mix sizes across XS–2XL in a single run at no extra cost. Order the size breakdown your group actually needs and we produce exactly that spread. Sizes above 2XL may carry a small upcharge, which we show in your quote. Collect sizes up front so you order the right mix.
- XS–2XL mixed in one run, no upcharge
- Produced to your exact size breakdown
- delivered pricing by quantity across the run
- Any 2XL+ upcharge shown in the quote
Pricing a uniform program? The same volume pricing applies to custom work shirts and custom safety shirts : reorder-ready, with your spec kept on file.
Custom merch pricing, frequently asked questions
It depends on the product, quantity, decoration method, number of print locations, and timeline. The single biggest factor is quantity: the more you order, the lower the per-piece cost. Rather than guess, send us what you have in mind and we'll return a free, itemized quote so you see exactly what you're paying for before committing.
Two reasons. One-time setup costs (like screen-print color setup or embroidery digitizing) spread across more pieces, and our base product costs step down at higher volumes. Both push the per-unit price lower as the run grows, which is why a larger order is often far cheaper per piece than a small one.
Published per-unit pricing starts at 50 units per item, which keeps per-piece pricing sensible while the decoration is set up. Tell us your quantity and we'll confirm exactly what's possible.
No hidden fees. Some decoration methods carry a small one-time setup (per screen-print color, or embroidery digitizing), and we spell every line out in your quote: the product, decoration, setup, and shipping. Mockups are always free, and nothing is produced until you approve both the design and the price.
Never. Both the quote and the mockup are free and no-obligation. Your mockup is instant in our online Design Studio, and your full quote lands by the next business morning, so you can see exactly how your merch will look before you decide anything.
Businesses, nonprofits, and student groups: 50% deposit when you approve the mockup, balance before we ship. Schools, districts, and universities: net 30 on an approved purchase order, no deposit. Prefer to pay in full at approval? Take 3% off.
Get an honest, itemized quote, free
Tell us the products, quantity, and timeline and we'll send a free mockup and a clear, line-by-line quote. Nothing's made until you approve it.
Free, itemized quote · No obligation