How Much Does Screen Printing Cost in Vancouver: 2026 Pricing Guide

Planning to order custom T-shirts for a business, event, sports team, or promotional campaign? One of your first questions is probably: how much does screen printing cost in Vancouver?

Screen printing is a popular choice for custom apparel because it produces vibrant colours, durable prints, and consistent results, even across large orders. The exact cost depends on the number of shirts you need, garment quality, ink colours, and your design.

In Vancouver, T-shirt printing typically costs between $9 and $25 per shirt for medium-sized orders, including a standard blank garment and a basic print. Larger bulk orders can cost less than $10 per shirt, while single shirts and very small runs can cost $25 to $40 or more per item.

This guide outlines general t-shirt printing costs in Vancouver.

How Much Does Screen Printing Cost Per Shirt in Vancouver?

As a tight-knit team of t-shirt printers, our owner-led team is committed to creating affordable, high-quality garments that showcase your important messages and designs. 

After more than 15 years, we’ve gotten pretty good at screen-printing and deliver a level of care and attention that makes printing easy and fun! Your costs depend mainly on order quantity, garment selection, design requirements, and setup fees. The following estimates provide a general starting point for budgeting a custom T-shirt order. 

Figures are illustrative averages, not guaranteed quotes. Actual prices vary by printer, garment, artwork, and production requirements. Reach out for a custom quote today.

For a straightforward design printed on a budget-friendly T-shirt, ordering 100 or more shirts can bring your per-shirt price below $10, depending on your garment and specifications. For businesses ordering hundreds of branded shirts, savings can be substantial compared to smaller quantities.

What Is Included in the Cost of Screen Printing?

When comparing screen printing quotes in Vancouver, it’s important to understand what they cover. Some printers advertise the decoration cost separately from the blank garment. At the T-shirt Printing Company in Vancouver, we offer all-in-one pricing to simplify the process. From start to finish, our printing perfectionists will guide you through the details.

1. Blank Garment Costs

Blank T-shirts often have the biggest impact on the final price.

Common garment options include:

• Budget T-shirts: Economical cotton shirts suitable for promotional giveaways, fundraisers, and large event orders.
• Mid-range T-shirts: Comfortable everyday shirts for employee uniforms, company merchandise, and community events.
• Premium T-shirts: Higher-quality fabrics, softer finishes, heavier materials, or retail-style fits for brands and merchandise collections.
• Hoodies and sweatshirts: More expensive than standard T-shirts because they use more material and have a higher base garment cost.
• Tote bags and other apparel: Pricing varies by product, material, and printable area.

For example, a basic Gildan T-shirt will generally cost less than a premium garment spun from a softer cotton blend. If your goal is product giveaways, a budget-friendly garment may be the most economical option. If you are selling merchandise or outfitting customer-facing staff, investing in a higher-quality shirt may be a better investment.

2. Screen Setup and Screen Fees

Screen printing requires creating a stencil for each ink colour in the design.

We coat the screen with a light-sensitive emulsion, expose it to the artwork, and wash it to create the stencil used during printing. Some screen printers charge a separate setup fee of approximately $20 to $50 per colour per print location. We include setup in your overall pricing. For example, a two-colour logo printed on the front of a shirt may require two screens. Printing the same design on the back could require additional screens and setup if it uses a separate design.

These initial costs illustrate why screen printing can be relatively expensive for small orders. As quantity increases, setup costs spread across more shirts, reducing per-item setup costs.

3. Number of Ink Colours

The number of colours in your design affects both setup costs and production time. Each colour requires a separate screen and printing pass. Multi-colour designs also require careful alignment to ensure the final image looks correct. As a general budgeting estimate, each additional ink colour may add about $1 to $2 per shirt on small or medium orders. The per-shirt cost may be lower on larger runs.

To reduce the cost of screen printing in Vancouver, consider simplifying your design to one or two colours. This does not mean you need to compromise your branding. A well-designed, limited-colour design can still make your logo and promotional wear pop.

4. Number of Print Locations

The final factor impacting cost is garment print location. Common print locations include:

• Front chest
• Full front
• Full back
• Left chest
• Sleeves
• Upper back or neck area

A T-shirt featuring a one-colour front logo usually costs less than one with a large front design, a full-back graphic, and a sleeve print. Each additional location requires a separate setup, positioning, and printing time. The price also depends on whether the additional design uses the same colours or requires new screens.

For business uniforms, a small front logo may be sufficient. For event merchandise or clothing brands, front-and-back printing may be worth the additional expense. 

Screen Printing Prices by Order Quantity

One of screen printing’s biggest advantages is that larger orders reduce your price per shirt. This happens because the initial screen preparation and setup costs spread across more items, making production more efficient when many garments use the same artwork.

Small Orders: 12–35 Shirts

Small orders typically cost more per shirt because setup costs are divided among fewer garments. Depending on the garment and design, a basic screen-printed shirt may cost approximately $15 to $30 or more.

Small orders are common for small businesses, clubs, family events, and teams that do not need a large quantity. If you need only a handful of shirts, compare screen printing with direct-to-film (DTF) printing, which may be more economical for very small quantities or designs with many colours.

Medium Orders: 36–99 Shirts

Medium-sized orders often provide a better balance between quantity and price.

For a standard blank T-shirt with a simple one-colour print, a general budget of $10 to $25 per shirt is reasonable, depending on the order size and garment. This quantity is suitable for employee uniforms, local events, school groups, sports teams, and promotional campaigns. If your business expects to use the same shirts regularly, consider whether ordering a larger quantity now could reduce your overall cost.

Bulk Orders: 100–499 Shirts

Bulk orders generally offer stronger per-shirt pricing.

For a simple design on a budget-friendly garment, the total cost may fall below $10 per shirt. More complex designs or premium garments will increase the price. For example, a Vancouver business ordering 200 shirts with a one-colour logo could benefit from economies of scale compared with ordering 25 shirts at a time. Bulk printing is particularly useful for trade shows, festivals, corporate uniforms, fundraisers, and marketing campaigns.

Large Orders: 500+ Shirts

Orders of 500 shirts or more may qualify for substantially lower decoration costs.

For a straightforward one-colour front print, the printing portion alone may cost approximately $2.16 per shirt or less in some high-volume pricing examples. The blank garment is an additional expense unless the quoted price already includes it.

The final all-in price depends on garment costs, production capacity, artwork, ink requirements, and the printer’s pricing structure.

Large orders can be particularly cost-effective when all shirts use the same design, colours, and print locations.

Screen Printing Decoration Costs vs. All-In Pricing

When researching screen printing prices, check whether the quote refers to decoration only or includes the blank garment.

This can significantly affect your budget. The following example illustrates how decoration costs may change with quantity for a basic one-colour front print. These are indicative pricing examples, not verified local quotes.

The 50-shirt range is especially broad because garment specifications, printer pricing, and setup treatment can be very different between printers. To calculate all-in costs, add the blank garment price and any applicable setup, extra-colour, additional-location, shipping, or other charges. Confirm whether taxes are included.

For example, if a blank shirt costs $6 and the decoration costs $4, the basic combined cost is $10 per shirt before any additional charges. For 100 shirts, that’s a base order cost of $1,000 before extras and taxes.

This distinction matters when comparing screen-printing quotes in Vancouver.

How Can You Reduce Screen Printing Costs?

If you need custom T-shirts for your business, event, or organization, our printing perfectionists are here to guide you through the details. We have plenty of options to help you control printing costs while creating eye-catching, stylish garments.

Order More Shirts at Once

Increasing order quantity is often one of the simplest ways to reduce the cost per shirt. If you regularly need branded apparel, consider ordering enough shirts for upcoming events, new employees, or future promotional campaigns. 

Simplify Artwork

A design with fewer colours generally requires fewer screens and printing passes. If your branding allows it, a one-colour or two-colour design can help reduce setup costs while maintaining a professional appearance.

Choose the Right Garment

Select a garment that meets your needs without paying for features you don’t need. For promotional giveaways, a budget T-shirt may be appropriate. For retail merchandise or premium corporate uniforms, a more substantial garment may be worth the additional investment.

Fewer Print Locations

A single front print is generally more economical than printing the front, back, and sleeves. Focus on the locations that best support your branding objectives.

Request a Detailed Quote

Ask your printer to break down the cost of the garments, printing, setup, extra colours, and additional print locations. A detailed quote makes it easier to compare providers and understand exactly what you are paying for.

Get a Screen Printing Quote in Vancouver

As a fully local garment print shop, we make it easy to share your brand and messages on stylish, super-soft tees—and more! As an owner-led team in Vancouver, we offer transparent pricing and personal support for wearable swag printed locally and loved globally.

Learn more about printing t-shirts in Vancouver. Reach out at  startprinting@t-shirtprintingcompany.com for your custom quote.