How Much Money Does It Cost To Make A Design On A T-Shirt? (And More)

If you think about fashion in the United States, it should come as no surprise to you that the most popular selling clothing item is the t-shirt. Per Wikipedia, there are approximately two billion t-shirts sold per year in the United States alone. They are everywhere, and are available in an incredibly wide variety of designs, colors, cuts, and fabrics. If you are looking to break into the fashion industry, your best bet would be to start a t-shirt business. However, you may be asking yourself several questions about starting a t-shirt business, such as “What is involved in starting a t-shirt business,” or “How much does it cost to break into the t-shirt design business?” well, sit back and relax, I am here to answer all of your questions…

The total average cost to make a design on a shirt is $3.15 per shirt. The wholesale price of a standard shirt begins at around $1, but can cost up to $4. Some of factors that have an influence on the price you will pay for the shirt include the brand of the shirt; the shirt’s manufacturer, and the cut and color of the shirt. You can start a home t-shirt business for as little as $1,000, assuming you already have a computer.

In this article, we will break down each of these factors that influence how much you will pay per shirt for your T-shirt business. We will also examine the cost of supplies, and also break down which supplies you will need to be successful. Finally, I will also include a list of suggested prices for the items your t-shirt business will sell. Let’s read along to see how much it will cost how to start a t-shirt business, as well as what you will need to do if this is a business you want to get into.

Table of Contents

How Much Will I Pay For Shirts?

If you are looking to break into the T-shirt business, the first thing you will have to purchase is going to be

blank T-shirts. So, “How much can I expect to pay for blank t-shirts,” you may be asking yourself. Well, that depends. A few factors that will greatly influence how much you pay for blank t-shirts include the cut of the shirt; the color of the shirt; and the quality of the fabric used to make the shirt. Of course, you will ultimately decide what type of shirt you want your business to sell, and that will determine what type of shirts you will purchase.

Per the Coleman Company, you can expect to pay around $1 for a plain white cotton t-shirt. However, you will pay upwards of $4 per shirt for shirts that are made from better materials, or are a different color than white. The cost to produce a plain white cotton shirt is around $3.15 per shirt, while it is much more expensive to produce shirts made from better materials, or are a different color other than white. Ultimately, the choice will be yours to decide whether you want to produce low-cost white cotton shirts, or if you want to produce more upscale shirts available in colors other than white, and made from better materials.

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What Type Of Equipment and Supplies Do I Need?

Just like with any other business, there are going to be supplies and equipment you will have to purchase to start a t-shirt business. However, the equipment and supplies you will need for your t-shirt business will be based on the size of your t-shirt business, as well as the shirts you will be making. If you want to start a basic t-shirt operation, Shopworx says that you can get started by purchasing the following six pieces of equipment:

Printers
Computers
Graphics Programs
Transfer Papers
Heat Press
Cutter

Your printer will possibly be the most important piece of equipment your t-shirt business can have. There are four types of printers that you can choose from. They include inkjet, laser, sublimation, and solvent printers. If you are looking for the printer that can print the best graphics, solvent printers would be the best choice. However, solvent printers are very expensive. They may not be within the means of a small t-shirt business. The good news is that depending on the size of your business, you can probably get away with having one printer.

Computers are the backbone of any business, and your t-shirt business is no different. The first decision that you will have to make is whether you want to go with a PC, or if a Mac is more your speed. There is no wrong answer here. Choose the computer that you are most comfortable with using. It’s as simple as that. Make sure that your computer as adequate programs and software for running a t-shirt business like cutting and graphics programs, as well as software to help you with the financial side of running a small business, such as billing and expenses.

To get the images onto t-shirts, you are going to need transfer papers and a heat press. Be sure to buy transfer papers that are good quality. You are also going to need at least a 16 x 20 heat press for your t-shirt business. To create stencils for screen prints, you will also need to purchase a cutter and the program to use it. If I may offer one suggestion, you might want to consider purchasing used equipment if you can get it at a good price. Most businesses that are just starting out do not have the budget to purchase brand new equipment, and you can usually get used equipment that is in decent shape if you are willing to look for it.

Should I Pay For Labor?

The answer to this question will primarily depend on the size of operation your t-shirt business is. If you have a high-volume business that sells a lot of shirts, you may want to look into hiring additional help for your business. Still, if you plan on hiring additional help for your t-shirt business, keep in mind that there will be additional expenses besides labor costs. If you employ others besides yourself, you will have to pay their hourly wage; a portion of their income taxes; worker’s compensation, and many other expenses associated with hiring additional employees, like health benefits and 401K contributions.

However, if you do not have a high-volume shop you can probably save some money by doing the labor yourself. You will know better than anyone else if your business can afford to hire additional help. If you can justify the additional cost I would suggest hiring one helper to assist you with your t-shirt business. This way, you can keep your labor expenses at a minimum, and reduce your total overhead costs. Still, I would recommend doing all of the work yourself for as long as you can. This way, you can save as much money as possible if you want to expand your business I only at a later date. If you decide to do this, then you can look into hiring additional employees.

How Much Should I Charge For My Merchandise?

Now for the age-old question of how much you should charge your customers for the merchandise you sell. Unfortunately, the answer to this question is the same as the answer to most of the questions in this article. It depends. There are several things that will factor into how you price your merchandise, such as the cost of your shirts; whether or not you have additional labor costs; if you have to pay mortgage or rent on a building; the expenses you have to recuperate from your computers and equipment, and the amount of money you must clear to make a decent living for yourself.

Another thing that you should take into consideration when trying to decide how much your t-shirt business

should charge its customers is whether you would prefer to make a larger profit selling fewer items, or if you would prefer to sell more items and make a smaller profit per item. The type of merchandise your t-shirt business is selling will also have an impact on the amount you will charge your customers. Here are a few suggestions I have put together for you to help you decide how much you should be charging your clients:

Left or right chest logo shirt – $15
Long sleeve baseball jersey shirt – $30
Hat with logo – $20
T-shirt with front logo and back print – $25

Conclusion

In conclusion, how much it costs you to start a t-shirt business will depend on a few factors. You can expect to pay anywhere from $1 to $4 for your shirts, depending on their color, material, cut, and brand. Of course, the type of shirts you decide to purchase will be predominantly determined by the type of business you want to run. Do you want to cater to high-end clients, or would you prefer making t-shirts for less? Starting a t-shirt business can be inexpensive. If you want to start a home-based business, it can cost you approximately $1,000. This does not include the cost of purchasing a computer, because most homes already have at least one computer.

There will be some equipment that you will have to purchase to start a t-shirt business. The first purchase you will need to make is a printer. Next, you will need to look into purchasing a computer if you do not already own one. After you purchase a computer, you will need to have software and programs designed for producing t-shirts, as well as software that will help you keep track of your expenses and your billing. You will also need a heat press, transfer papers, and a cutter. Whether or not you choose to hire additional help for your t-shirt business will depend on the amount of volume you are selling per month. Now that I have armed you with the knowledge you need to start your own t-shirt business, it’s time to get out there and get busy!

How Much is Needed to Start a Fashion Brand?

How Much Money Does It Cost To Make A Design On A T-Shirt? (And More)

How Much Will I Pay For Shirts?

What Type Of Equipment and Supplies Do I Need?

Should I Pay For Labor?

How Much Should I Charge For My Merchandise?

Conclusion

Related Questions

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What are some of the most popular online t-shirt businesses in the world?