How Much Does Screen Printing Cost in 2026?
The print itself runs $1.43 to $13.96 per shirt from 24 pieces up (1 to 3 colors, screens included, garment not included), and real 100-piece orders come in around $12 per shirt all-in. This guide breaks down every factor so you know exactly what to expect before you order.
Trusted by the world’s best brands
The Short Answer
How much does it cost to screen print a shirt?
Print only: about $9.75 per shirt for a 1-color front at our 24-piece minimum, $3.77 at 100 shirts, and $1.43 at 1,000+. A second color adds about $2.11 per shirt at 24 pieces and $0.12 in bulk.
Screens included: there is no separate setup fee. One screen per ink color, plus one for the white underbase on dark garments, is spread across your run inside the prices above; runs of 24 pieces or fewer also carry film and press setup the same way. Reorders reuse your screens, so a repeat 1-color front at 100 pieces prices at $3.52 instead of $3.77.
All-in, garment included: real 100-249 piece screen print orders quoted through our shop since 2025 have a median price of about $12 per shirt; 24-49 piece orders come in around $24. The blank you choose moves that number more than anything else.
Under 24 pieces? We do not run silkscreen below the minimum; price it on DTG, which has no minimum and no setup fee.
Price by quantity
Screen printing cost per shirt at 24, 48, 100, 250 and 500 pieces
Print only, at the quantity you actually have. Plastisol print on a light garment, one location, standard print area. Decoration only, blank garment extra.
24
pieces
1 color, front
$9.75 /pc
2 colors, front
$11.86 /pc
Setup included
Already in the price above: 1 screen for 1 color and 2 screens for 2 colors, plus the film and press setup a run this size carries, spread across 24 pieces. Reorders reuse the screens on file and price lower.
20-49 pcs tier · our minimum order
48
pieces
1 color, front
$7.56 /pc
2 colors, front
$8.52 /pc
Setup included
Already in the price above: 1 screen for 1 color and 2 screens for 2 colors, spread across 48 pieces. Reorders reuse the screens on file and price lower.
20-49 pcs tier
100
pieces
1 color, front
$3.77 /pc
2 colors, front
$4.24 /pc
Setup included
Already in the price above: 1 screen for 1 color and 2 screens for 2 colors, spread across 100 pieces. Reorders reuse the screens on file and price lower.
100-199 pcs tier
250
pieces
1 color, front
$2.74 /pc
2 colors, front
$3.01 /pc
Setup included
Already in the price above: 1 screen for 1 color and 2 screens for 2 colors, spread across 250 pieces. Reorders reuse the screens on file and price lower.
200-449 pcs tier
500
pieces
1 color, front
$2.16 /pc
2 colors, front
$2.34 /pc
Setup included
Already in the price above: 1 screen for 1 color and 2 screens for 2 colors, spread across 500 pieces. Reorders reuse the screens on file and price lower.
450-999 pcs tier
Decoration only, blank garment extra. Excludes CA sales tax (10.5%), which applies to the blank garment. Minimum 24 pieces.
Prices last updated . Every figure on this page is generated from the same pricing engine our quote calculator runs on, read fresh each time the page is served, so it changes the day our prices do.
Worked example
48 Gildan 5000 tees, 2-color front print
| Blanks (Gildan 5000)48 x $4.48 | $215.04 |
| Decoration (2-color front print)48 x $8.52, screens included | $408.96 |
| Total for the run | $624.00 |
| Per piece | $13.00 |
Two screens, one location, light garment, with the screens already inside the per-piece print rate rather than billed as their own line. Past the minimum the small-run film and press-setup charges drop off and the two screens spread over twice the shirts, which is why the jump from the minimum to 48 pieces moves the per-shirt total so much. A reorder of the same design reuses those screens, so it prices lower again.
Blank priced from the live S&S Activewear catalog at our standard markup; size upcharges apply on extended sizes and CA sales tax applies to the blank. Decoration and setup come from the pricing engine at the quantity shown.
2026 Pricing
Screen Printing Cost per Shirt by Quantity
Decoration cost per shirt (does not include the blank garment). Prices shown are for standard plastisol ink on standard print areas, one location.
| Quantity | 1-Color Print | 2-Color Print | 3-Color Print | Reorder, 1 Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 24Not screen printed | DTG has no minimum and no setup fee → | |||
| 24-49Minimum order, most popular | $9.75 | $11.86 | $13.96 | $7.04 |
| 50-99Sweet spot for events | $5.43 | $6.24 | $7.04 | $4.93 |
| 100-199Best value starts here | $3.77 | $4.24 | $4.71 | $3.52 |
| 200-449Bulk pricing | $2.77 | $3.06 | $3.35 | $2.64 |
| 450-999High-volume discount | $2.17 | $2.35 | $2.55 | $2.11 |
| 1000+Best rate available | $1.43 | $1.55 | $1.66 | $1.41 |
* Prices shown are decoration cost only (per shirt, per location); the blank garment is priced separately from live wholesale catalogs at wholesale x 1.75. Every figure here already includes the screens, one per ink color, spread across the run, so there is no setup line to add; orders of 24 pieces and under also carry film per color and a press setup per location, included the same way. The last column is the same 1-color print as a reorder, off screens we already have on file. All prices exclude CA sales tax (10.5%), which applies to the garment only.
Instant Pricing
Get your real price in 60 seconds
The tiers above are starting points. Enter your garment, quantity, ink colors, and print locations for an exact per-piece price - no email required to see it. Real 100-piece screen-print orders quote a median of about $12/shirt all-in.
Price Factors
What Affects Screen Printing Cost?
Six factors determine your final per-shirt price. Understanding them helps you budget accurately and find savings.
Number of Ink Colors
Each color requires a separate screen, and that screen is already inside the per-piece price rather than billed as a setup line. A 1-color print is the cheapest. Adding a color adds about $0.12 per shirt in bulk and about $2.11 per shirt at 24 pieces. Most orders use 1-3 colors.
Garment Type & Quality
The blank garment is a major cost factor and is priced separately from the print. A basic Gildan tee costs less than a premium ring-spun Bella+Canvas; hoodies, polos, and jackets cost more. We bill garments at wholesale x 1.75, and the quote calculator prices the exact blank you pick from live wholesale catalogs.
Design Complexity
Simple spot-color designs are standard. Halftones, gradients, and simulated process prints require more screens and precise registration, adding to the cost. Keep designs clean for the best pricing.
Number of Print Locations
Each print location (front, back, sleeve, inside tag) is priced separately. A front-only print is cheapest. Adding a back print roughly doubles the decoration cost.
Specialty Inks
Standard plastisol ink is included. Specialty inks like metallic, glow-in-the-dark, puff, discharge (soft hand), or shimmer carry a per-piece add-on that the calculator shows as its own line. Water-based inks may add a small surcharge.
Rush Orders
Turnaround depends on order size, decoration complexity, and our current production schedule - most jobs run on a 7-10 business day timeline. Rush production may be available case-by-case; surcharges are quoted per project based on the timeline.
What drives your quote
Every screen printing quote we send adds up the same five ways, so you can check ours line by line against anybody else's.
- 1
Blanks
Your quantity times the blank price for the exact garment and size mix, at our standard wholesale markup. Extended sizes carry the catalog size upcharge.
- 2
Printing
Your quantity times the per-piece print rate for your color count, at your quantity tier, for each print location. The tier is set by the total pieces on the order, so two designs on one order share the better tier.
- 3
Screens
Not a line on our quotes. One screen per ink color (colors x locations) is costed into the per-piece print rate above, along with film and a press setup per location on runs of 24 pieces or fewer. A reorder reuses your screens, so the rate drops.
- 4
Art and extras
Artwork that is not print-ready is quoted up front: simple vectorization is the common and cheapest case, full recreation and color separation cost more. Once your art is print-ready we keep it on file, so it is a one-time charge. Specialty inks and finishing services are their own lines.
- 5
Tax
California sales tax (10.5%) applies to the blanks. Decoration is a service and is not taxed.
Setup Fees
Screen Printing Setup Charges Explained
Setup is the most misunderstood part of screen printing pricing. Here is exactly how ours works.
Do you charge a setup fee, and what does it cost to make a silk screen?
We do not charge one as its own line. Making a screen is real work: your artwork is separated by color, a film positive is output for each one, a mesh screen is coated and burned for each color, and the press is registered so the colors land on top of each other. All of it is costed into the per-piece print price you see above, spread across your run, which is how our printed price sheets have always read. A 3-color front + 1-color back needs four screens and a second press setup, and that shows up in the per-piece rate rather than underneath it.
Is setup charged per shirt?
It is inside the per-shirt price, not added to it. The prep for a design costs the same whether you run 24 shirts or 1,200, so dividing it over more shirts is most of why screen printing gets dramatically cheaper at higher volumes: a 1-color front is $9.75 per shirt at 24 pieces and $3.77 at 100, all in.
Do reorders cost less?
Yes. We keep your screens on file indefinitely, so a reorder of the same design in the same colors carries no prep at all: a 1-color front at 100 pieces prices at $3.52 per shirt instead of $3.77. Just tell us it is a reorder when you ask for the quote.
Quick answer: What are screen printing setup fees?
Real Examples
What Real Orders Actually Cost
Three common order scenarios priced through our calculator so you can estimate your project. Add the blank garment of your choice.
School Spirit Wear (100 shirts)
Decoration
2-color front print $4.24/ea
Screens
Included in the rate: 2 screens, spread across the run
Garment
Your blank, priced live in the calculator
Print for the run
$424.00
At 100 pieces the film and press-setup charges are gone, the same two screens are spread over four times the shirts, and the per-piece rate drops into the best-value band. Add the blank tee of your choice.
Small Business Order (24 shirts)
Decoration
1-color left-chest print $9.75/ea
Screens
Included in the rate: 1 screen, plus the film and press setup a run this size carries
Garment
Your blank, priced live in the calculator
Print for the run
$234.00
At the 24-piece minimum the prep for the design is carried by the fewest shirts it ever will be, which is why this is the highest per-piece rate on the page. A reorder reuses the screen and prices lower.
Band Tour Merchandise (500 tees)
Decoration
3-color front print $2.53/ea
Screens
Included in the rate: 3 screens, spread across the run
Garment
Your blank, priced live in the calculator
Print for the run
$1265.00
At 500 pieces a 3-color front costs less per shirt than a 1-color print does at the minimum. Bulk pricing brings the total way down.
Save Money
5 Ways to Reduce Screen Printing Costs
Smart decisions during the planning phase can save you hundreds. Here are our top tips.
1. Reduce colors
Every color you remove takes a screen out of the price and saves about $0.12 to $2.11 per shirt. A 1-color design can look amazing and costs well under a 3- or 4-color print.
2. Order more quantity
Per-unit cost drops dramatically at 100+ (a 1-color print goes from $9.75 at 24 pieces to $3.77 at 100). If you are ordering 80 shirts, consider ordering 100 to hit the lower price tier.
3. Choose budget-friendly blanks
A Gildan 5000 costs less than a Bella+Canvas 3001 for the same print. On a 200-shirt run the blank choice moves the total more than any other single decision; the calculator shows both side by side.
4. Reorder the same design
We keep your screens on file, so a reorder carries no prep at all: a 1-color front at 100 pieces drops from $3.77 to $3.52 per shirt. Tell us it is a reorder when requesting your quote.
5. Print one location only
A front-only print costs roughly half what a front + back print costs. If your design works as a single print, keep it simple.
Comparing Quotes
Why Prices Vary Between Printers
If you are comparing quotes, understand that cheaper is not always better. Four things to check before you pick on price.
Print quality
Cheap shops cut corners on ink coverage and curing. Under-cured plastisol washes out; thin coverage looks faded on the first wear.
Blank quality
Some shops use no-name blanks and charge premium-blank prices. Ask which brand and style is quoted; the calculator names the exact blank.
Hidden fees
Watch for art fees, screen charges, packaging fees and shipping that are not in the per-shirt number. Ask whether screens sit inside the per-piece price or get added underneath it. Ours are inside it, and the print, the garment and tax are separate lines.
Service level
Design help, mockups, a free digital proof before production and a real ship date are part of the price at French Press Custom. Not every shop includes them.
Our quotes itemize the print, the garment and tax, with the screens already inside the print, and every order gets a free digital proof before production. Backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Common Questions
Screen Printing Pricing FAQ
Answers to the pricing questions we hear most from customers placing screen printing orders.
Quick answer: How much does it cost to print 50 custom t-shirts?
How much does it cost to screen print a shirt?
What is the screen printing price per piece at 24, 48, 500 pieces?
What does 2 colors, front cost compared with 1 color, front?
How much does it cost to screen print 100 t-shirts?
What are the screen printing setup charges?
Is there a minimum order for screen printing?
How much to screen print a shirt in bulk, and why is it cheaper?
Does the color of the shirt affect the price?
How much does a screen printed hoodie cost?
Are there extra charges for large print areas?
How can I get an exact price for my order?
Get Your Exact Price in 24 Hours
Every order is unique. Use our instant quote calculator or send us your details and we will have a complete price breakdown for you within one business day.