Garment categories
12
Tops, bottoms, a tote and two kinds of headwear, every record included.
Clothify research · November 2026
How much does a printed garment cost to produce?
Production costs for 12 print on demand garments, with one placement and with a second one, from a dated snapshot. Shipping, tax and fees come on top, and this page shows how they change a price.
Key findings
Median, one placement
$18.92
The middle of the 12 records, between the long sleeve and the sweatshirt.
One-placement range
$11.92 to $40.50
From the T-shirt to the polo, a spread of $28.58.
A $5.95 second placement adds
49.9% vs 26.3%
to the T-shirt and the hoodie. The same dollar amount weighs more on a cheaper garment.
All 12 records
One placement, side by side
Production cost for one printed placement, before shipping, tax and fees. The T-shirt was the lowest record and the polo the highest; the middle six records sit between $15.87 and $23.00.
- $11.92
- $14.34
- $14.51
- $15.87
- $17.23
- $18.66
- $19.17
- $22.63
- $23.00
- $24.92
- $26.47
- $40.50
Second placement
A second print adds the same amount, not the same share
Ten records list the same $5.95 for an additional placement, such as a back print. As a share of the one-placement cost that ranges from 14.7% on the polo to 49.9% on the T-shirt. Those percentages apply to these records, not to every T-shirt or hoodie.
- +49.9%
- +41.0%
- +37.5%
- +31.9%
- +31.0%
- +26.3%
- +25.9%
- +23.9%
- +22.5%
- +14.7%
- Not recorded
- Not recorded
A missing additional-placement price on the cap and beanie does not mean a free extra placement, and a recorded price does not establish that a placement is available on every variant. A design on both faces may be worth it: compare the extra cost with what the design adds before choosing your retail price.
Worked example
What these costs mean for a price
Take the T-shirt record to a $25.00 retail price and follow one order through shipping and fees. The production cost comes from the snapshot. The price, shipping and fee rates are illustrative assumptions, the same ones the profit calculator's example uses, not quotes or customer results.
T-shirt, front print only
Production $11.92 with one placement
- Item price
- $25.00
- Shipping charged to the customer
- $5.00
- Customer pays, before tax
- $30.00
- Production, from the snapshot
- −$11.92
- Supplier shipping
- −$5.00
- Platform fee, 3% of the item
- −$0.75
- Processing, 3% + $0.30
- −$1.20
Contribution per order$11.1337.1% of $30.00
- Production $11.92
- Supplier shipping $5.00
- Fees $1.95
- You keep $11.13
T-shirt, front and back
Production $17.87 with a second placement
- Item price
- $25.00
- Shipping charged to the customer
- $5.00
- Customer pays, before tax
- $30.00
- Production, from the snapshot
- −$17.87
- Supplier shipping
- −$5.00
- Platform fee, 3% of the item
- −$0.75
- Processing, 3% + $0.30
- −$1.20
Contribution per order$5.1817.3% of $30.00
- Production $17.87
- Supplier shipping $5.00
- Fees $1.95
- You keep $5.18
Contribution per order at five illustrative prices
Same assumptions: $5.00 shipping charged and $5.00 paid to the supplier, 3% platform fee on the item, 3% + $0.30 processing. Before tax and fixed monthly costs.
Swipe the table sideways to see all five prices.
| Garment | $20.00 | $25.00 | $30.00 | $35.00 | $40.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-shirt$11.92 production | $6.43 | $11.13 | $15.83 | $20.53 | $25.23 |
| T-shirt, second placement$17.87 production | $0.48 | $5.18 | $9.88 | $14.58 | $19.28 |
| Hoodie$22.63 production | −$4.28 | $0.42 | $5.12 | $9.82 | $14.52 |
| Hoodie, second placement$28.58 production | −$10.23 | −$5.53 | −$0.83 | $3.87 | $8.57 |
| Sweatshirt$19.17 production | −$0.82 | $3.88 | $8.58 | $13.28 | $17.98 |
| Cap$17.23 production | $1.12 | $5.82 | $10.52 | $15.22 | $19.92 |
Full data
The complete snapshot
USD. Recorded November 7 to 8, 2026. Size M where applicable; headwear follows its standard size. Not a live quote.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Garment | One placement | Extra placement | With extra placement | Extra adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-shirt | $11.92 | $5.95 | $17.87 | 49.9% |
| Hoodie | $22.63 | $5.95 | $28.58 | 26.3% |
| Zip hoodie | $24.92 | $5.95 | $30.87 | 23.9% |
| Sweatshirt | $19.17 | $5.95 | $25.12 | 31.0% |
| Long sleeve | $18.66 | $5.95 | $24.61 | 31.9% |
| Tank | $14.51 | $5.95 | $20.46 | 41.0% |
| Polo | $40.50 | $5.95 | $46.45 | 14.7% |
| Shorts | $26.47 | $5.95 | $32.42 | 22.5% |
| Sweatpants | $23.00 | $5.95 | $28.95 | 25.9% |
| Tote | $15.87 | $5.95 | $21.82 | 37.5% |
| Cap | $17.23 | Not recorded | Not calculated | Not calculated |
| Beanie | $14.34 | Not recorded | Not calculated | Not calculated |
A missing additional-placement price does not mean a free extra placement. A price does not establish that a placement is available on every variant.
Download CSVBefore you price
What these numbers leave out
Color, size, location, technique and supplier pricing can change the quote. Check the exact product and destination before selling.
- ShippingDelivery depends on the destination and the order.
- TaxesSales tax or VAT where it applies.
- Payment processingA percentage and often a fixed amount per payment.
- Clothify platform feesAny fees on your plan, checked against your terms.
- SubscriptionsMonthly software and service plans.
- Embroidery digitizationA setup step for stitched designs.
- Discounts and returnsSale prices, refunds and reshipments.
- MarketingAds, samples, photos and promotions.
- Your timeDesign, customer service and admin.
Printful explains its pricing components, including additional placements and digitization. Its shipping information covers destination-dependent delivery costs. These sources explain the categories; they do not independently reproduce our historical row values.
Method
Method, provenance and limits
How it was collected
Published November 13, 2026 by the Clothify team. We froze the 12 category records used by Clothify's garment-cost module, whose source comments date its Printful catalogue observations to November 7 and 8. We included all 12 records and made no price lookup or purchase for this analysis.
What was not kept
The underlying provider responses, SKU identifiers, color and fulfillment location were not retained with this table. This limits independent verification and like-for-like comparison. Treat it as an application snapshot, not a market survey, supplier price guarantee or industry benchmark.
How it was calculated
The median is the average of the sixth and seventh sorted prices: ($18.66 + $19.17) ÷ 2 = $18.915, displayed as $18.92. Percentage increase = extra placement ÷ one-placement cost × 100, rounded to one decimal. There are no survey respondents, inferred customer outcomes or statistical confidence intervals.
Reuse and corrections
Cite this snapshot
Clothify Print-on-Demand Cost Snapshot, November 2026; 12 catalogue categories, observations November 7 to 8. https://clothify.io/research/print-on-demand-costs
Link to this page, keep the dates and exclusions, and credit Printful for supplier pricing. The table and original analysis are available under CC BY 4.0. External brands and source material keep their own rights.
Report corrections to team@clothify.io. Future observations will have their own dated dataset; this snapshot will stay identifiable.
Questions
Print on demand cost questions
How much does it cost to print a T-shirt on demand?
In this snapshot the T-shirt record cost $11.92 to produce with one placement and $17.87 with a second placement, size M, recorded November 7 to 8, 2026. Shipping, tax and fees are separate. Check the exact product, color and destination for a current quote.
How much does a print on demand hoodie cost to produce?
The hoodie record cost $22.63 with one placement and $28.58 with a second placement. The zip hoodie record cost $24.92. These are historical production costs, not retail prices or live quotes.
Which garment was cheapest and which cost the most?
The T-shirt was the lowest one-placement record at $11.92 and the polo the highest at $40.50. The median of all 12 records was $18.92.
How much does a second print, such as a back print, add?
Ten records list the same $5.95 additional placement. That added 49.9% to the T-shirt and 26.3% to the hoodie. Cap and beanie records have no additional placement price, which does not mean a second placement is free or available.
Does the production cost include shipping?
No. Shipping, taxes, payment processing, Clothify platform fees, subscriptions, embroidery digitization, discounts, returns and marketing all sit on top of these numbers. Shipping depends on the destination, so check it for the exact order.
How should I price a printed garment?
Add every cost that comes with one order, then choose a price that still leaves money after fees. In the illustrative example on this page, a $25.00 T-shirt with one placement leaves $11.13 per order before tax and fixed costs. Try your own numbers in the profit calculator.
Can I reuse this data?
Yes. The table and original analysis are available under CC BY 4.0. Link to this page, keep the dates and exclusions, and credit Printful for supplier pricing. External brands and source material keep their own rights.
Keep going
Turn the snapshot into a plan
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Guides
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Read the guide: How to Price Clothing for Profit: Real Margins on 12 Pieces
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Read the guide: Best Print on Demand Products for a First Clothing Collection
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