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09
Lesson 9 of 9 · The Textile Playbook

Pricing Benchmarks That Actually Exist

Quick summary
Real numbers from the German / EU textile market — what embroidery, screen print, and DTF actually cost per piece, what setup fees look like, and where suppliers make their margin.
Why it saves
Walk into a supplier negotiation knowing what “fair” looks like. Spot the padded quote before you commit.
Bottom line
Walk into negotiations with ranges, not asks. “I’m seeing €X–€Y” beats “Can you do €X?”
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Embroidery — Per-Piece by Stitch Count

Stitch rangePer-pieceTypical applications
0–5,000€2.50–4.00Small chest logos, text, simple shapes
5,000–10,000€4.00–6.50Medium logos, standard cap embroidery
10,000–20,000€6.50–10.00Large back designs, detailed artwork
20,000+€10.00–16.00Complex full-chest, oversized designs

→ Prices per location. Company name ≈ 3k stitches. Medium logo ≈ 8k. Detailed emblem ≈ 15k. Photorealistic ≈ 25k+.

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Screen Print — Per-Piece by Color Count

ColorsPer-pieceMin orderNotes
1€1.50–3.0050–100Cheapest at volume, fastest setup
2–3€3.00–5.5050Most common for branded apparel
4–6€5.50–8.50100Complex designs, longer setup
6+€8.50–14.00+100–250Consider DTF instead

→ Each color = one screen = €25–50 setup. 4-color design = €100–200 in screens alone.

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DTF / Transfer — Per-Piece by Size

SizeDimensionsPer-pieceBest for
Small<10cm€2.00–4.00Chest logos, small text
Medium10–20cm€4.00–7.00Full-chest, back designs
Large>20cm€7.00–12.00Oversized, full-back

→ No setup fees (or minimal €20–50 film charge). Unlimited colors, works on almost any fabric — but less durable, “plastic” feel.

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Base Product Costs — Wholesale to Decoration Shop

ProductRangeNotes
Caps€1.50–4.00€1.50 basic cotton, €4 premium structured
T-shirts€2.00–8.00€2 promo, €8 premium retail weight
Polos€8.00–15.00Pique knit standard
Sweatshirts / hoodies€12.00–25.00Fleece weight drives price
Jackets (softshell)€20.00–40.00Waterproof adds €5–10
Jackets (padded)€25.00–50.00Down / synthetic premium
Cotton bags€2.00–5.00€2 thin promo, €5 heavy canvas
Workwear pants€15.00–35.00Cargo / safety premium
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Setup Fees — The Hidden Cost Layer

FeeRangeWhen it applies
Digitizing (embroidery)€30–150First-time logo, per design
Screen making€25–50 per colorScreen print
Film / output (DTF)€20–80 per designDigital transfers
Sample / mockup€20–50Physical sample before production
Color changes€10–25 per changeEmbroidery thread swaps mid-run
Digitizing revision€20–50Changes after approval

→ Digitizing is one-time per design. Same logo on 50 items or 5,000 — paid once. Keep the file.

calc

The 100-Hoodie Order

Line itemAmountNote
Hoodies (€18 wholesale)€1,800€18 × 100
Embroidery 8k stitches€550€5.50 × 100
Digitizing€60One-time
Rush fee (2-week)€3051.25× on decoration
Shipping (DE national)€853-day freight
Total€2,800€28 / hoodie delivered

→ The comparison trap

Supplier A
€2,400
excluded digitizing + 2-week standard
Supplier B
€2,800
all-inclusive, realistic timeline — the real answer
Supplier C
€3,400
“premium quality” padding
note

The “All-In” Ask

Never negotiate on sticker price. Negotiate on delivered cost. “I need 150 items, chest logo, delivered to [city] by [date]. What's the all-in price including digitizing, samples, shipping, and any rush fees?” Then compare apples to apples: same product tier, same decoration complexity, same timeline, same inclusions.

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Red Flag Pricing

QuoteLikely issue
Embroidery at €1.50 / pieceMisquoted stitch count, will revise up
“Free digitizing”Baked into per-piece price, or low quality
“No rush fee”Standard price already includes it, or quality risk
Screen print at DTF pricesWrong technique for the volume
Shipping “to be determined”Hidden €100+ surprise coming