Most "how much do 100 custom t-shirts cost" pages are written by print shops to convince you to put your email into a quote form. The number you actually need is hidden behind the lead capture.
Here is the math, with no form.
The base equation
Per-shirt cost equals: blank shirt cost + decoration cost + setup fees / quantity + shipping / quantity.
For a 100-piece order, that breaks down approximately as:
| Component | Typical 100-pc cost |
|---|---|
| Blank cotton tee (basic) | $2.50 to $4.00 |
| Blank cotton tee (premium / ringspun) | $4.50 to $7.00 |
| Blank tri-blend tee | $5.50 to $8.50 |
| Blank performance tee | $6.50 to $9.50 |
| Screen print, 1-color, 1-side | $1.50 to $2.50 |
| Screen print, 1-color, 2-side | $2.75 to $3.75 |
| Screen print, 4-color, 1-side | $3.50 to $4.75 |
| Embroidered left chest (small logo) | $4.50 to $6.50 |
| Setup fees per color (screen) | $20 to $35, amortized |
| Shipping | $0.50 to $1.20 per shirt |
100-shirt totals by use case
| Use case | Per-shirt | 100-shirt total |
|---|---|---|
| Basic cotton, 1-color, 1-side | $5.50 to $7.50 | $550 to $750 |
| Basic cotton, 1-color, 2-side | $7.00 to $9.50 | $700 to $950 |
| Premium ringspun, 2-color, 1-side | $9.00 to $12.00 | $900 to $1,200 |
| Tri-blend, 4-color, 1-side | $11.00 to $14.50 | $1,100 to $1,450 |
| Performance tech tee, 1-color, 1-side | $9.50 to $12.50 | $950 to $1,250 |
| Premium embroidered polo (corporate) | $18.00 to $25.00 | $1,800 to $2,500 |
These ranges assume a US-based screen-printing shop with reasonable lead time (10 to 14 business days). Rush jobs add 25 to 75 percent. Overseas DTG (e.g., Printful Pro) is similar or slightly cheaper but adds 2 to 3 weeks of shipping.
The five things that move the price most
- Number of ink colors. Each new color is a new screen, a new setup fee, and another pass on the press. A 4-color front + 4-color back is 8 setups, which on 100 shirts is significant.
- Sides. Front-only is cheaper than front + back by roughly 30 to 50 percent on the decoration line.
- Garment quality. A $2.50 blank vs. a $7.00 blank is a $4.50 swing on every shirt. That is $450 on 100 shirts before any printing.
- Decoration method. Screen print is cheapest at scale, embroidery is mid-tier, DTG is variable, vinyl heat-transfer is most expensive per shirt at 100 pieces.
- Lead time. Rush is 25 to 75 percent. Plan for 10 to 14 business days minimum.
Change fabric, decoration, colors, sides, and quantity. Real per-shirt and total cost in seconds.
Where the cost actually breaks down
For a typical 100-shirt order at $9 per shirt:
- $4 blank
- $3 decoration
- $1 amortized setup
- $1 shipping + handling
Setup fees are the big surprise to first-time orderers. A 1-color, 1-side print has $20 to $35 of setup. On 10 shirts that is $2 to $3.50 per shirt. On 100 shirts that is $0.20 to $0.35 per shirt. This is why the per-shirt price drops dramatically as quantity climbs. The setup is fixed, you are amortizing it.