Screen Printing
Ink, screens, and press time costed per shirt and per run.
Screen printing has a cost curve most pricing ignores: every color needs its own screen and setup, so a 12-shirt job carries the same setup as a 200-shirt job. Spread that setup over few shirts and each one is pricey; spread it over many and it nearly disappears. Get the amortization wrong and you either lose small jobs or overcharge big ones.
CrafterBy spreads screen and setup cost across the run, costs ink per print by color, and adds press and cure time — so your per-shirt price is right whether the order is a dozen or a thousand.
The challenge
- No amortization of screen and setup over the run size
- Costing ink by the gallon, not per print
- Ignoring press and dryer time
- Flat pricing regardless of color count
How CrafterBy helps
- Spread setup and screen cost across the run
- Cost ink per print, by color
- Add press and cure time
- Price by quantity and color count from one template
How to price your Screen Printing work
- 1Add the blank garment as a component.
- 2Add screen and setup as a one-time cost, spread over the run size.
- 3Cost ink per print by the number of colors.
- 4Add press and dryer time per shirt.
- 5Set a margin — and reprice by changing the run quantity.
Worked example
Custom tee, 2-color print (run of 50)
- Blank tee$3.10
- Ink — 2 colors (per shirt)$0.45
- Screens + setup (2 colors, over 50)$1.60
- Press + cure time (per shirt)$0.80
- Labor — print + handle (per shirt)$1.10
The same job as a run of 12 costs far more per shirt — because setup is spread over fewer pieces.
Common pricing mistakes
Charging the same per-shirt price for a run of 12 and a run of 200.
Not amortizing screens and setup, so small runs quietly lose money.
Pricing a 1-color and a 4-color print identically.
What you'll cost & track
Materials you'd track
Equipment run-cost
Price products like
Frequently asked questions
How do I price screen printing?
Cost the blank, spread screen and setup across the run size, cost ink per color per print, and add press and cure time. Because setup is fixed per job, your per-shirt price should drop as quantity rises — CrafterBy recalculates when you change the run.
How should I handle setup and screen costs?
Treat them as a one-time cost per job and divide across the run. Or charge a separate setup fee plus a per-shirt rate. Either way, don't bury setup in a flat price — small orders won't cover it.
Why do more colors cost more?
Each color needs its own screen, setup, and ink pass. Costing per color means a 4-color design carries its true extra work instead of subsidizing it from your margin.