Merch Margin Calculator

A quality shirt with professional printing commonly costs $6 to $12 per unit all-in at typical order quantities. Sold at $25 to $30, that leaves roughly $9 to $15 in real profit per shirt after payment processing and overhead — before any venue cut at shows. Margins improve substantially with larger print runs, at the cost of more upfront cash and inventory risk.

Venue merch cuts commonly range from 10 to 25 percent of gross sales, with some independent rooms taking nothing and some larger venues taking up to 30 percent. The cut comes off gross, not profit, so it hits your margin harder than it first appears. Merch cuts are negotiable, especially as your drawing power grows, so ask before you assume.

T-shirts commonly sell for $25 to $30, stickers for $2 to $3, and vinyl for $20 to $25 at independent shows. Price so you still clear a real margin after the venue's cut of gross sales — a $25 shirt with an $8 unit cost and a 15 percent venue cut nets you around $13. Round pricing also keeps the merch line moving.

Print-on-demand services handle production, storage, and shipping with zero upfront cost and no inventory risk, but the margin drops to roughly $3 to $8 per shirt versus $9 to $15 when you order in bulk. It is a reasonable starting point when demand is unproven; artists commonly switch to bulk ordering once they know how much they actually sell.