If you have ever looked into ordering custom screen-printed shirts, you have probably run into minimum order quantities. Most screen printing shops require you to order a minimum number of pieces per design, and that number varies from shop to shop. Understanding why these minimums exist, and knowing your options when your order falls below them, will save you time, money, and frustration.
Why Do Screen Printing Minimums Exist?
Screen printing minimums are not arbitrary. They exist because of the real, fixed costs involved in setting up a screen print job. Before a single shirt is printed, your screen printer has already invested significant time and materials.
The Setup Process
Here is what happens before your first shirt hits the press:
- Art preparation. Your design file is separated into individual color layers. Each color in your design becomes its own film positive.
- Screen burning. Each color requires its own screen. The screen is coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, the film positive is placed on it, and it is exposed to UV light. The emulsion hardens everywhere except where the design is, creating a stencil. For a 3-color design, that is 3 separate screens prepared.
- Screen registration. Each screen must be precisely aligned on the press so that every color lands exactly where it should. On a manual press this is done by hand; on an automatic press it is faster but still requires careful setup.
- Ink mixing. Custom Pantone colors need to be mixed from base inks. Even standard colors require ink to be loaded onto the screens and tested.
- Test prints. Before running the full order, the printer runs several test prints to verify color accuracy, registration alignment, and coverage.
The Cost Math
All of those steps take the same amount of time and materials whether you are printing 24 shirts or 200 shirts. At French Press Custom, screen setup is a flat fee per screen (one screen per color) on smaller runs, so a 3-color design carries three screen charges before the first good shirt comes off the press. The current per-screen figure is listed in our screen printing cost guide. Add art prep time, ink, and the press time for setup and registration, and the fixed costs for a single design add up fast.
When you divide those fixed costs across 200 shirts, they add pennies per shirt. Divide the same costs across a dozen shirts, and suddenly setup alone can double the per-piece price before the garment cost, ink, and labor are added in.
That is why minimums exist. They keep the per-piece cost reasonable for both the customer and the print shop. It is also why modern shops route very small orders to digital printing instead, where there is no screen setup at all.
What Are Typical Screen Printing Minimums?
Minimums vary by shop, but here are the common ranges you will encounter:
- 12 pieces. Some smaller shops offer this, usually with per-color surcharges that climb quickly on multi-color designs.
- 24 pieces. A common sweet spot, and the minimum we use at French Press Custom. At 24 pieces the setup costs spread thin enough that screen printing delivers its signature quality at a fair per-piece price.
- 48 to 72 pieces. Larger production shops focused on wholesale and corporate orders sometimes start at 48 or higher because their presses and workflows are optimized for volume.
- No minimum, with a surcharge. A few shops will run any quantity but charge flat setup fees that make very small screen print orders expensive on a per-piece basis. In almost every case, digital printing is the better answer for those quantities.
The Per-Color Factor
Some shops set minimums per color. For example, a shop might allow smaller runs for 1-color designs but require more pieces for 4+ color designs, because multi-color jobs take significantly longer to set up and register.
Alternatives for Small Orders
What if you need fewer shirts than the minimum? Or you need a full-color, photographic design that would require too many screens? Several alternatives exist that do not carry the same setup constraints as screen printing.
DTG (Direct to Garment) Printing
DTG works like an inkjet printer for fabric. There are no screens to burn, no color separations, and no per-color charges. You can print a single shirt in full color at a reasonable per-piece price. At French Press Custom, DTG has no minimum and no setup fees, which is exactly why it is our go-to for orders under 24 pieces.
Pros:
- No minimums, print even a single shirt
- No setup fees
- Unlimited colors at no extra cost
- Excellent for photographic and gradient designs
- Fast turnaround on small orders
Cons:
- Higher per-piece cost than screen printing at volume (above 48+ pieces, screen printing becomes cheaper)
- Works best on 100% cotton or high-cotton blends
- Not ideal for performance polyester fabrics
DTF (Direct to Film) Transfers
DTF is a newer technology where your design is printed onto a special film, coated with adhesive powder, and then heat-pressed onto the garment. There are no screens involved, so it stays economical for smaller orders. At French Press Custom, DTF starts at just 12 pieces.
Pros:
- Low 12-piece minimum
- Full-color printing with good opacity on dark garments
- Works on virtually any fabric, including polyester and nylon
- Durable and flexible transfers
Cons:
- Slightly thicker hand feel than DTG or water-based screen printing
- Not as cost-effective as screen printing at volumes above 48 pieces
Vinyl Heat Transfer
For simple designs, like names, numbers, and single-color logos, vinyl heat transfer is a clean and durable option well suited to small runs. Individual names and numbers for a team order of 8 jerseys, for example, are perfectly suited to vinyl.
Pros:
- Great for small runs and personalization
- Crisp edges on text and simple shapes
- Available in specialty finishes (metallic, glitter, reflective, glow)
- Extremely durable
Cons:
- Not practical for complex multi-color designs
- Each piece is individually cut and weeded by hand, which adds labor cost for larger orders
- Limited to solid colors per layer
How to Work Within Screen Printing Minimums
If screen printing is the right method for your project but your quantity is close to or below the minimum, here are strategies to make it work:
Consolidate Sizes, Not Designs
Minimums apply to the total number of pieces per design, not per size. An order of 8 Small, 8 Medium, 6 Large, and 2 XL is a 24-piece order. You do not need 24 of each size.
Combine Orders
If you are ordering shirts for a small team but also need some for your family or a side project, combine them into one order as long as they use the same design and ink colors. The printer cares about the total quantity per press setup, not who the shirts are for.
Order Extras
If you are at 20 pieces and the minimum is 24, order the extra 4. You will use them eventually for replacements, new hires, gifts, or giveaways. The marginal cost of a few additional shirts is much less than the cost of a separate small-quantity order later.
Simplify the Design
Fewer colors means fewer screens and lower setup costs. If your design has 5 colors, ask whether a simplified 1 or 2-color version could work for this run.
Let the Shop Pick the Method
A good shop will not force your job into screen printing if the quantity does not make sense. Tell them your quantity, design, and budget, and let them recommend screen printing, DTG, or DTF accordingly.
The French Press Custom Approach
At French Press Custom, our screen printing minimum is 24 pieces per design. That is the point where screen printing genuinely beats every other method on quality and price. For anything under 24 pieces, we print DTG with no minimum and no setup fees, so you can order 1 shirt or 20 without paying screen charges at all. Our team will always recommend the best method for your quantity, design, and budget so you get the best possible result regardless of order size. For the minimums on every method we offer (embroidery is also 24 pieces, DTF is 12, heat transfer vinyl is 6), see What Is the Minimum Order for Custom Shirts? and our company facts page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the screen printing minimum at French Press Custom?
Our screen printing minimum is 24 pieces per design. Sizes can be mixed freely within that count. Below 24 pieces we print DTG instead, which has no minimum and no setup fees, so small orders never pay screen charges.
Why is there a minimum for screen printing but not for DTG?
Screen printing requires burning a separate screen for every color, aligning them on press, mixing ink, and running test prints before the first sellable shirt. Those fixed costs only make sense spread across a real production run. DTG prints directly from the digital file with no screens, so a single shirt costs almost the same per piece as fifty.
How much are screen printing setup fees?
Screen setup at French Press Custom is a flat fee per screen, and each ink color in your design needs its own screen, so a 2-color design carries two setup fees and a 4-color design carries four. That prep is billed as a separate line on the smallest runs; above the minimum it is built into the per-piece price. The current per-screen figure is published in our screen printing cost guide. On larger runs those fees fade into pennies per shirt, which is exactly why the 24-piece minimum exists.
Do all 24 pieces have to be the same size and color?
Sizes can be mixed however you like; an order of 8 Small, 8 Medium, 6 Large, and 2 XL counts as 24 pieces. The design and ink colors need to stay the same across the run, since those are what the press is set up for. Changing the garment color is usually fine too, as long as the ink colors still work on it.
What should I do if I need fewer than 24 shirts?
Order them DTG. You get full-color printing with no minimum, no setup fees, and fast turnaround. For specialty fabrics like polyester or nylon, DTF transfers start at just 12 pieces. Either way, you do not need to stretch your order to hit a screen printing minimum.
Need custom printed apparel? Whether it is 6 shirts or 6,000, get an instant quote from French Press Custom or call (562) 407-3800.
