Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Added cost per shirt
$0.527
Added one-time setup cost
$36.00
Added press-time cost per shirt
$0.167
Total added cost for full job
$52.67
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How to use this
- 1Enter base color count.
- 2Enter new color count.
- 3Enter screen + burn cost per color ($).
- 4Enter added press seconds per color.
- 5Enter press labor rate ($/hr).
- 6Enter order quantity.
- 7Read your added cost per shirt on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Every additional ink color in a screen print job means another screen, another burn, another registration step on press, and another wash-up at the end — and that cost compounds faster than most people expect because it's not just the screen itself but the added press time for each color pass. This calculator isolates the marginal cost of color count: screen cost per color, burn labor per color, and added press time per color, so you can see the true delta between a 1-color and a 4-color design on the same order quantity. It's built specifically to answer 'what does adding a color actually cost me' rather than the full per-shirt cost, which is covered by the companion screen print cost calculator. As a rule of thumb, each added color on a standard manual press job adds roughly 8-15 seconds of press cycle time per shirt plus $15-$25 in one-time screen and burn cost, so a jump from 2 to 4 colors can add $30-$50 in fixed setup alone before touching ink or blank cost.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Base color count: 1
- New color count: 3
- Screen + burn cost per color: 18 $
- Added press seconds per color: 10
- Press labor rate: 30 $/hr
- Order quantity: 100
Results
- Added cost per shirt: $0.527
- Added one-time setup cost: $36.00
- Added press-time cost per shirt: $0.167
- Total added cost for full job: $52.67
What each field means
Inputs
- Base color count
- The base color count used in the calculation. Starts at 1 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–10.
- New color count
- The new color count used in the calculation. Starts at 3 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–10.
- Screen + burn cost per color ($)
- The screen + burn cost per color used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 18 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Added press seconds per color
- The added press seconds per color used in the calculation. Starts at 10 so you have a working example on load.
- Press labor rate ($/hr)
- The press labor rate used in the calculation, measured in $/hr. Starts at 30 $/hr so you have a working example on load.
- Order quantity
- The order quantity used in the calculation. Starts at 100 so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Added cost per shirt
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Added one-time setup cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Added press-time cost per shirt
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total added cost for full job
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why does press time increase with color count?
Each color needs its own head/pass on the press, its own registration check, and its own flash-cure time if it's underneath another layer. On a manual press this is mostly operator time; on automatics it's still real cycle time even though it's faster per pass.
Is there a point where a color count becomes impractical?
Past 6-8 colors on standard equipment, most shops either move to a simulated-process technique that blends colors optically with fewer screens, or switch to DTG/DTF where color count doesn't add setup cost at all.
How much should I charge the client for each extra color?
A common trade practice is a flat per-color upcharge, often $0.50-$1.50 per shirt for orders under a few hundred pieces, calibrated to cover both the setup dilution and the added press time shown here.
Does color order or underbase count as an extra color?
Yes — an underbase white on dark garments is functionally its own screen and pass, so a '3-color design on black shirts' is really a 4-screen job once the white base is counted, and should be priced as such.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Screen Print Color & Setup Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/screen-print-color-setup-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/screen-print-color-setup-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Screen Print Color & Setup Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Screen Print Color & Setup Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/screen-print-color-setup-cost) (2026).