Profit margin calculator

Most direct-to-consumer apparel brands target a 30–50% profit margin. Anything under 15% leaves little room for marketing, returns, or growth, while established brands with strong positioning and volume-driven blank costs can exceed 50%. Use the calculator above to see where your pricing lands.

A common range for custom printed tees is $25–$45 retail, depending on the blank quality and your brand positioning. Work backwards from your total cost per unit (blank + print + shipping) and target at least a 30% margin. The "Suggest a price" mode does this math for you.

Margin is profit as a percentage of your selling price (profit ÷ price), while markup is profit as a percentage of your cost (profit ÷ cost). A shirt that costs $20 and sells for $35 has a 42.9% margin but a 75% markup. Retailers usually talk in margin; wholesalers in markup.

Icy's tiered pricing discounts your cost as your order grows, up to 30% off at 288+ units. Since your selling price stays the same, every point of discount drops straight into your margin. The tier table above shows the effect at each quantity break.

Yes. If you pay for shipping to your customer, it's a real per-unit cost and should be part of your margin math. If you charge customers for shipping separately or bake it into the retail price, adjust the shipping field accordingly so the calculator reflects what actually leaves your pocket.

DTG (direct-to-garment) prints ink directly into the fabric, ideal for photorealistic, full-color artwork on cotton. DTF (direct-to-film) presses a printed transfer onto the garment. It's vibrant, durable and works on dark fabrics and blends. DTF typically costs slightly less per print; both are priced per placement (front, back, or both).