A crafter using an Epson F170 with sheet paper and buying blanks in bulk has a completely different cost structure than someone using a Sawgrass on sheet paper and ordering shirts one at a time. The F570 can also use roll paper which changes your per-print paper cost compared to sheet-fed printers like the F170 and Sawgrass. If you're all charging $28, one of you is making good money and the other is barely breaking even.

Here's what actually goes into the cost of a sublimation shirt:

Your blank is usually the biggest cost — a basic polyester sublimation tee runs anywhere from $4 to $12 depending on quality and where you buy it. Buy in bulk and that drops; buy singles and it climbs fast. Your ink cost depends on your printer and how much coverage your design has — a full front print uses significantly more ink than a small chest logo. Paper cost, press time, labor, and a share of your overhead (press, printer, ink system) round out the total.

Once you have your total cost, apply a markup of 2–2.5x to get your retail price. For a mid-range polyester tee with a full front design, a lot of small sublimation businesses land between $28 and $38 on Etsy — but that's the output of the formula, not the starting point.

The fastest way to get your number is the free sublimation cost calculator - enter your printer model (Sawgrass, Epson F170, F570), paper type, ink coverage, substrate cost, and labor rate, and it gives you a recommended price and profit breakdown instantly. No guessing required.

If you're pricing multiple shirt styles, different coverage levels, or want to factor in bulk discounts, the advanced sublimation calculator is included with a Silhouette U membership and handles all of it in one place.