Screen printing is strongest on repeat orders of the same design in a few colors — teams, schools, events, businesses and your own brand. If most of your orders will be one-offs or full-color photos, read screen printing vs heat press and the cost to start a DTF business too — many shops run both.
| Equipment | Home-based start | Small commercial shop | Production shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press | Vastex V-100 — $795.00 | Vastex V-1000 4/4 — $3,291.00 | Vastex V-2000HD 6/6 — $8,311.00 |
| Curing | Vastex F-100 flash — $1,007.00 | LittleRed X1 18" conveyor — $4,090.00 | EconoRed II-30 conveyor — $8,374.00 |
| Exposure unit | Vastex E20 LED — $995.00 | Vastex E20 LED — $995.00 | Vastex E200-2331 HO — $3,175.00 |
| Washout | Utility sink to start | Easiway E-32 booth — $900.00 | Easiway E-32 booth — $900.00 |
| Equipment subtotal | $2,797.00 | $9,276.00 | $20,760.00 |
Subtotals add today's bucketsofink.com web prices for the items shown. They do not include consumables, tools, sales tax or freight (equipment ships by freight — your exact estimate is on your quote or at checkout). Automatic presses are quoted separately.
Print test shirts, wash-test them and get your cure right (see the plastisol cure temperature chart). When orders outgrow the press, add stations and colors, move from a flash unit to a conveyor dryer, then consider an automatic press. Our best screen printing machine for small business guide shows each upgrade step.
Ask about the screen printing starter package — press, dryer, exposure unit, screens, emulsion, ink, chemicals and tools quoted together, with setup and training. Great financing is available on new equipment, and used presses and dryers are listed on the Buckets of Ink used equipment marketplace.
See it before you buy: equipment is on display at our Tempe showroom, 906 S Priest Dr, Suite 101, Tempe, AZ 85281 (Mon–Fri 7:30 AM–4:00 PM). Call 480-229-7806 to book a demo, ask about setup and training, or talk through the right size for your shop.
You need a screen printing press, a flash cure unit or conveyor dryer, an exposure unit, a washout area, screens, emulsion, ink, squeegees and chemicals. At Buckets of Ink a home-based starter set of a Vastex V-100, F-100 flash and E20 exposure unit is $2,797.00 in equipment at today's web prices.
Equipment at today's Buckets of Ink web prices runs about $2,797.00 for a home-based start, $9,276.00 for a small commercial shop (V-1000 4/4, LittleRed X1 18" dryer, E20 exposure unit, Easiway E-32 washout booth) and $20,760.00 for a production setup, before consumables, tools, tax and freight.
Yes. A tabletop press, flash unit and small LED exposure unit fit in a garage. Check zoning, power (some dryers need 240V), ventilation and how you will handle reclaim water.
It can be, because the cost per shirt falls as order size grows. Profit depends on pricing each job to cover garments, ink, screen setup, labor and overhead, and on keeping your equipment busy with repeat bulk orders.
Screen printing is cheaper per shirt for larger orders in a few colors; DTF is better for small, full-color orders. Many shops start with one and add the other.
Visit Buckets of Ink at 906 S Priest Dr, Suite 101, Tempe, AZ 85281, Monday to Friday 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, or call 480-229-7806 for a quote, financing and training.
