How to start a t-shirt business

How to start a t-shirt business, step by step

1. 01

   Design for one crowd

   A t-shirt is a way for someone to say who they are, so the best-selling shirts usually speak to one group: nurses, trail runners, a city's neighborhoods, fans of a niche hobby. Pick a crowd you know well enough to write jokes or slogans that only they would get.

   Start with five to ten designs for that crowd. You'll learn more from which of ten designs sells than from one perfect design nobody asked for.

2. 02

   Choose how shirts get printed

   Print on demand uses direct-to-garment printing: a partner prints your design on a blank after each order and ships it, so you hold no stock. Screen printing pushes ink through a stencil per color, which suits larger runs of simple designs and costs less per shirt at volume. Heat transfers let you press shirts at home.

   Start with print on demand to find designs that sell, then move your best sellers to a screen printer once you can predict how many you'll need.

3. 03

   Pick a blank people like wearing

   The blank matters as much as the print. A soft, well-cut shirt gets worn and gets you repeat buyers; a boxy, scratchy one ends up in a drawer. Printful prints the Bella+Canvas 3001, a soft unisex tee, from $11.92.

   Check the size chart for the blank you choose and put it on every product page. Buyers who can't judge the fit often leave without buying.

4. 04

   Use only art you own

   Sell designs you made, paid someone to make with a written transfer of rights, or licensed. Song lyrics, team logos, characters and other brands' names are owned by someone else, and print partners and marketplaces take down shirts that use them.

   Search your brand name in the USPTO trademark system too. Clothing is a crowded class, and you want to find a conflict before you print the name on a neck label.

5. 05

   Order samples and wash them

   Order each design in at least two sizes and wear them. Wash them five times and check how the print and the fabric hold up. Photograph the samples on real people instead of relying only on mockups.

   Printful can also add a printed inside label for $0.99 a shirt, which replaces the blank maker's tag with your brand name and size, so the shirt feels like yours.

6. 06

   Price from the real cost per shirt

   Add the print cost, shipping, card or marketplace fees and your ad cost per order. A Bella+Canvas 3001 from Printful is $11.92 before shipping, and Printful's US shipping for t-shirts is $4.95 for the first item and $2.20 for each extra. Printify's own example sells the same blank at $24.99 against an $8.77 cost with its Premium plan.

   Decide whether you charge shipping or build it into the price. Either works, as long as buyers see it on the product page. Shipping that only appears at checkout loses sales.

7. 07

   Build a store that handles sizes

   Every shirt comes in sizes and often colors, so run your catalog on Shopify, which handles variants, and connect your print partner's app to it. Orders flow to the printer automatically.

   Replo builds the pages on top: a homepage that says who your shirts are for, a collection page for each drop, and product pages with the size chart, fabric details and photos on real people.

What it costs to start a t-shirt business

What a print-on-demand t-shirt business costs to open. You pay for each shirt only after it's ordered, so samples are the main upfront spend.

Your first 30 days

1. Week 1

   Pick the crowd and designs

   • Write down one crowd and ten phrases or images only they would get.
   • Turn the best five into print-ready designs at full resolution.
   • Search the brand name on USPTO and check the .com and handles.

2. Week 2

   Order samples

   • Connect a print partner to a trial store and create your products.
   • Order three samples in different sizes and colors to your own address.
   • Wash the samples five times and check the print and fit.

3. Week 3

   Shoot and build the store

   • Photograph friends wearing the samples outdoors in natural light.
   • Build a collection page for the first drop and product pages with size charts.
   • Set prices that cover print, shipping, fees and a little ad spend.

4. Week 4

   Launch the first drop

   • Announce a launch date to the crowd where they already hang out.
   • Point every post and ad at the drop's collection page.
   • Retire designs that don't sell and make variations of the ones that do.

What brands in this category run ads to

Build your t-shirt store

Frequently asked questions

How profitable is a t-shirt business?

It depends on your print cost and price. Printify's own example sells a Bella+Canvas 3001 at $24.99 against an $8.77 fulfillment cost on its Premium plan. That leaves $16.22 before card fees, shipping and ads, so what you keep depends on how cheaply you find each buyer.

How much does it cost to start a t-shirt business?

With print on demand, about $57 covers three samples with shipping, a domain and a trial month of a store. Screen printing costs more upfront because you pay for a batch of shirts before you sell any. Start on demand and switch once designs prove themselves.

Can I start a clothing brand with $500?

Yes, if you start with print on demand. $500 covers samples of several designs, a domain, a few months of a store plan and a small ad test. It won't cover cut-and-sew production, which needs patterns, samples and a minimum run.

What type of t-shirts sell the most?

Shirts made for a specific group sell better than generic slogans, because buyers wear them to say who they are. Within that, comfortable blanks in neutral colors and designs readable from a few feet away tend to get worn and shared.

Do I need a license to sell t-shirts?

Not a t-shirt license, but you'll likely need general state or local business licenses and a sales tax registration in a state that taxes clothing. An EIN from the IRS is free. Check your state's website before the first sale.