Screen Printing Cost Calculator
Use this when quoting custom screen printed apparel: enter your order quantity, number of screen colors, screen setup fees, garment cost, and labor to get recommended unit prices and job profits.
Display only — amounts are not converted between currencies.
Order quantity, screens and blank
Recommended price each
$14.48
- Cost per shirt
- $7.46
- Price per shirt
- $14.48
- Profit per shirt
- $6.52
- Profit margin
- 45.0%
- Total order cost
- $268.44
- Total order price
- $521.24
- Total order profit
- $234.56
Cost breakdown
| Screens setup per shirt | $1.11 |
|---|---|
| Garment & ink each | $5.00 |
| Print labor each | $0.60 |
| Job setup labor each | $0.25 |
| Misprint allowance each | $0.15 |
| Packaging each | $0.50 |
| Fees each | $0.51 |
Printed · Craft Pricing Tools · CraftPricingTools.com
Recommended price each
$14.48
When to use this calculator
This calculator quotes custom screen printed shirts from order quantity, screen setup fees, garment blanks, ink, and squeegee labor.
Screen costs (film positives and mesh burning) are amortized evenly across the order volume, showing you how price per shirt decreases as volume increases.
It applies your target profit margin after merchant processing and platform fees so your shop stays profitable on small runs and bulk orders alike.
How this calculator works
How screen printing cost is calculated
- Total screen setup = number of screens × screen setup fee
- Screen cost per shirt = total screen setup / order quantity
- Job setup labor per shirt = (setup & washout minutes / 60 × labor rate) / order quantity
- Print labor per shirt = (print minutes + flash cure minutes) / 60 × labor rate
- Materials per shirt = garment blank + ink + (materials × waste %)
- Total cost each = screen cost + setup labor + print labor + materials + packaging
- Recommended price = total cost each / (1 − target margin − platform fee %)
- Profit each = recommended price − total cost each − fees
Example
Example: 36 shirts with a 2-color design
36 cotton tees ($4.50 blank), 2 screens ($20 each = $40 setup), $0.35 ink/shirt, 1.5 min print + 0.5 min flash cure ($18/hr labor), 30 min total setup/washout, 3% waste, 3.5% payment fee, 45% target margin.
- Screen setup is $40 / 36 = $1.11 per shirt.
- Total production cost is $7.86 per shirt.
- Recommended selling price is $15.26 per shirt, generating $266.40 in total job profit.
How much should I charge?
For small runs (12–24 shirts), charge $18–$24 each to cover the heavy setup burden.
For standard runs (36–72 shirts), charge $14–$18 each.
For bulk orders (144+ shirts), charge $9–$13 each while maintaining high total dollar profit.
Pricing tips
- Always charge a separate screen setup fee ($15–$25 per color) or bake it into the minimum run price.
- Keep track of screen reclaiming/washout time in your labor inputs.
- Offer price breaks at standard quantity tiers: 12, 24, 36, 72, 144, 288.
Common mistakes
- Giving bulk discounts on 12 shirts without accounting for screen setup time.
- Forgetting flash-curing time between colors on dark garments.
- Ignoring misprint and scrap allowances on expensive boutique blanks.
FAQ
How do I calculate screen printing prices for custom shirts?
Add your garment blank, ink per shirt, screen setup divided by quantity, and labor time. Apply a 40% to 50% profit margin after card processing fees.
How much should screen printing setup fees be?
Most custom print shops charge $15 to $30 per screen/color for new jobs, and $10 to $15 for re-orders using saved artwork.
Related calculators
- DTF Printing Cost Calculator — Price a DTF shirt from transfer size, consumables, garment, labor and margin.
- T-Shirt Pricing Calculator — Calculate what to charge for a custom t-shirt including the blank, graphic and labor.
- DTG Pricing Calculator — Price direct-to-garment shirts from pretreatment, CMYK/white ink, blank, and curing.