How many shirts should I order?
Every price break costs or saves you real money, and the jump from 11 to 12 shirts is the biggest one. Here is how I help customers land on a number.
Apparel · Updated August 22, 2026 · 5 min read
Why the number matters more than the design
Almost everybody who calls me has the design figured out and the quantity guessed. It should be the other way around. Printing costs the same whether your art has one color or twenty — what moves your bill is how many shirts run at once.
Here is my published table. It is the same table the online configurator charges from, so what you read here is what you pay at checkout.
| Quantity | One side | Front + back |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 11 shirts | $25 ea | $32 ea |
| 12 – 23 shirts | $22 ea | $28 ea |
| 24 – 49 shirts | $19 ea | $25 ea |
| 50 – 99 shirts | $15 ea | $20 ea |
| 100+ shirts | $12 ea | $16 ea |
Prices include a Gildan 5000 blank and full-color DTF printing — no setup fee and no screen charges. Premium and performance blanks are priced separately at checkout. Orders over 500 pieces can request a custom production quote so we can schedule press time.
The math
What each price break is actually worth
Every row compares the biggest order in one tier with the smallest order in the next. Sometimes a few extra shirts cost almost nothing — and sometimes they cost you less than ordering fewer.
| Crossing the break | Per shirt | Order total | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 → 12 shirts | $25 ea → $22 ea | $275 → $264 | 12 shirts cost less than 11 |
| 23 → 24 shirts | $22 ea → $19 ea | $506 → $456 | 24 shirts cost less than 23 |
| 49 → 50 shirts | $19 ea → $15 ea | $931 → $750 | 50 shirts cost less than 49 |
| 99 → 100 shirts | $15 ea → $12 ea | $1485 → $1200 | 100 shirts cost less than 99 |
One-side print pricing, single design, mixed sizes allowed. Totals are the shirts only — add-ons and shipping are quoted separately at checkout.
How I decide
Picking a number you will not regret
Ordering for a known roster
Collect real sizes before you order. Twelve shirts that fit twelve people beats twenty shirts with six left in a box, even at a better per-shirt price.
Selling the shirts
Work backwards from a price you can actually charge. If you plan to sell at $25, the tiers tell you exactly how many you need to move to make it worth doing.
Just under a break
If you land at 10 or 11, look at 12. If you land in the forties, look at 50. Those two jumps are where the price drop is steepest — the top tier is $12 each.
Restocking later
There are no screens or setup fees here, so a reorder is not penalized. If you are unsure, order what you know you need now and reorder when you sell out.
Bigger runs
When you get past 100 shirts
At 100 pieces and up you are on the $12 tier, which is where schools, churches and companies usually land. See bulk custom t-shirts for how those runs are scheduled and what turnaround to expect.
If you own a shop or print for clients and would rather press shirts yourself, buying DTF gang sheets is cheaper per print than buying finished shirts — the cost-per-shirt breakdown shows the math.
Questions
Shirt quantity questions
+ What are your custom shirt price breaks?
$25 each for 1–11, $22 for 12–23, $19 for 24–49, $15 for 50–99, $12 for 100 or more for a one-side print. Front and back printing is priced separately in the same tiers, and you can see every number on the shirt ordering page.
+ Do the shirts have to be the same design to hit a price break?
Yes — the quantity break is per design. Sizes and shirt colors can be mixed freely inside one design, and that is what most teams and shops do.
+ Is there a setup or screen fee?
No. We print with DTF, so there are no screens to burn and no per-color charges. A ten-color design costs the same as a one-color design.
+ What about orders over 500 pieces?
Orders over 500 pieces can request a custom production quote so we can schedule press time. Call the shop and we will look at your run before you commit.
+ How do I choose sizes?
There is no formula that fits every group, but for a mixed adult crowd most of the run lands in medium through XL. If you are ordering for a known roster, collect sizes first — leftover shirts are the most expensive part of any order. Call (720) 296-2191 if you want help splitting a run.