Screen Print Setup Fees Explained: What You're Actually Paying For
Screen print setup fees can seem like an arbitrary add-on. Here's exactly what setup covers, why it exists, how it scales with colors and locations, and why it matters far less at 100,000 units than at 500.
Every screen print quote includes setup fees. For first-time buyers, these can seem opaque — a line item that appears before the first shirt is even printed. Understanding what setup actually pays for helps you evaluate quotes more accurately and understand why the economics of screen printing strongly favor large runs.
What Setup Actually Involves
“Setup” in screen printing refers to everything required to prepare the press before production begins. This includes:
Film output: Your artwork is output as film positives — one film per color. These are the templates used to burn the screens.
Screen preparation: Screens are coated with light-sensitive emulsion, dried, then exposed under the film positive and washed out. The result is a stencil — open mesh where ink should pass through, blocked emulsion everywhere else. Each color in your design requires its own screen.
Ink mixing: Inks are mixed to match your specified Pantone colors. This is precision work — a skilled ink mixer can hit a Pantone target closely, but it requires time and the right pigments.
Registration: The screens are mounted on the press in exact alignment so each color prints in the correct position relative to the others. Misregistration — colors that don’t line up — is a production defect. Getting registration right takes time, especially for multi-color designs.
Make-ready: The press runs a number of “make-ready” pieces — test prints to verify registration and color before production begins. These aren’t sellable and represent consumed materials.
All of this happens before unit 1 is produced. It’s real labor, real materials, and real time.
How Setup Scales with Colors and Locations
Setup cost scales with two variables: the number of ink colors and the number of print locations.
More colors = more screens = more setup. A 1-color print requires one screen, one film, one ink mix. A 5-color print requires five of each. Setup time and cost roughly multiply with color count.
More locations = more setups. A front-and-back print requires setting up the press twice — once for the front, once for the back. Each location is treated as a separate setup event.
Typical setup charges:
| Setup Type | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Per screen (1 color, 1 location) | $20–$50 |
| 4-color, 1-location setup | $80–$200 |
| 2-color, 2-location setup | $80–$200 |
| 6-color, 2-location setup | $240–$600 |
These are one-time charges per order, regardless of quantity. That’s the key.
Why Setup Cost Almost Disappears at Scale
Setup is a fixed cost amortized across the production run. The more units you produce, the smaller the setup contribution per unit.
1-color, 1-location setup at $40:
| Quantity | Setup per Unit |
|---|---|
| 500 units | $0.08 |
| 5,000 units | $0.008 |
| 50,000 units | $0.0008 |
| 100,000 units | $0.0004 |
At 100,000 units, a $40 screen setup costs four hundredths of a cent per piece. It’s a rounding error. For a buyer at this volume, setup fees are essentially irrelevant to the per-unit economics.
This is one of the most important reasons screen printing costs less per unit at scale than at low quantities — the fixed overhead becomes negligible.
Screen Reuse on Repeat Orders
When a screen is burned for your artwork, it can often be stored and reused on repeat orders. If your next order is the same artwork in the same colors, setup is reduced — only re-registration and make-ready are needed, not new film and screen burning.
This is another advantage of a direct manufacturer relationship. A distributor may or may not track your screen storage. A direct manufacturer who runs your program repeatedly can maintain your screens and reduce setup cost on recurring orders.
Always ask: Are my screens stored? What’s the setup cost on a repeat order?
Multi-Color Printing: Where Setup Decisions Matter Most
The economics of color count are clearest in multi-color comparisons. For a buyer evaluating whether to go from a 4-color design to a 6-color design, the decision has two cost components:
- Additional setup (two more screens per location — relatively small)
- Slower press speed (more colors means more press rotations per unit — more meaningful at scale)
At 100,000 units, the slower press speed from two additional colors can add up to significant cost. This is why color count conversations with your production team are worth having before art is locked.
The Takeaway
Setup fees are real costs that reflect real labor. But at 100,000+ units, they’re a tiny fraction of total order cost and shouldn’t drive decision-making. The variables that actually move the needle at scale are garment cost, decoration complexity (print size, color count), ink type, and whether you’re working at factory-direct pricing or paying a distributor’s margin.
Merch Factory Direct provides itemized quotes with full setup transparency for orders of 100,000+ units. For a full cost breakdown on large orders, see what a 100,000-unit order actually costs, or request a quote.