We screen print up to 12 ink colors per design. Each color needs its own screen, and on dark garments the white underbase counts as one of those 12. Fewer colors means fewer screens to set up, which usually means a cleaner print and a lower price per piece.
How color count adds up
| Design | Light garment | Dark garment |
|---|---|---|
| 1-color logo | 1 screen | Often 1, sometimes 2 with an underbase |
| 3-color logo | 3 screens | Usually 4 (3 colors + white underbase) |
| Maximum | 12 screens | 12 screens, underbase included |
Each print location is set up separately too. A front print and a back print are two jobs on the same shirt, and each added location adds to the cost.
What’s a white underbase?
Ink colors look dull or disappear when printed straight onto a dark shirt. A layer of white goes down first so the colors on top stay bright. It takes its own screen, so it counts toward the color total.
Why fewer colors often looks better
Designs built from a few solid colors reproduce cleanly and cost less to set up. If your artwork has a dozen shades that look nearly the same, we may suggest combining some. You keep the look while saving screens.
When screen printing isn’t the right fit
Photos, gradients and full-color art with lots of shades are usually better as DTF or DTG, which print every color from one setup. Screen printing pays off on larger runs of simple designs. For a single-color design, that generally means over about 200 pieces. Read DTF vs screen printing and DTG vs screen printing for the full comparison.
Matching brand colors
Send Pantone numbers with your artwork if you have them. We can get close, but we can’t guarantee an exact match on every fabric.
Get a quote
Send your artwork, garment, quantity, print locations and deadline. We’ll check the color count and recommend the method. Standard turnaround is two weeks. Start on our screen printing page.
A few questions we get
How big can a screen print be?
Up to 24 × 32 inches where the garment and placement allow.
Can you do specialty inks?
Yes. Puff ink gives a raised finish, and metallic and other specialty inks are available too.