Custom Apparel Cost Calculator

Key Takeaways

• Real per-unit price, not a guess. This custom apparel cost calculator uses Arklavo's actual finished prices, so the number matches what you pay at checkout. It prices custom t-shirts, polos, hoodies, crewnecks, jackets, caps, aprons, and bags.
• No setup fees, no minimum. Order one piece or one thousand. Digitizing and screen setup are included.
• Price drops as the run grows. A volume discount applies automatically: 5% at 10, 10% at 24, 15% at 50, 20% at 100, 25% at 250 units.
• First logo included. Each extra placement (back, sleeve) adds 8.99 dollars per unit.
• Get your full results. Enter your email to get your full cost sheet.

What Custom Apparel Actually Costs

Custom apparel with one logo runs from about 12 dollars per unit for a printed tee to 50 dollars or more for an embroidered hoodie or jacket, and the per-unit price drops as your run grows. Your price is the finished garment with the decoration and first logo included, plus 8.99 dollars per extra placement, with a volume discount applied automatically by quantity. There is no setup fee and no minimum order. Use the custom apparel cost calculator above to see your exact per-unit cost, then get your full results.

How Custom Apparel Pricing Actually Works

Custom apparel pricing comes down to four things: the garment, the decoration, the number of placements, and your run size. At Arklavo it is one finished per-unit price with the decoration and your first logo placement included. There is no setup fee and no minimum order. From there, two things change your number: each additional placement adds 8.99 dollars per unit, and a volume discount kicks in as your run size grows.

• Garment and decoration. A printed tee sits at the low end; an embroidered hoodie or jacket sits at the high end. Embroidery costs more than print on the same garment. To price embroidered apparel on its own, use the embroidery cost estimator.
• No setup fee. Digitizing and screen setup are included, so a small run is not penalized the way it is at most shops.
• Placements. The first logo is included. Each extra placement, like a back print or a sleeve mark, adds 8.99 dollars per unit.
• Volume discount. The per-unit price steps down as your run size grows, and your email unlocks your full results and a same-day quote.

Use the calculator at the top to flex any of these and watch the per-unit number move.

Try a bigger run in the calculator

Bump the quantity and watch the automatic volume discount step the per-unit price down. Then jump back to the calculator to lock your scenario.

Per-Unit Price by Run Size

The per-unit price steps down at set quantities, automatically. Arklavo applies a volume discount by run size with no code needed. The example column shows an embroidered hoodie at a 56 dollar list price, with each tier's discount applied. The discount lands at checkout the same way on every garment.

Read it like this: the finished per-unit price already includes the decoration and your first logo placement, with no setup fee and no minimum. As your run size crosses each tier, the automatic volume discount steps the per-unit price down. Your email unlocks your full results and a same-day quote.

Quick Reference: Embroidery or Print, When

Choose print for the lower price and full color; choose embroidery for the premium look that lasts. Both carry the same automatic volume discount, so the decision is about finish, not fees.

Choose print

Print, which covers DTG, DTF, and screen, is the lower finished per-unit price on the same garment and is great for full-color art. There is no minimum, so a single sample piece works too.

Choose embroidery

Embroidery reads as premium and lasts, and it is the value pick for polos, caps, and outerwear. It carries a higher finished price than print on the same garment.

Grow the run

The automatic volume discount steps the per-unit price down as your order grows: 5% off at 10, then 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% at 24, 50, 100, and 250.

For mixed garments and placements, run each scenario in the calculator and email yourself the spec sheets to compare.

When the Per-Unit Cost Moves Most

Your per-unit cost moves most when you cross a volume tier or add a placement. Run both numbers in the calculator before you order; rounding up to the next tier often lowers your total.

• Crossing a volume tier drops the per-unit price the most. Nine pieces jump to a 5% discount at ten, and a 10% discount at twenty-four.
• Adding a second placement adds 8.99 dollars per unit, so a back print lifts the per-unit total.
• Switching from embroidery to print usually lowers the per-unit price, with a different look.
• Ordering a sample first for teams of 20 to 50 confirms fit and art before the full run. We help set this up when you request a quote.

What Arklavo Tells Teams About Custom Apparel Pricing

Arklavo built this calculator to answer the question we hear most: "what is the catch on the low price." There is not one. We built Arklavo so a 12-person crew and a 300-person company get the same honest math: a finished per-unit price with the first logo included, a volume discount that shows up on its own, and no setup fee waiting at the end. The only number that moves your cost beyond run size is extra placements at 8.99 dollars each. If you want a second opinion on garment or run size before you commit, send the spec and we will sanity-check it. That is the whole model, and the calculator above runs it live.

Methodology and Data Sources

This calculator runs on Arklavo's own production inputs, so the output is a primary source you can cite. It is a planning estimate, not a public flat rate, and not a formula anyone could rebuild from a blog post.

What the estimate is built from

• Live catalog prices. Finished per-unit prices for tees, polos, hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets, caps, aprons, and bags from the Arklavo catalog, with the decoration and your first logo placement already included.
• Two decoration types. Embroidery and print, which covers DTG, DTF, and screen. Embroidery carries a higher finished price than print on the same garment.
• Automatic volume discount. Real tiers by run size, applied at checkout with no code: 5% off at 10 units, 10% at 24, 15% at 50, 20% at 100, and 25% at 250 or more.
• Extra placements. The first logo placement is included in the finished price. Each additional placement adds 8.99 dollars per unit. There is no setup fee and no minimum order.

The formula

Per unit equals the finished catalog price for the garment and decoration, which already includes the first placement, plus 8.99 dollars per unit for each additional placement, with the automatic volume discount for your run size applied on top. Your email unlocks your full results and a same-day quote.

Sample basis and limits

Prices reflect Arklavo branded-apparel offerings across corporate, hospitality, workwear, healthcare, and team verticals. The estimate excludes sales tax and assumes standard left-chest sizing for the first placement. Your exact price depends on the specific garment and brand you choose, which a quote confirms.

Last updated June 29, 2026

Sources and further reading

• Arklavo catalog: finished per-unit prices with decoration and first placement included.
• Arklavo volume discount tiers, applied at checkout: 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% at 10, 24, 50, 100, and 250 units.
• Decoration types: embroidery and print, which covers DTG, DTF, and screen, with 8.99 dollars per extra placement.

Custom Apparel Cost FAQ

How to Use This Calculator

• Set quantity and garment. Enter your run size and pick the garment. The run size sets your automatic volume discount and the garment sets the finished per-unit price.
• Choose decoration and placements. Pick embroidery or print, then add any extra placements at 8.99 dollars per unit each.
• Read your per-unit price. See the finished per-unit price and the total, with the volume discount for your run size already applied.
• Save and quote. Email yourself the spec sheet, then request a quote to confirm the exact price.

No minimums. Free shipping over $150. Production takes 2 days, then shipping takes 2 to 5 business days.