how pricing works.

the honest part first.

You won't find a price grid on this page, and here's the real reason: blank garment prices change constantly, and no two jobs are the same. A grid we posted today would quietly lie to you by Friday. What we can do, and what almost nobody in custom apparel does, is show you the whole machine: every variable that moves your per-piece price, which direction it moves it, and the handful of fees we're happy to put in writing.

Then, when you're ready, a human (not a formula) reads your actual art and your actual order and sends a real quote, usually within 24 hours.

the six things that move your price.

1. Quantity. The biggest lever by far in screen printing. Setup work (burning screens, loading the press) costs the same whether we print 12 shirts or 400, so the more pieces that setup spreads across, the less each piece carries. Price breaks land at 12, 24, 48, and 144 pieces. The exception is digital printing (DTF): every piece is placed by hand, one at a time, so its per-piece price stays flat at any quantity, no bulk discount, no bulk penalty. That's exactly why big simple orders belong on the press and small detailed ones belong on digital printing.

2. Ink colors. In screen printing, every color is its own screen, its own setup, and its own station on the press. A one-color design is the oldest budget trick in the book. (Under 12 pieces, full-color digital printing sidesteps color-count math entirely.)

3. Print locations. Front, back, sleeve: each one is a separate run through the press. A single strong front print often beats front-and-back on both budget and design.

4. The garment itself. The blank usually drives cost more than the decoration does. A basic tee, a retail-soft tee, and a hoodie can be the same print at three very different prices. We'll happily suggest a substitute blank that saves money without looking like it did.

5. Artwork. Print-ready art costs nothing extra. Art that needs recreating or designing from scratch is billed at $100 per hour, and the first 30 minutes are free with any production order, which covers most cleanup jobs entirely.

6. Timeline. Standard turnaround is 8 to 10 business days after art approval. Rush is genuinely available (same day if garments are in stock), but the standard timeline keeps the price standard.

the fees we put in writing.

• Quotes: free. Back to you in about 24 hours.
• Embroidery digitizing: $35, once. Your logo goes on file forever; reorders never pay it again.
• Custom art: $100/hr, first 30 minutes free with a production order.
• Deposit: 50% sends your job into art. Nothing prints before you approve a proof.
• Online team stores: free to build, host, and manage. Really.

frequently asked, honestly answered.

Why doesn't P&M Apparel post prices online?

Because a posted grid would be wrong within the week. Blank garment costs move constantly, and no two jobs share the same art, color count, locations, and quantity. Instead of a stale price list, we explain exactly what drives the number and return real quotes within about 24 hours.

What fees does P&M Apparel put in writing?

A one-time $35 digitizing fee for new embroidery logos (then it's on file forever). Custom artwork at $100 per hour, with the first 30 minutes free on production orders. A 50% deposit sends your job into art. Quotes are free, and online team stores are free to set up.

What's the cheapest way to print custom shirts?

One ink color, one print location, a basic cotton tee, ordered at quantity on the standard 8-to-10-day timeline. Quantity is screen printing's biggest lever: per-piece pricing improves at 12, 24, 48, and 144 pieces. (Digital printing, or DTF, is the exception: it's hand-placed piece by piece, so its price stays flat at any quantity.)

Are there minimums?

Screen printing minimums scale with color count: 12 pieces for 1 to 3 colors, 24 for 4 to 6, and 48 for 7 to 10. Embroidery and digital printing (DTF) have 1-piece minimums.

Is an instant online price accurate?

Instant calculators quote a formula, not your order. They can't see that your art needs cleanup, that a different blank saves you money, or that digital printing beats screens at your quantity. A human quote catches all three, and ours comes back in about 24 hours.

Want the play-by-play on stretching a budget? Read how to lower your per-shirt cost, or how our quotes work.