Screen printing is the method that wins on volume. Once the screens are made, every additional shirt costs very little - which is why large single-colour runs are cheapest this way.
How it works
A separate screen is burned for each colour in your design, ink is pushed through it onto the garment, and the print is cured with heat. The setup is the expensive part; the printing itself is fast.
When screen printing is the right choice
- Large runs - the more you order, the better it gets per piece
- Designs with one, two or three solid colours
- Bold logos, text and simple shapes
- Team and event orders where everyone gets the same design
- Jobs where you want the softest possible hand on a cotton tee
How it looks and wears
Ink is pushed into the fabric rather than sitting on top of it, so a cured screen print feels flatter and softer than most other methods and holds up through years of washing. On a cotton tee it is still the benchmark for durability.
Where it does not fit
Small orders. Because each colour needs its own screen, a handful of shirts carries the full setup cost and works out expensive per piece. Photographs and gradients are also difficult - they have to be broken into separate colours, which adds screens and cost quickly.
For those jobs, DTF printing is the better answer: one piece minimum, unlimited colours, no setup. See the full comparison of all three methods.
Pricing and setup
Screen printing is priced on the number of colours, the print locations and the quantity. The screens themselves are a one-time cost per job, which may be charged separately or absorbed into the per-piece price depending on how large the run is.
Call 647-739-9487 or email meet@printinguncle.com with your artwork, garment and quantity and we will price it.
Ordering
Send us your artwork in whatever state it is in - we will prepare it and send a free digital mockup before any screens are made. For bulk orders we can bring garment samples to you first, so you are choosing the fabric with it in your hands. See how ordering works.