How to Price Screen Printing Jobs
Without Leaving Money on the Table
Most shops price by gut feel and end up working for less than minimum wage on complex jobs. This guide breaks down exactly how to calculate your costs, set profitable rates, and build a pricing structure your customers will actually accept.
Why Most Shops Underprice
Spoiler: it's not laziness. It's not knowing what a job actually costs.
New shops copy competitor prices. Established shops haven't raised rates since 2019. Both end up with the same problem: margin disappears the moment anything goes wrong — a misregister, a rerun, a customer who takes three rounds of revisions.
The shops that stay profitable track every cost on every job. Not just garments and ink. Every cost. Screen fees, setup time, squeegee wear, cleanup time, packaging — all of it.
Industry Stat
The four costs that kill profitability aren't complicated — shops just don't build them into their price. Let's fix that.
The 4 Cost Categories
Every screen printing job has four buckets of cost. Miss one and your margin suffers.
1Garments & Blanks
Your garment cost is the most visible line item, but it's rarely just the wholesale price. Build in a 5–8% spoilage buffer for misprints and size exchanges. For premium blanks (Next Level, Bella+Canvas), you should also charge for the brand value — customers expect to pay more.
| Garment Type | Typical Wholesale | Suggested Markup | Customer Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gildan 5000 (white/lights) | $2.80–$3.50 | 2.2×–2.5× | $6–$8 |
| Gildan 5000 (darks/heathers) | $3.20–$4.00 | 2.2×–2.5× | $7–$9 |
| Bella+Canvas 3001 | $5.50–$7.00 | 2.0×–2.2× | $11–$15 |
| Next Level 6010 (tri-blend) | $8.00–$10.00 | 1.8×–2.0× | $15–$20 |
| Comfort Colors 1717 | $7.50–$9.00 | 1.8×–2.0× | $14–$18 |
Wholesale prices vary by supplier, quantity, and season. Add 5–8% for spoilage on all orders.
2Inks & Consumables
Ink gets ignored because it feels cheap. But add up emulsion, plastisol, mesh, squeegees, solvents, and film — it adds up to $0.50–$2.00 per garmenton a typical job. Don't give this away.
| Consumable | Typical Cost | Per-Shirt Estimate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastisol ink (per color) | $8–$14/lb | $0.08–$0.20 | ~1–2 oz per color per run |
| Water-based ink | $12–$18/lb | $0.10–$0.25 | Higher coverage = higher cost |
| Emulsion | $60–$90/gallon | $0.15–$0.30 | Amortized across screen life |
| Film positives | $2–$5/screen | Fixed per screen | Or $0 with CTS system |
| Squeegees | $30–$80/each | $0.02–$0.05 | Amortized across runs |
| Solvents & press wash | $20–$40/gallon | $0.05–$0.10 | Per-job portion |
Consumable costs are often bundled into a shop supplies fee of $0.50–$1.50 per piece rather than itemized.
3Screen & Setup Fees
This is where most shops lose money. Setup takes real time — separating art, burning screens, setting registration, dialing in ink viscosity. Charge for it every time, even for repeat jobs.
Pro Tip
| Setup Type | New Job Fee | Repeat Job Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen burning (per screen) | $18–$30 | $8–$15 | Covers emulsion, exposure, reclaim |
| Press setup (per job) | $45–$90 | $25–$45 | Registration + ink pull + test print |
| Art/film separation | $15–$50 | n/a | Only on new designs |
| PMS color match | $15–$25/color | $10–$15/color | When exact Pantone required |
| Mesh prep (specialty jobs) | $10–$20 | $5–$10 | High-detail, fine line work |
Screen fees are typically charged per screen per job, not amortized. Customers expect it.
4Labor & Overhead
This is the hardest cost to see but the easiest to get wrong. Every hour your press runs, someone is being paid — plus rent, utilities, equipment payments, and insurance all keep ticking. That's your shop rate, and we'll calculate it next.
Calculate Your Shop Rate
Every price you quote should flow from one number: what it costs to run your shop per hour.
Your shop rate is the minimum you need to charge per productive hour just to break even. Once you know it, pricing is math — not guesswork.
Pro Tip
A typical shop rate lands between $65–$95 per productive press hour. Manual shops skew lower because output is slower. Automatic press shops charge more per hour but print far more shirts. Either way — know your number.
| Shop Type | Typical Output | Shop Rate Range | Revenue/Hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual 4-color press | 40–80 shirts/hr | $65–$80/hr | $65–$80 |
| Manual 6-color press | 50–90 shirts/hr | $70–$85/hr | $70–$85 |
| Automatic 6-color press | 200–400 shirts/hr | $85–$110/hr | $85–$110+ |
| Automatic 8-color press | 250–500 shirts/hr | $95–$130/hr | $95–$130+ |
Revenue/hour assumes press is billable. Factor in setup, cleanup, and downtime when calculating job quotes.
6-Color Plastisol Job: Full Cost Breakdown
72 shirts, Gildan 5000, 6-color front chest print on a 4-color manual press.
Let's walk through a real job. A local brewery wants 72 shirts for a summer event. Six spot colors, front chest, Gildan 5000 in mixed sizes. This is bread-and-butter screen printing — let's see what it actually costs.
Job Specs
Quantity
72 shirts
Garment
Gildan 5000 (darks)
Colors
6 spot colors
Location
Front chest, 12×12"
Press
4-color manual
Deadline
7 business days
Step 1 — Cost of Goods
| Cost Item | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Garments (Gildan 5000 darks) | 72 shirts × $3.80 wholesale | $273.60 |
| Spoilage buffer (6%) | 72 × 6% = 4.3 shirts × $3.80 | $16.34 |
| Plastisol ink (6 colors) | 6 colors × ~1.5oz × $0.12/oz | $1.08/shirt × 72 |
| Shop supplies fee | $0.75/shirt × 72 | $54.00 |
| Cost Item | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Garments (Gildan 5000 darks) | 72 shirts × $3.80 wholesale | $273.60 |
| Spoilage buffer (6%) | ~4 shirts × $3.80 | $15.20 |
| Plastisol ink (6 colors) | 6 colors × 1.5 oz × $0.12/oz × 72 | $77.76 |
| Shop supplies fee | $0.75/shirt × 72 shirts | $54.00 |
| Cost of Goods Total | $420.56 |
Ink cost estimated at 1.5 oz per color per job. Adjust based on your actual usage and ink prices.
Step 2 — Setup & Screens
| Cost Item | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Screen burning (6 screens) | 6 × $22 per screen | $132.00 |
| Art/film separation | 1 new design, 6 colors | $40.00 |
| Press setup & registration | 45 min × $75/hr shop rate | $56.25 |
| Setup Total | $228.25 |
Step 3 — Press Labor
6 colors on a manual press with flash cure between colors 3 and 6. Manual press produces roughly 55 shirts/hr on this job type.
| Cost Item | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Run time (72 shirts) | 72 ÷ 55 shirts/hr = 1.31 hrs × $75/hr | $98.18 |
| Flash cure downtime (2 flashes) | 0.25 hrs × $75/hr | $18.75 |
| Press cleanup | 20 min × $75/hr | $25.00 |
| Folding & packaging | $0.30/shirt × 72 | $21.60 |
| Labor Total | $163.53 |
Final Pricing Summary
Cost ÷ 0.50
Pro Tip
Volume Pricing Breaks
More shirts spread your fixed costs (screens, setup) across more pieces. Pass some of that savings to the customer — keep the rest.
Volume breaks incentivize larger orders and reward customers who bring you steady work. The key is making sure your screen and setup fees are always covered— they don't scale with quantity.
| Quantity | 1-Color Price | 3-Color Price | 6-Color Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12–23 | $12–$14 | $16–$19 | $22–$27 | Min order — setup dominates |
| 24–47 | $10–$12 | $13–$16 | $18–$23 | Screens amortized better |
| 48–71 | $8–$10 | $11–$14 | $15–$20 | Sweet spot for most shops |
| 72–143 | $7–$9 | $9–$12 | $13–$17 | Setup cost per shirt drops fast |
| 144–287 | $6–$8 | $8–$11 | $11–$15 | Auto press territory |
| 288+ | $5–$7 | $7–$9 | $9–$13 | Negotiate for large runs |
Prices assume Gildan 5000 on lights/whites. Add $1.50–$3.00 for darks/heathers. Exclude screen fees (charged separately).
Watch Out
Rush Fees & Upcharges
Know what to charge before the customer asks — not while you're on the phone with them.
| Upcharge Type | When to Apply | Typical Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rush fee (5–7 days) | Under standard lead time | +20–30% of job total |
| Hot rush fee (2–4 days) | Emergency or tight deadline | +40–60% of job total |
| Same-day / overnight | Requires schedule disruption | +75–100%+ |
| Oversized print (13"+) | Larger than standard platen | +$0.50–$1.50/shirt |
| All-over (full shirt) | Dye-sublimation or cut/sew | 2×–3× standard rate |
| Dark garment surcharge | Dark shirts need more ink coverage | +$0.75–$1.50/shirt |
| Discharge printing | Eco-friendly bleach-out process | +$1.00–$2.00/shirt |
| Specialty ink (glitter, puff) | Specialty application required | +$0.75–$2.00/shirt |
| Individual name/number | Personalization per piece | +$2.00–$5.00/piece |
| Poly/nylon fabric | Requires specialty inks + cure | +$1.00–$2.00/shirt |
| Customer-supplied garments | No garment markup = higher labor | +15–25% of labor |
Upcharges are industry standard. Most customers who buy custom printing understand that rush costs more.
Pro Tip
Pricing Mistakes That Kill Your Margin
Including screen fees in the per-piece price
When a customer comes back for a reorder, they expect the same per-piece price — but now you're reburning screens again. Always charge screens separately.
Quoting from memory instead of a cost sheet
Every job has a different garment cost, ink count, and setup time. A 2-color job on whites and a 6-color job on darks are not the same quote. Use a structured estimating process, every time.
Not accounting for revision time
Art corrections, reprints, and customer changes eat hours that don't show up in any line item. Build a revision buffer — or charge for revisions beyond round 1.
Matching competitor prices without knowing their costs
The shop down the street might have paid-off equipment, a different supplier relationship, or just be losing money. Their price is not your price.
Undercharging for minimum orders
A 12-piece order has almost the same setup cost as a 100-piece order. If you don't have a minimum order or setup fee, you're subsidizing small customers with large-order profits.
Forgetting to include your time
Owner time spent on customer emails, proofing, invoicing, and production management is overhead. If you're not in your shop rate, you're paying yourself nothing for running the business.
Quick Reference Rate Table
Bookmark this. Review it every 6 months — costs change.
| Rate / Fee | Low | Mid | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shop rate (per productive hour) | $65 | $80 | $110 | Depends on press type + headcount |
| Screen burning fee | $15 | $22 | $35 | Per screen, per job |
| Press setup fee | $35 | $60 | $90 | Flat per job |
| Art/film separation | $15 | $30 | $60 | Per design, new jobs only |
| Repeat setup fee | $20 | $35 | $50 | Lower than new job |
| Spoilage buffer | 4% | 6% | 8% | Add to garment cost |
| Shop supplies fee | $0.50 | $0.85 | $1.50 | Per piece, flat |
| Rush upcharge | 20% | 35% | 60% | Of total job price |
| Dark garment surcharge | $0.75 | $1.25 | $2.00 | Per piece |
| Specialty ink upcharge | $0.75 | $1.25 | $2.50 | Per piece |
| Customer-supplied goods penalty | 15% | 20% | 30% | Of labor total |
| Minimum order markup | — | Charge 24-pc equivalent | — | Or apply setup minimum of $75–$150 |
These are industry benchmarks, not rules. Your market, overhead, and equipment determine your actual rates.
Stop Calculating This by Hand
Kontraktr's Job Costing Engine does this math automatically — every time, for every job.
You can bookmark this guide, build a spreadsheet, and manually calculate every job. Or you can configure your rates once and let Kontraktr do the rest.
Auto-estimate on job creation
The moment you create a job, Kontraktr calculates garment cost, setup fees, ink cost, and labor using your configured rates. Instant starting-point estimate.
Configurable shop rates
Set your shop rate, screen fee, setup fee, ink cost/oz, and spoilage % once in Settings. Every estimate after that uses your actual numbers.
Actual vs. estimated tracking
Track real costs against estimates as the job runs. See where you made money, where you lost it, and which job types are most profitable.
Garment cost lookup
Connect your supplier catalog to pull live garment costs into every estimate — no manual lookup required.
Labor time logging
Log actual press time, setup time, and cleanup time against each job. The costing engine compares it to the estimate automatically.
Profitability by job type
See which customers, garment types, and color counts are most profitable. Price your next quote with data, not guesswork.
Start Costing Jobs Properly
Kontraktr is built for screen printing shops. Configure your rates once and get instant job cost estimates — every time, no spreadsheet required.