Screen printing runs $5 to $15 per shirt for most standard orders. A 1-color design on 24 white shirts typically comes in around $8 to $10 each. Quantity is the biggest driver of that number, not design complexity.
Four factors determine where your screen printing cost actually lands, and knowing them before you talk to a shop saves you from sticker shock on the final quote.
Quantity Moves the Price More Than Anything Else
Screen printing sets up a physical screen for every ink color in your design. The shop burns the image onto each screen, mixes the inks, and dials in the press before a single shirt goes through. Those fixed setup costs don't change whether you print 12 shirts or 300.
On a 12-piece run, setup costs represent a significant chunk of your per-shirt price. On a 144-piece run, they're barely noticeable. A rough rule of thumb: doubling your quantity from 24 to 48 shirts typically drops the per-shirt cost by $1.50 to $2.50. The most meaningful price breaks usually happen at 24, 48, 72, and 144 pieces.
Conquer Printing doesn't have a minimum order. You can print 8 shirts and get a real quote. The instant quote calculator shows your per-shirt cost at any quantity before you commit to anything.
Each Ink Color Adds a Screen and a Cost
Every color in your design needs its own screen and its own pass through the press. A 1-color design means one screen and one pass. A 4-color design means four screens, four passes, and more press time per shirt.
Most shops charge a screen setup fee per color, typically $25 to $35 per color per side, billed once for the whole run. Then there's an added per-shirt cost for each additional color. Here's how color count typically affects per-shirt price on a 48-shirt order:
| Colors in Design | Typical Per-Shirt Range |
|---|---|
| 1 color | $8 to $11 |
| 2 colors | $10 to $14 |
| 3 colors | $13 to $17 |
| 4+ colors | $16 to $22+ |
These are industry-typical ranges based on standard blanks and average shop pricing. Get your actual number from the Conquer Printing quote calculator.
One design note worth hearing: adding a 5th color rarely improves a logo enough to justify the added cost. If your artwork has smooth gradients or photo-realistic detail, screen printing isn't the right method regardless of budget. More on that below.
The Shirt Itself Is Part of the Price
The blank garment often accounts for half or more of your total cost on a small run. A standard cotton tee in the Gildan range runs about $3 to $5. A premium ring-spun blank from Bella+Canvas or Next Level sits at $7 to $12. Moisture-wicking performance shirts go higher still.
When comparing quotes from different shops, make sure you're comparing the same garment. A quote of $7 per shirt on a Gildan 5000 and a quote of $9 per shirt on a Bella+Canvas 3001 aren't quoting the same product. The Bella+Canvas shirt fits better and holds up better over dozens of washes. Both facts matter when your team or your customers wear the shirt every week.
For Sacramento-area contractors and service crews, dark-colored shirts in navy, forest green, or charcoal are the norm. Those orders require an underbase layer of white ink before the design colors go down, which adds cost. Expect $1 to $2 more per shirt compared to the same order on white or light-colored garments.
Front-Only vs. Both Sides
A full front print and a full back print are two separate print locations. Each one adds a screen setup and press time to your order. Front-only is the most common configuration and the most affordable. Adding a back print typically adds $3 to $6 per shirt on moderate-sized orders.
Left-chest prints are smaller, but they still require a full screen setup for that location. Sleeve prints work the same way. If you're watching the budget, a single front location gets you most of the visibility at the lowest price.
When DTF Makes More Sense Than Screen Printing
Screen printing is the cost-effective choice at 24 or more shirts with a clean, 3-color-or-fewer design. Below that threshold, the economics flip.
DTF printing doesn't use screens, so there are no screen setup fees. On a run of 8 or 10 shirts, that alone can make DTF significantly cheaper than screen printing. DTF also handles complex artwork, gradients, and multi-color designs better than screen printing can.
Here's how we'd steer you based on what we see most often:
- 8 shirts, full-color company logo: DTF
- 50 shirts, 2-color design for a company event: screen printing
- 12 shirts, photo-realistic or gradient artwork: DTF
- 100 uniforms, 1-color back print: screen printing
- 18 shirts in multiple sizes, same design: screen printing
- 18 shirts in multiple designs: DTF
The right answer depends on your specific job. If you're ordering polos for a management team rather than t-shirts for a crew, embroidery is worth comparing too. A thread-stitched logo on a polo reads differently than a print and holds up better on that type of garment.
Rush Turnaround and What It Adds
Standard turnaround at Conquer Printing is 7 to 10 business days. Rush service, for orders needed in 5 business days or fewer, starts at an additional 20% on your order total. A $350 order becomes $420 at rush pricing.
Plan ahead when the event date is fixed. If you find yourself two weeks out with nothing ordered, we've made tight deadlines work before. But earlier means more flexibility on the press schedule and no rush charge.
Common Questions
Does screen printing fade after washing?
A properly cured screen print outlasts the shirt it's on. Fading and cracking happen when ink isn't cured at the right temperature and dwell time, which is a production problem, not a screen printing problem. If you're unsure about a supplier's quality, ask them about their curing process or request a sample piece before you commit to 200 shirts.
Can I get just 6 or 8 shirts screen printed?
Yes, at Conquer Printing there's no minimum. You'll pay more per shirt than you would at 72 pieces, because the fixed setup costs are spread across fewer units. For most orders under 12 pieces, we'll also quote DTF side-by-side so you can see which method actually costs less for your specific job.
How do I get the per-shirt cost down?
Fewer colors, more shirts, a standard blank, and a front-only print location. A 1-color design on 72 shirts with a standard cotton tee is the cheapest configuration in screen printing. If you can consolidate your order from 30 shirts across two designs to 60 of the same, the price break often covers the shirts you didn't think you needed.
What's the difference between a setup fee and per-shirt cost?
Setup fees are charged once per run, regardless of quantity. They cover the cost of burning the screen for each ink color. Per-shirt cost covers the actual printing. A 3-color design might have $90 in screen fees total (3 screens at $30 each), billed once, plus a per-shirt cost that reflects the quantity you ordered. Both lines appear on a real quote.
Is screen printing or DTF more durable?
Both are durable when done correctly. A well-cured screen print has excellent wash resistance and a slightly raised feel compared to the fabric. DTF transfers, when heat-applied properly, are also very durable and more flexible on stretch fabrics. Where screen printing has an edge is on very high-wash applications like restaurant uniforms or workwear that goes through an industrial laundry. For standard use, the difference is minor.
The Bottom Line
Screen printing makes the most sense at 24 or more shirts with a simple design and consistent colors. For small runs, complex art, or jobs where you need flexibility across sizes and designs, DTF is usually the better spend.
Conquer Printing, at 4554 Roseville Road in North Highlands, runs both methods in-house. You can see your screen printing or DTF price before you talk to anyone using the online quote calculator. No minimum order, no commitment to see your number, and free design help if your artwork needs work before it hits a screen. For jobs that don't fit the standard flow, reach out directly and we'll figure out the right method and turnaround for what you're actually trying to accomplish.