← All articles · 2026-06-12

How much do custom t-shirts cost for 100 people? (2026 guide)

Short answer: at the 100-shirt tier in 2026, mainstream US online printers typically charge $9.50–$10.50 per shirt for a single-color screen print — before setup fees — and $13.50–$21.50 per shirt for multi-color designs. Here's where that money actually goes, and how to pay less without cutting corners.

The three parts of every quote

1. The garment. A standard 100% cotton tee is the baseline; heavyweight (200gsm+) combed cotton adds $1–3 per shirt. Sizes 2XL and up usually add $2–4 each.

2. The printing — and this is where color count bites. Traditional screen printing charges per ink color: each additional color typically adds $1–3 per shirt. A five-color logo can add $4–12 per shirt versus a one-color design.

3. The fees most people miss. Screen printers charge a setup fee of $15–30 per color (some shops $35) to create each screen. A 5-color front print = $75–150 in fees before a single shirt prints. Rush delivery adds 15–30% or more.

Example: 100 shirts, 5-color design

• Typical US screen printer: $13.50–$21.50/shirt + $75–150 setup ≈ $1,425–$2,300 total
• Modern DTF digital printing (no screens, no per-color charges): the same design prints at flat full-color pricing — with an overseas producer like us, from about $11/shirt ≈ $1,100 total, shipping and duties included

That's the structural trick to saving on multi-color designs: DTF printing doesn't care how many colors you use, so the per-color pricing model never kicks in.

How to pay less (without lower quality)

• Plan 3+ weeks ahead. Rush fees are pure margin for printers. Planned orders can also use overseas production at ~30% less. Here's the full timing guide.
• Ask what setup fees apply. "All-inclusive" pricing often just hides them in the per-shirt rate.
• For multi-color art, get a DTF quote. Flat pricing beats per-color pricing for any design over 2 colors.
• Order together. 100 shirts in one order costs 60–75% less per shirt than ordering singles.

Organizing shirts for a school, company event or fundraiser? We quote any design — unlimited colors, $0 setup — within 24 hours.