Conquer Printing has no minimum order for screen printing, embroidery, or DTF. Most shops set a floor of 12 to 36 pieces because the screens and setup labor cost the same whether you print 6 shirts or 600, and they need enough units to spread that cost across. If you only need a handful, you can still get screen printing done here, though for very small runs DTF or DTG usually saves you money.
That's the short version. The longer version, the one that actually helps you decide what to order and how, takes a little more explaining.
Why screen printing has a minimum order in the first place
Screen printing works by pushing ink through a mesh stencil, one screen per color, onto the shirt below. Making those screens (coating them with emulsion, exposing the artwork, washing out the design, then curing every printed shirt in a dryer) takes real setup time before a single shirt gets pressed. The Printing United Alliance's technical guide to screen making walks through the same steps: image the film, expose the emulsion, wash and dry the screen, then load it on press. None of that changes whether the run is 10 shirts or 500.
That fixed cost is why most print shops quote a minimum. A four-color design might take 45 minutes to burn screens and dial in registration on the press. Spread across 6 shirts, that setup cost dominates the price. Spread across 200, it barely registers. Shops that quote "36-piece minimums" aren't being difficult. They're protecting you from paying $40 a shirt for something that should cost $12.
What a "minimum" actually means at Conquer Printing
Conquer Printing doesn't turn away small orders. There's no minimum quantity and no setup fee tacked onto a design change, and design support is included whether you're ordering 4 shirts or 400. What changes with order size is the smartest print method, not whether we'll take the job.
For a run under about 20 pieces, we'll often steer you toward DTF or DTG instead of traditional screen printing. Same shirt, same design, lower per-unit cost, because there's no screen to burn. For anything from a few dozen pieces up, screen printing usually wins on cost per shirt and on how the print feels against skin after 30 washes. You can run the numbers either way through the instant quote calculator and see the actual price difference for your quantity before you commit to anything.
Screen printing, DTG, and DTF for small orders
Here's how the three methods actually compare when your order is small rather than a 300-piece team order.
| Method | Best order size | Setup cost | Feel on shirt | Color limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen printing | 24+ pieces per design | Per-screen, one-time | Soft when properly cured, can feel heavier on thick ink | Priced per color, unlimited colors possible |
| DTG (direct-to-garment) | 1 to 24 pieces | None | Soft, prints like an inkjet into the fabric | Unlimited colors and photo detail, no extra cost |
| DTF (direct-to-film) | 1 to 50 pieces | Low, per design | Slightly more texture than DTG, very durable | Unlimited colors, works on more fabric types |
Screen printing still wins once you're past the crossover point, usually somewhere between 20 and 36 shirts depending on how many colors are in the design. Below that, you're paying screen setup costs you don't need to pay.
When screen printing is the wrong call, even with no minimum
A photo-realistic design with gradients and shading is a bad fit for screen printing no matter the quantity. Screens print flat spot colors well. They can't blend a sunset the way a digital printer can. If your design has a photo, a gradient, or more than 6 or 7 colors bleeding into each other, we'd point you to DTF or DTG before we'd burn screens for it, and we'd say so on the quote call.
The reverse is also true. A single-color logo for 150 work shirts belongs on a screen press. DTF transfers get more expensive per unit as the run grows, and at that volume the screen setup cost is already paid off by shirt 40 or so.
Real orders that come through the door at this size
A taco truck owner ordering 15 staff shirts before their first weekend at a summer festival doesn't need to hit some invented minimum to get help. Neither does a contractor who just hired two more guys and needs 12 more hi-vis shirts to match the crew he already has. Neither does a nonprofit board that needs 8 shirts for a booth at a fundraiser next month.
All three of those are common weekly orders here, and all three get quoted honestly: DTF for the taco truck's 15-piece run, most likely screen printing for the contractor if he's matching an existing 40-shirt order on file, and a look at both options for the nonprofit depending on how many colors are in their logo. None of them get told to come back when the order is bigger.
Common Questions
Does screen printing have a minimum order quantity?
Not at Conquer Printing. Many print shops set a minimum of 12 to 36 pieces because screen setup costs the same regardless of run size, but Conquer Printing quotes every order, including single-digit quantities, and will recommend DTF or DTG when that's the cheaper option for a small run.
How many shirts do you actually need for screen printing to make sense?
Somewhere between 20 and 36 pieces per design is usually the point where screen printing's cost per shirt drops below DTG or DTF. Below that range, the one-time screen setup cost outweighs the savings screen printing offers at higher volume.
What is a screen printing setup fee, and does Conquer charge one?
A setup fee covers the labor and materials to make screens and dial in the press for one specific design. Conquer Printing builds standard setup into the quoted price rather than billing it as a separate line item, so the price shown at checkout is what you pay.
Is DTF or DTG cheaper than screen printing for a small order?
For runs under about 20 pieces, yes, in most cases. DTG and DTF skip the screen-making step entirely, so there's no fixed cost to spread across a handful of shirts. Once the quantity climbs into the dozens, screen printing typically overtakes them on price per unit.
Can I order just one custom shirt from Conquer Printing?
Yes. A single shirt or a small batch is usually printed with DTF or DTG rather than screen printing, since that avoids paying for screen setup on a one-off order. Run it through the quote calculator or reach out directly and we'll tell you which method fits your design and quantity.
Bottom line
If a shop tells you no order is too small, ask them which print method they're actually planning to use for your quantity. That answer matters more than the "no minimum" claim itself. For anything under two dozen pieces, expect DTF or DTG to come back cheaper. Past that, screen printing usually takes over. Either way, get the actual numbers before you decide: run your design and quantity through the quote calculator and see the price for your specific order.