# How to Price Clothing for Profit: Real Margins on 12 Pieces

> How to price clothing for profit: start near twice the cost to make. Live costs and margins for 12 pieces, every size, shipping and discounts.

- URL: https://trykickstart.app/blog/how-to-price-clothing
- Published: 2026-11-07
- Updated: 2026-11-08
- Author: The KickStart team, Makers of KickStart
- Topic: Costs and pricing

## Key takeaways

- Start near twice what a piece costs to make, round up to a clean price, then check it against what your customer already pays for similar pieces.
- At Printful's prices on November 7, 2026, a $32 T-shirt keeps $18.71 and a $55 hoodie keeps $30.22 after the card fee.
- Sizes above XL cost about $2 more each to make, so a 5XL T-shirt sold at $32 keeps only $10.71 unless you price big sizes up.
- Discounts cut deeper than they look: 20% off a $55 hoodie removes 35% of what you keep.
- Free shipping is a price cut you pay for: on a $32 T-shirt it drops what you keep from $18.71 to $13.90 unless you raise the price.

To price clothing for profit, start from what each piece costs to make, multiply by about two, round up to a clean number and check it against what your customers already pay. With print on demand that puts a T-shirt near $32 and a hoodie near $55, which keep $18.71 and $30.22 per sale after the card fee.

- **$32** T-shirt price that keeps $18.71
- **$55** hoodie price that keeps $30.22
- **2×** the cost to make, rounded up to the next $5

Every cost below is Printful's price on November 7, 2026, read through its API the same way the KickStart studio reads it.

## The pricing formula in one line

**Price = cost to make × 2, rounded up to the next $5, then checked against your market.**

Doubling the cost is the retail rule called keystone pricing, which [Shopify's guide](https://www.shopify.com/blog/what-is-keystone-pricing) describes as a gross margin of about 50%. Two words get mixed up:

- **100% markup** a $16 cost sold at $32
- **50% margin** the share of $32 you keep before fees

KickStart suggests prices with the same rule, never below a starting price: $32 for a T-shirt, $40 for a long sleeve or polo, $50 for sweatpants, $55 for a hoodie or sweatshirt and $28 for a hat, beanie or tote. Every suggestion is yours to change.

## What 12 common pieces cost and what to charge

Size M, one print, the price KickStart would suggest, and what is left after the card fee:

| Piece | Cost to make | Price | You keep | Margin |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| T-shirt (Bella+Canvas 3001) | $11.92 | $32 | $18.71 | 58% |
| Heavyweight tee (Comfort Colors 1717) | $15.60 | $35 | $17.94 | 51% |
| Long sleeve (Bella+Canvas 3501) | $18.66 | $40 | $19.74 | 49% |
| Crewneck sweatshirt (Gildan 18000) | $19.17 | $55 | $33.68 | 61% |
| Hoodie (Gildan 18500) | $22.63 | $55 | $30.22 | 55% |
| Zip hoodie (Gildan 18600) | $24.92 | $55 | $27.93 | 51% |
| Premium hoodie (Cotton Heritage M2580) | $27.84 | $60 | $29.87 | 50% |
| Sweatpants (Cotton Heritage M7580) | $29.98 | $60 | $27.73 | 46% |
| Snapback hat (Yupoong 6089M), embroidered | $17.23 | $35 | $16.32 | 47% |
| Dad hat (Yupoong 6245CM), embroidered | $14.94 | $30 | $13.75 | 46% |
| Beanie (Otto Cap 82-480), embroidered | $14.34 | $30 | $14.35 | 48% |
| Tote bag (Econscious EC8000) | $15.87 | $35 | $17.68 | 51% |

The card fee is [Stripe's US rate](https://stripe.com/pricing) of 2.9% plus 30 cents on the price plus the standard shipping the customer pays. What you keep is before taxes, ads and your plan. Fleece earns the most per sale, a premium blank needs a higher price, and hats and totes work best as a second item in an order.

## Price every size, not only medium

Printful charges the same up to XL, then $2 more for each size above it:

| Size | Tee keeps at $32 | Hoodie keeps at $55 |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| Up to XL | $18.71 | $30.22 |
| 2XL | $16.71 | $28.22 |
| 3XL | $14.71 | $26.22 |
| 5XL | $10.71 | $22.22 |

Keep one price for every size, or add $2 per size above XL like the supplier does. Either way, show each size's price before checkout. KickStart refuses a store price below the cost of your largest size plus the card fee.

## Add every print before you set the price

The costs above include one print. Every extra print adds to every order:

- **+$5.95** a back print on a tee or hoodie
- **+$2.49** a sleeve print on a tee
- **+$0.99** an inside label on a tee
- **+$2.95** back or side embroidery on a hat

A tee printed front and back costs $17.87, so the rule suggests $40, which keeps $20.53. A hoodie printed front and back costs $28.58, so $60, which keeps $29.13.

## Decide who pays for shipping

Printful's standard delivery quote for one piece, November 7, 2026:

| Ship to | T-shirt | Hoodie |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| United States | $4.95 | $8.79 |
| United Kingdom | $4.79 | $7.29 |
| Germany | $4.99 | $7.29 |
| Canada | $8.59 | $10.59 |
| Australia | $7.99 | $12.49 |

Free shipping is a price cut you pay for: on a $32 tee it drops what you keep from $18.71 to $13.90. Build it into the price instead (a $37 tee with free shipping keeps $18.76), or offer it only above an order size. [Printful's shipping page](https://www.printful.com/shipping) lists rates by country.

## Discounts cost more than they look

A discount comes out of what you keep, while the cost to make stays the same.

**What you keep from a $55 hoodie at each discount**: 20% off the price removes 35% of the profit on this hoodie.

| Item | Cost |
| --- | ---: |
| Full price, $55 | $30.22 |
| 10% off, $49.50 | $24.88 |
| 20% off, $44 | $19.54 |
| 30% off, $38.50 | $14.20 |
| 40% off, $33 | $8.86 |

Source: Printful (Gildan 18500, size M, one print), $8.79 US shipping paid by the customer, Stripe's 2.9% plus 30 cents. Checked 2026-11-07.

Decide the lowest price you would accept before a sale. A fixed amount off, or an offer with an end date, keeps more margin than a deep percentage cut. KickStart's checkout stops any order where a discount would not cover production, shipping, tax and the card fee.

## Check the price against your market

1. **Find three brands** Ones your customer already buys from, and their prices
2. **Choose your position** Below them needs a reason; above them needs to look worth it
3. **Price the collection** Clear steps: $32 tee, $40 long sleeve, $55 hoodie
4. **Use round prices** $55 reads cleaner than $54.37

If a price feels too high, change the piece before you cut your margin: one print side instead of two, or a standard blank. [How to start a clothing brand](https://trykickstart.app/blog/how-to-start-a-clothing-brand) covers choosing first pieces.

## How KickStart sets your first price

KickStart reads the live supplier cost of your piece and suggests a price you can use with one tap, with the cost to make, what you make per sale and a monthly estimate under it.

![KickStart's price step for a black hoodie: a large price field suggesting $55.00, a cost to make of $22.63, $32.37 made per sale and an estimated monthly profit of $1,524 at 50 orders](https://trykickstart.app/blog/how-to-price-clothing/price-step.webp)

*The price step for a hoodie with one print, using Printful's size M cost on November 7, 2026.*

You can change any price later in your store's products, where each piece shows its supplier cost. The [studio page](https://trykickstart.app/studio) shows how pieces are designed.

**Price your first collection this week.** Design your pieces, see what each costs to make and set prices that leave a profit, starting with 7 days for $1. [See plans and pricing](https://trykickstart.app/pricing)

## Questions about pricing clothing

### What is a good profit margin for clothing?

Keeping 45% to 60% of the price after production and card fees. Below about 40%, a discount or a big size can wipe out most of the profit.

### How much should I charge for a T-shirt?

Twice the cost, rounded up. For an $11.92 tee that gives $25; KickStart starts at $32, which keeps $18.71.

### Should bigger sizes cost more?

They cost you more: $2 per size above XL. One price is fine if your largest size still earns enough.

### Can I sell print on demand clothing wholesale?

Rarely. A shop doubles what it pays you, so a $32 tee would sell to them for about $16, leaving $4.08 over Printful's cost. Wholesale works with stock bought in bulk; see [what it costs to start a clothing brand](https://trykickstart.app/blog/cost-to-start-a-clothing-brand).

### How often should I check my prices?

Whenever your supplier changes its prices, and at least every few months.

**Find the right price for your first piece.** [Start your brand on KickStart](https://trykickstart.app/)

## Sources

- [Unisex Staple T-Shirt | Bella + Canvas 3001](https://www.printful.com/custom/products/all/unisex-staple-t-shirt-bella-canvas-3001), Printful. Checked 2026-11-07.
- [Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie | Gildan 18500](https://www.printful.com/custom/products/all/unisex-heavy-blend-hoodie-gildan-18500), Printful. Checked 2026-11-07.
- [API Documentation (catalog prices and shipping rates)](https://developers.printful.com/docs/), Printful. Checked 2026-11-07.
- [Shipping and fulfillment times](https://www.printful.com/shipping), Printful. Checked 2026-11-07.
- [Pricing and fees](https://stripe.com/pricing), Stripe. Checked 2026-11-07.
- [What Is Keystone Pricing? How To Use Keystone Pricing](https://www.shopify.com/blog/what-is-keystone-pricing), Shopify. Checked 2026-11-07.