Custom Screen Printing: What to Know Before You Order
Screen printing is one of the most durable and cost-effective ways to produce custom apparel in quantity, but the final price depends on more than simply the number of shirts.
Artwork colors, garment color, print locations, quantity, garment choice, and setup requirements can all affect the finished job.
This guide explains the main things to consider before requesting a screen-printing quote so you can better understand your options and provide the information needed for accurate pricing.
When Does Screen Printing Make Sense?
Screen printing is particularly well suited to multi-piece orders where the same design is being reproduced across a quantity of garments.
It works especially well for:
• Company and staff shirts
• Event T-shirts
• Team and school apparel
• Church and organization shirts
• Workwear and uniforms
• Fundraisers and promotional apparel
• Branded merchandise
For many designs, the cost per piece becomes more attractive as the order quantity increases because the initial setup is spread across more garments.
Our minimum order for qualifying screen-printing projects is generally 12 pieces.
How the Number of Print Colors Affects Your Quote
Traditional screen printing usually requires a separate screen for each print color.
For example, a design using:
1 color may require one screen.
2 colors may require two screens.
3 colors may require three screens.
If the same artwork is printed on both the front and back of the garment, separate setups may also be required for each print location.
This is why a simple one-color company logo can cost differently from a more complex multi-color design, even when the garment quantity is the same.
Not sure how many colors your artwork contains? You do not need to figure that out yourself. Upload the artwork with your quote request and we can help identify the print colors and setup requirements.
Why Dark Garments May Need a White Underbase
This is one of the areas customers often find confusing.
When bright or light-colored ink is printed directly onto a dark garment, the garment color can show through the ink and make the design appear dull.
To help the printed colors remain bright and accurate, a white underbase may first be printed underneath the design.
Think of it as creating a light foundation before the visible colors are added.
For example:
White shirt + red logo
The red may be printed directly onto the garment.
Black shirt + red logo
A white base may first be printed underneath the red so the finished color appears properly.
The underbase can affect the number of screens, print passes, and overall production requirements, which is why dark garments can sometimes price differently from light garments.
Front, Back and Sleeve Printing
Each print location is considered separately.
Common locations include:
• Left chest
• Full front
• Full back
• Upper back
• Sleeves
A shirt with a small left-chest logo and a large back design requires more production setup than a shirt printed on one side only.
When requesting a quote, tell us where you would like each part of the design printed.
If you are uncertain about the best placement or size, we can help you work through the options.
What Are Screen Setup Charges?
Before screen printing begins, the artwork must be separated and screens prepared for the individual colors and print locations required for the job.
These are production setup costs rather than garment costs.
The amount of setup required depends primarily on:
• Number of artwork colors
• Number of print locations
• Complexity of the design
• Whether additional artwork preparation is required
This is also why increasing the quantity of an order can reduce the effect of setup costs on the price per garment.
Artwork: What Should You Send?
The best artwork files are generally clean, high-resolution files that can be prepared accurately for printing.
Commonly useful formats include:
• AI
• EPS
• PDF
• High-resolution PNG
• Other high-quality artwork files
Vector artwork is particularly useful because it can usually be resized without losing quality.
If all you have is a logo from an email, website, photograph, or low-resolution image, send it anyway. We can review it and let you know whether artwork preparation or cleanup will be needed.
You do not need to become an artwork expert before asking for a quote.
Need more help preparing your file? Read our Artwork & Print Preparation Guide →
Choosing the Right Garment
The printed design is only part of the finished product. The garment itself can have just as much impact on how the order feels and performs.
We have access to widely used apparel brands including:
Gildan, Bella+Canvas, Hanes, Next Level, Port & Company, Sport-Tek, and others.
Different garments can offer different:
• Fabric weights
• Fits
• Cotton/polyester blends
• Softness
• Durability
• Moisture-wicking performance
• Color choices
• Price points
For example, a promotional event shirt may have very different requirements from a premium company shirt that employees will wear regularly.
If you are unsure which garment makes sense, tell us how the shirts will be used and the approximate budget you have in mind.
What About Designs With Lots of Colors or Photographic Detail?
Not every design is best suited to traditional spot-color screen printing.
Artwork containing photographs, gradients, very high color counts, or extremely fine detail may sometimes be better produced using a different printing method.
Rather than forcing every design into the same process, we review the artwork and can advise which production approach is more practical for the job.
For certain full-color screen-printing applications, minimum quantities may also be higher than for simpler designs.
How to Get a More Accurate Quote
You do not need to know every technical detail, but providing the following information helps us prepare a more useful quote:
1. Garment type
T-shirt, polo, hoodie, work shirt, etc.
2. Approximate quantity
How many pieces do you need?
3. Garment color
Light, dark, or specific colors if known.
4. Print locations
Front, back, left chest, sleeve, etc.
5. Artwork
Upload your logo or design if available.
6. Sizes
Approximate size breakdown if you know it.
7. Deadline
Let us know if the order is needed for a specific event or date.
Once we have those details, we can review the artwork, garment requirements, print colors, setup needs, and production considerations before preparing your quote.
Still Not Sure What You Need?
That is completely fine.
Many customers begin with little more than a logo, an approximate quantity, and an idea of what they want the finished apparel to accomplish.
Send us what you have and we can help you work through the garment, artwork, placement, and printing options.