How Much Does It Cost to Make a T Shirt? The Short Answer
If you are a founder with a design and a budget, the honest answer to the cost to make a t shirt is that it depends on seven or eight lines, and the fabric you pick moves most of them. A plain, mid-weight cotton tee is a simple product to make, but a heavier cloth, a second print position or a premium finish can change the price considerably. This guide does not quote prices, because any figure printed here would be out of date or wrong for your product. It shows how the cost is built, so that you can ask better questions and read a quote properly.
Read the sections in order if you are new to costing, or jump to the worked example and the step-by-step costing request if you already have a quote in hand.
What Goes Into the Cost to Make a T Shirt
A manufactured tee is a stack of separate costs, and a good quote shows them separately. Seeing the lines lets you spot where a supplier is cheap, where it is expensive and where something has been left out.
Cost components of a manufactured t shirt
| Cost line | What it covers | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | Knitted jersey or rib, including yarn, knitting, dyeing and finishing | Fibre, weight in GSM, dye colour, wastage in cutting, order size |
| Cut and make | Cutting, sewing, pressing and finishing by the factory | Style complexity, stitch count, line efficiency, worker skill |
| Trims and labels | Neck labels, care labels, tape, thread, hang tags | Number of labels, woven or printed, custom or stock |
| Decoration | Screen print, DTG, embroidery or heat transfer | Method, colour count, number of positions, artwork size |
| Packing | Folding, polybag, cartons, barcodes and stickers | Individual or bulk packing, bag type, branding |
| Testing and inspection | Lab tests and quality checks before shipment | Number of styles, required standards, buyer rules |
| Freight, duty and VAT | Shipping, insurance, import duty and import VAT | Mode, volume, terms (for example FOB), origin and classification |
| Factory margin and overhead | The supplier running costs and profit | Risk, order size, payment terms and relationship |
Which of these appear on a given quote depends on the terms used. Our guide to FOB price in clothing manufacturing explains what is typically included.
Keep the vocabulary clear: the cost to make a t shirt at the factory is one thing, and the landed cost once it reaches the UK is another. We return to the second at the end of this guide.
An Illustrative Cost Split for a T Shirt
To show how the lines relate, the chart below splits an invented cost into shares. It is an illustration to help you think about proportions, and it is not real data or a price. In many plain tees the fabric is the largest single line, but a heavy decoration or a short run can change that quickly.
Illustrative cost split of a plain t shirt
Illustrative
- Fabric38%
- Cut and make17%
- Trims and labels6%
- Decoration12%
- Packing and freight15%
- Margin and overhead12%
Illustrative only, not data. Assumptions: mid-weight cotton jersey, standard crew neck, one-colour print in one position, individual polybag, sea freight to the UK, a mid-sized order. Shares sum to 100 and are not prices.
Treat the shares as a way of asking "where is my money going?" If your quote shows fabric at a very different share, ask why: you may be buying a heavier cloth than you realised, or the factory may be absorbing some cost elsewhere.
Worked Example: How One Change Moves the Total
The next table keeps the same illustrative shirt and changes two decisions: a heavier fabric and embroidery instead of a print. All numbers are index points where the base shirt equals 100. They are invented for illustration, and every other line stays the same, including margin and overhead.
Illustrative sensitivity: base t shirt vs upgraded t shirt
| Cost line | Base (index points) | Upgraded (index points) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric (heavier cloth, one quarter more) | 38 | 47.5 | +9.5 |
| Cut and make | 17 | 17 | 0 |
| Trims and labels | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Decoration (embroidery instead of one-colour print) | 12 | 16 | +4 |
| Packing and freight | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Margin and overhead | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| Total | 100 | 113.5 | +13.5 |
Illustrative, assumed figures that are not prices. The arithmetic: 100 minus 38 plus 47.5 minus 12 plus 16 equals 113.5. In reality freight and margin would also shift.
Two changes that sound small took the index from 100 to 113.5. That is why it is worth settling GSM and decoration before you ask for the cost to make a t shirt: otherwise two quotes can differ simply because they describe different shirts. Our guide to garment value engineering shows how to take cost out without damaging the product.
Which Choices Move the Cost Most?
Not every decision carries the same weight. The chart below gives an indicative view of how much each choice typically moves the cost to make a t shirt, from 1 (small) to 5 (large). It reflects general manufacturing logic, not measured values.
Indicative relative cost impact of t shirt choices
1 = small, 5 = large
Indicative ratings, not measured data. Real impact depends on the product, supplier and order.
Fabric and quantity usually matter most because they affect every piece. Decoration matters when it is complex or spread across several positions. Label and trim choices are small in isolation but can add up when you ask for custom versions of everything.
Fabric Weight and the Cost to Make a T Shirt
Fabric weight is the easiest variable to discuss and the one that surprises new buyers most. A heavier cloth uses more yarn per metre, so it generally costs more per piece, and it often changes how the tee hangs and wears as well. The ranges below are typical, and they vary by mill and fabric type.
Typical t shirt jersey weights
Typical, varies
Typical, varies by fibre, knit structure and market. Use as a conversation starter, not as a specification.
Choose weight for the product you want to sell, then compare quotes at the same weight. If you are comparing a tee at one weight with a tee at another, you are not comparing prices, you are comparing products. For a deeper treatment of weights, see our t shirt manufacturer guide.
Quantity, Colours and Decoration: Why They Change the Price
Beyond fabric, three choices explain most of the variation between two quotes for what looks like the same tee. Understanding why helps you decide whether to trade one against another.
Cost driver vs why it matters
| Cost driver | Why it matters | How to manage it |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Setup, fabric minimums and cutting efficiency are spread across fewer pieces in a small run | Combine styles in one fabric, or test the market first |
| Number of colours | Each colourway needs its own dye lot, fabric minimum and trims | Start with a small colour palette |
| Print or embroidery | Each colour or position adds setup and processing time | Reduce positions or colours before cutting quality |
| Garment wash or dye | Extra processing, water, energy and time | Use only where it defines the product |
| Custom packaging | Printed bags and boxes add components and handling | Use stock packaging at first |
| Testing standards | Certification and lab tests add cost per style | Agree the required tests before quoting |
General principles. Actual effect varies by supplier and market.
If you are deciding between buying blanks and making your own, our guide on wholesale t shirts: blanks or make your own compares the two routes. Making your own usually costs more to set up and less per piece at scale, while blanks give flexibility at the expense of control.
From Factory Price to Landed Cost
A factory price is not what you pay in total. Once the cost to make a t shirt at the factory is agreed, you still need to add shipping, insurance, import duty, import VAT and any local handling. The point at which responsibility passes from the factory to you is set by the shipping terms: the ICC Incoterms rules rules are published by the International Chamber of Commerce, and FOB is the one most buyers meet first.
Duty depends on the classification of the goods and their origin, so check the current treatment on the UK Trade Tariff and on the GOV.UK guidance on using the Developing Countries Trading Scheme if you are importing from an eligible country. Do not rely on a rate quoted in an article, including this one. For a full walk-through of these extra lines, see our guide to landed cost for clothing imports to the UK.
How to Request a Costing That You Can Compare
A vague request produces a vague quote. The more specific you are, the easier it is to compare the answers and spot what is missing.
Five steps to a comparable costing
- 1Define the productFabric, weight, colours, fit, labels and decoration, with a sketch or tech pack.
- 2State the quantityGive per style and per colour quantities, and any spread across sizes.
- 3Name the termsAsk for the price on a stated basis such as FOB, with the port named.
- 4Ask for a breakdownRequest the cost lines separately: fabric, make, trims, decoration, packing.
- 5Check the exclusionsAsk what is not included: testing, samples, freight, inspection.
Use the same brief for every supplier so quotes can be compared line by line.
Send the identical brief to every supplier you are considering, and keep the replies in one sheet so the lines sit side by side.
Two quotes for the cost to make a t shirt are only comparable when they cover the same weight, fabric, trims, decoration, quantity and terms. When they do not, the cheaper one is usually describing a different shirt. Our guide to comparing two supplier quotations shows how to line them up.
Common Mistakes When Estimating the Cost to Make a T Shirt
Most costing errors come from leaving something out or comparing unlike products. Watch for these before you set a retail price.
- Forgetting samples, testing, packing or freight, which turn a low factory price into a higher landed cost.
- Comparing quotes at different weights, different quantities or different shipping terms.
- Ignoring wastage and rounding, because fabric is bought in rolls and cut in patterns.
- Adding decoration late, after the base price has been agreed.
- Building a retail price from the lowest quote rather than the one you can actually order.
Which line in your current costing are you least sure about: fabric, decoration or freight?
How Ruhrose Approaches T Shirt Costing
Ruhrose develops jersey t shirts, polos and joggers alongside hoodies, denim and woven casualwear, with production in Bangladesh and UK buyer support. We do not publish prices, because each one depends on fabric, quantity and decoration. Instead we talk through the cost lines with you, agree the specification and sample before bulk, so that the quote matches the product. If you also plan a hoodie, our guide to the cost to make a hoodie works through the same lines for a heavier garment. You can read more about Ruhrose's clothing manufacturing services on the homepage.