How much does custom clothing cost to make?
It depends on three things: the garment and its fabric weight, how it is decorated, and how many you order — which is why we quote rather than publish a price list. For scale, from the calculator on this site at the 50-piece minimum: a 200 gsm classic tee with a left-chest DTF print is about $12 per piece; an embroidered 220 gsm polo about $17.75; an embroidered 270 gsm heavyweight tee about $15; a 500 gsm hoodie with a one-colour chest print about $32.40, falling to about $29.50 at 200 pieces and under $28 at 500.
The three drivers
The blank depends on the garment and its fabric weight. A 270 gsm heavyweight tee uses more cotton than a 160 gsm one, so it costs more — though not proportionally, because cutting and stitching take the same labour either way; the difference between our 200 gsm classic tee and the 270 gsm heavyweight is about $2 at 50 pieces.
Decoration is priced by method, position and size, and for screen printing and embroidery by colour count and stitch count. A one-colour chest screen print adds about $0.90 per piece at 50 with a setup of around $30 per screen; a left-chest embroidery about $1.60 with a one-off digitising charge of around $25; a left-chest DTF transfer about $1.30 with no setup; a full-front DTF around $3.40. All of these fall as the quantity rises.
Quantity is the biggest lever. Setup is fixed, so it spreads thinner across a larger order, and our margin narrows deliberately as volume rises. The difference between 50 and 500 pieces is substantial, and if you are close to a threshold it is worth asking.
Examples from the calculator, per piece, setup included
| Garment and decoration | At 50 | At 200 | At 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 gsm classic tee, left-chest DTF | ≈ $12.05 | ≈ $11.10 | ≈ $10.50 |
| 270 gsm heavyweight tee, embroidered chest | ≈ $15.00 | ≈ $13.50 | ≈ $12.70 |
| 270 gsm heavyweight tee, full-back DTF | ≈ $16.30 | ≈ $15.05 | ≈ $14.20 |
| 220 gsm piqué polo, embroidered chest | ≈ $17.75 | ≈ $16.05 | ≈ $15.10 |
| 500 gsm hoodie, one-colour chest screen print | ≈ $32.40 | ≈ $29.50 | ≈ $27.80 |
| 500 gsm hoodie, embroidered chest | ≈ $33.00 | ≈ $30.10 | ≈ $28.40 |
| Woven neck label | ≈ $1.25 including the one-off setup | ≈ $0.62 | ≈ $0.47 |
What is not in those numbers
Shipping, which is quoted separately by weight, destination and method; duties on export orders, quoted up front with the order; a lab dip of around $20–30 per custom colour; and a sample before committing to production, which is chargeable. The pricing calculator on this site prices any combination live from the same rate sheet; the quote makes it exact against your specification.
Related questions
- Why do you not publish a price list?
- Because the same tee is a different price at 50 and 500, in 200 and 270 gsm, printed and embroidered. The calculator gives a live figure; the quote gives an exact one.
- Is embroidery or printing cheaper?
- For a small logo on 50 pieces the difference is minor. Screen print gets very economical at volume with a simple design; embroidery is priced on stitch count and does not care about colours.
- Does the price include delivery?
- No — shipping is quoted with the order by weight and destination.
- Can you match a quote from elsewhere?
- Send it. If the specification is genuinely comparable, we will tell you honestly whether we can beat it.
Where to go next
More questions on pricing and payment
Why does the price per piece fall as I order more?
Two effects, both real. Setup costs — screens, digitising, label origination, laying the cutting table, running the first pieces — are…
When do I pay for a custom clothing order?
In two parts: a production deposit before the sample is made, and the balance before dispatch. Nothing is charged before you have a price…
Do you charge for samples?
Not with an order: a pre-production sample is produced free of charge with any production order, once the production deposit is received.…
Ask us the rest
Send the garment, the quantity and any date you are working to. A real price and a mockup come back, usually within a working day.
Get a quote