Home › Screen Printing › What Is Screen Printing › How Much Does Screen Printing Cost? Cost Per Shirt Explained
| Cost factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Number of colors | Each color needs its own screen, film and setup — and on dark shirts a white underbase counts as an extra screen. |
| Quantity | Setup is paid once per color, so it is spread over every shirt in the order. 12 shirts carry far more setup each than 144. |
| Garment | The blank shirt is often the single biggest cost per piece. |
| Print locations | Front, back and sleeve prints each need their own screens and press time. |
| Ink type | Specialty inks (metallic, glow, high-density) cost more than standard plastisol. |
| Labor and speed | Manual presses print fewer shirts per hour than automatics; your hourly cost is spread over that output. |
The starting numbers are examples only — replace them with your own garment price, labor rate and shop speed. Ink cost per print depends on design size, coverage and mesh; the most accurate way to find it is to weigh your ink before and after a run. Overhead (rent, power, equipment payments) and profit are not included.
Say setup for a 2-color job is the same whether you print 12 or 144 shirts. On 12 shirts every shirt carries 1/12 of that setup; on 144 shirts each carries 1/144. That is why screen printers set minimums and offer quantity breaks, and why many shops use DTF for one-offs and short full-color runs. Compare methods in embroidery vs screen printing vs DTF.
Equipment is a separate, one-time cost. A one-color beginner setup is a few hundred dollars plus a way to cure; a 4-color shop setup with exposure unit and conveyor dryer costs much more. See real kits with today's prices on our screen printing kit page and the beginner roadmap. Ask about financing on equipment below.
It depends on the garment, number of colors and quantity. Per-shirt cost = blank shirt + setup per color divided by the number of shirts + ink + labor. Use the calculator on this page with your own numbers.
Setup — screens, film, emulsion and press setup — is paid once per color. Spreading it over more shirts lowers the cost of each one.
Yes. Every color needs its own screen and setup, and adds press time and ink. On dark shirts the white underbase is an extra color.
Silk screen printing is the same as screen printing, so the same cost factors apply: garment, colors, quantity, setup, ink and labor.
For larger runs of the same design, screen printing is usually cheaper per shirt. For short runs and full-color designs, DTF often costs less because there are no screens to set up.
Yes — the calculator on this page works out cost per shirt and total order cost from your own garment price, colors, quantity, setup, ink and labor numbers.
Related guides: How to start screen printing · Screen printing kits · DTF cost calculator · How to screen print T-shirts · Plastisol ink guide
