Sublimation Shirt Pricing: How to Price Sublimated Tees, Hoodies and Team Orders
How to price sublimated shirts and hoodies: cost the polyester blank, paper and ink per print, add press and prep time, then set retail and team order prices.
In this guide
Sublimation gives soft, full-color prints that never crack or peel, which makes it great for apparel. It only works on light-colored, high-polyester fabric, so blanks cost a bit more than basic cotton tees. This guide shows how to price sublimated tees and hoodies from blank to finished shirt, and how to quote team orders.
- Shirt price = polyester blank + sublimation paper and ink + press and prep time + overhead, then profit and fees.
- An adult sublimated tee costs about $10.45 to make and sells for about $16. A sublimated hoodie sells for about $35.
- Sublimation needs white or light fabric with high polyester content. Price the right blank, not a cheap cotton tee.
- Team orders share one design setup, so the price per shirt drops as the quantity goes up.
Why sublimation shirts need their own pricing
Sublimation blanks are polyester or poly blends, which cost more than budget cotton tees. Ink and paper are cheap per print, but large designs use big sheets, and mistakes cost a whole shirt.
Pressing also takes care: lint rolling, pre-pressing to remove moisture, taping the transfer and protecting with butcher paper. Price each of those minutes.
The steps
1. Price the blank
Use white or light polyester tees. Blends need at least about 65% polyester for good color. Include supplier shipping in the blank cost.
2. Cost paper and ink per print
Divide a pack of paper by sheets and estimate ink per sheet. A full-front design on a tabloid sheet often uses $0.50 to $1.00 of paper and ink combined.
3. Time prep and pressing
Lint roll, pre-press, tape, press, peel and fold. A simple tee is about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Add overhead
Printer, press, maintenance and wasted shirts are overhead. Add about 10%.
5. Add profit and fees
Add 25% to 35% profit. Divide by 0.90 for online fees, or by 0.97 for local orders paid by card.
Worked example: tee, youth tee and hoodie
$20 an hour, 10% overhead, 30% profit and 10% fees.
| Adult polyester tee | Youth polyester tee | Polyester hoodie | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blank | $4.25 | $3.50 | $12.50 |
| Paper and ink | $0.85 | $0.60 | $1.70 |
| Bag and label | $0.40 | $0.40 | $0.60 |
| Labor at $20.00/hr | 0.2 hr = $4.00 | 0.18 hr = $3.60 | 0.35 hr = $7.00 |
| Overhead (10%) | $0.95 | $0.81 | $2.18 |
| Cost to make | $10.45 | $8.91 | $23.98 |
| Plus 30% profit | $13.58 | $11.58 | $31.17 |
| Cover 10% selling fees (divide by 0.90) | $15.09 | $12.87 | $34.64 |
| Suggested price | $16 | $13 | $35 |
The blank is most of the cost on every shirt. Buy blanks in bulk for team orders, and check sizing charts, since polyester tees often run small.
What you keep on each sales channel
The same adult sublimated tee at $16.00 leaves different money in your pocket depending on where it sells. This uses the $10.45 cost to make from the example above, with Etsy's current transaction, processing and listing fees and Square's in-person card rate. Shipping, sales tax and ads are left out.
| Where it sells | Buyer pays | Fees | You keep | Profit over cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etsy (6.5% + 3% + $0.25 + $0.20 listing) | $16.00 | $1.97 | $14.03 | $3.58 |
| Your own website (about 2.9% + $0.30) | $16.00 | $0.76 | $15.24 | $4.79 |
| Craft fair, card reader (2.6% + $0.15) | $16.00 | $0.57 | $15.43 | $4.98 |
| Craft fair, cash | $16.00 | $0.00 | $16.00 | $5.55 |
| Wholesale to a shop (50% of retail) | $8.00 | $0.00 | $8.00 | -$2.45 |
On Etsy, fees take about 12% of a $16.00 sale. The fixed $0.45 per order hits small items hardest, so bundles and multi-packs keep more of each sale. If a sale comes through Etsy Offsite Ads, add another 15% (12% for shops over $10,000 a year), so build that into your price if you're enrolled. Wholesale at half of retail loses $2.45 per piece here. Either raise retail, lower your cost, or set a separate wholesale price with a case minimum.
Bulk and custom order pricing
For a team order of sublimated shirts, design, proof and a test press takes about 1 hr at $20.00/hr. Charge that once per order, then spread it across the pieces. Materials are $5.50 per piece and hands-on time is 12 minutes, which drops when you batch the same design. Overhead is 10%, profit 30%, and 3% covers card or invoice fees.
| Quantity | Setup share per piece | Cost per piece | Price per piece | Order total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $20.00 | $32.45 | $43.49 | $43.49 |
| 12 | $1.67 | $11.62 | $15.58 | $186.93 |
| 24 | $0.83 | $10.27 | $13.76 | $330.23 |
| 48 | $0.42 | $9.59 | $12.85 | $616.82 |
The price per piece falls from $43.49 to $12.85 because the setup is shared, not because you cut your rate. Quote the tier the customer actually orders, ask for a 50% deposit before you buy blanks, and set a minimum order size for custom work.
Sublimation shirt checklist
- High-polyester, light-colored blanks priced with shipping.
- Paper and ink per design size.
- Prep and press time measured.
- Overhead for printer, press and misprints.
- Profit and fees added.
- Team tiers with setup charged once.
- A size run and deposit before ordering blanks.
Price sublimated apparel fast
Type your blank, paper, ink and time into the peach cells. The calculator shows cost and a suggested price for each garment.
Get the Sublimation Apparel CalculatorCalculators that help
- Print cost per sheet: Get exact paper and ink cost. Use the Sublimation Print Cost Calculator – Sheets: Ink, Paper & Cost per Design.
- Bulk orders: Quote team and business orders. Use the Sublimation Bulk Order Quote Calculator – Quantity Price Breaks, Setup Fee & Deposit.
- Compare methods: See if HTV, DTF or sublimation pays more. Use the HTV vs DTF vs Sublimation Profit Comparison – Cost, Profit & Profit per Hour.
- Size runs: Plan blanks by size for team orders. Use the DTF Blank Apparel Size Run Planner – How Many of Each Size to Buy.
Common questions
How much should I charge for a sublimation shirt?
Many sublimated tees sell for about $15 to $30. In this guide an adult tee prices at about $16. Price from your own blank and time.
Can you sublimate on cotton shirts?
Not directly. Sublimation bonds with polyester. Use high-polyester shirts, or a sublimation-for-cotton coating or film, which adds cost.
How much does it cost to sublimate a shirt?
The blank is the main cost. Paper and ink for a full-front design are often under $1. In this guide a tee costs about $10.45 to make.
How should I price sublimation team orders?
Charge design and setup once, buy blanks in bulk, and lower the price per shirt as the quantity goes up.
Can I sublimate on dark shirts?
Not with standard sublimation, because the ink is see-through. Dark shirts need HTV, DTF or a sublimation patch.
Is sublimation more profitable than HTV?
It depends on the design. Full-color designs are often faster with sublimation. Single-color designs on cotton may be better with HTV.
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