09/23/2026
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐?
Most people see a finished shirt and see a design printed on fabric.
What you ๐๐จ๐ง'๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐ is the amount of time, preparation, and hands-on work that happens before that shirt ever comes off the press.
Screen printing is much more than simply putting ink on a shirt.
๐. ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Before printing can begin, the vector artwork has to be prepared specifically for screen printing. Unlike DTF, screen printing requires the design to be separated into its individual printable colors.
๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง.
A 1-color design may require 1 screen.
A 4-color design may require 4 screens.
A 6-color design may require 6 screens.
And each of those screens has to be prepared individually.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
- Screens have to be coated with emulsion and allowed to dry.
- The artwork is then exposed onto the screen using UV light.
- The screen is washed out to reveal the design, then dried and carefully inspected.
- Any imperfections or pinholes may need to be repaired before the screen can be used.
And remember โ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐
- The screens have to be mounted and registered so every color lines up correctly.
- Ink has to be selected and prepared.
- The print location has to be established.
- Test prints have to be made.
- Adjustments have to be made.
- And sometimes additional flashing is required between colors.
Only after all of that preparation can production actually begin.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
- The garment is loaded onto the press.
- Each color is printed individually through its corresponding screen.
- The shirt moves through the different print stations until the entire design is complete.
- Then it goes through the dryer so the ink can properly cure.
๐๐๐ ๐๐'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐.
- Finished shirts need to be inspected for print quality, registration, placement, coverage, and curing.
- After production, the screens and equipment have to be cleaned, and the screens reclaimed when necessary.
So, when you look at one finished screen-printed shirt, you're seeing the ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐ฌ.
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ $๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐?
At Precision PrintWorks, our $๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง โ not simply a fee for putting your design on a shirt.
That $35 helps cover the time and materials involved in preparing that individual screen for production.
Think about everything that can go into one screen:
๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง โ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ โ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ โ ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ โ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ โ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ โ ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ โ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง โ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง โ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฉ
And that's ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐.
If your design requires four screens, that's four individual screens that have to go through this preparation process.
๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ร $๐๐ = $๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฉ.
The setup fee reflects the actual preparation required to get the job ready for production.
Once the screens are created, there is still the actual printing, curing, quality control, and cleanup to complete.
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐
๐๐๐๐๐.
DTF does not require many of the physical screen-printing steps. There aren't individual screens to create for each color. There isn't emulsion to coat, expose, wash out, dry, inspect, and register. There isn't a separate ink setup for each screen. This is why the two processes can have very different production times and workflows.
๐๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ โ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ'๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ.
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐?
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐.
There is time involved before printing. There is time involved during printing. And there is time involved after printing.
Artwork preparation. Color separation. Screen creation. Screen exposure. Washout. Drying. Inspection. Registration. Ink preparation. Press setup. Printing. Flashing. Curing. Quality control. Cleanup. Repeat.
๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐.
And behind every step is equipment, materials, experience, and skilled labor.
That's what makes screen printing a true production process rather than simply pressing a button and printing an image.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
?
๐๐จ๐ฎ'๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง!
If you've never seen a screen-printing shop in operation, seeing the process from start to finish can really put into perspective just how much time and work goes into a finished garment.
We're always happy to show you what happens ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฌ and answer questions about the process.
๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐.
Whether you need a small run of shirts for your business, a large company order, team apparel, event shirts, uniforms, or custom merchandise, ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ.
We put the same attention to detail into every order โ because every shirt represents the work that went into making it.
๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฑ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐ญ, ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ:
What looks like a simple design on a piece of clothing can involve a surprisingly complex production process behind the scenes. ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ง'๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ค ๐จ๐ง ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐ญ โ ๐ข๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ.
