Minimum quantity per method — quick overview
| Method | Minimum | Economic from |
|---|---|---|
| Digital print (DTG) | 1 piece | 1-50 pieces |
| DTF (Direct-to-Film) | 1 piece | 5-100 pieces |
| Embroidery | 1 piece | 10-50 pieces |
| Screen printing | 25 pieces | 50-1,000+ pieces |
| Sublimation | 25 pieces | 25-200 pieces |
| Flex print | 1 piece | 1-50 pieces |
Rule of thumb: Low quantity = digital. High quantity = screen printing. Embroidery for premium look.
Why is there a minimum quantity at all?
The reason is set-up cost — one-off cost for print preparation, regardless of quantity. Per method:
- Screen printing: Create films (15-50 euros per colour), coat screen, set up. With 4-colour print: 60-200 euros set-up cost.
- Embroidery: Digitise embroidery file (30-80 euros per logo), program machine.
- Sublimation: Prepare special ink and sublimation paper.
- DTG/DTF: Very low set-up costs, hence possible from 1 piece.
- Flex print: Plotter set-up, from 1 piece.
At low quantity, set-up costs make the unit price high. At high quantity, they spread across many pieces and drop significantly per piece.
Screen printing — economic from 25-50 pieces
Classic for mass orders. Unit price drops in stages:
- 25 pieces: 5-7 euros print per piece
- 50 pieces: 3-5 euros
- 100 pieces: 2-4 euros
- 250 pieces: 1.50-3 euros
- 500+ pieces: under 2 euros
For single-colour print and 100+ pieces screen printing is unbeatably cheap per piece. Multi-colour printing (4-6 colours) makes it complex: each colour needs a screen, each colour set-up cost. So: many pieces = many colours sensible, few pieces = rather digital print.
Digital print (DTG) — economic from 1 piece
DTG has almost no set-up cost. You pay per print roughly:
- 1 piece: 8-15 euros print
- 10 pieces: 7-12 euros
- 25 pieces: 6-10 euros
- 50 pieces: 5-9 euros
Unit price drops less steeply than with screen printing — DTG print takes several minutes per shirt. Recommendation: up to 30-50 pieces DTG, above that screen printing if the motif fits (1-3 colours, clear contours).
Embroidery — economic from 10 pieces
Embroidery has a one-off punch in the embroidery file (30-80 euros), then runs by machine. Unit price for logo (5×5 cm):
- 1 piece: 12-20 euros embroidery
- 10 pieces: 6-10 euros
- 25 pieces: 4-7 euros
- 50 pieces: 3-5 euros
Volume effect is smaller than with screen printing because the embroidery machine takes time per stitch. Embroidery pays off when the look should be premium or the material (polo, cap, workwear) demands it.
DTF — flexible all-rounder
DTF combines advantages: low set-up costs, good on any fabric, brilliant colours.
- 1 piece: 7-12 euros
- 10 pieces: 5-8 euros
- 50 pieces: 4-6 euros
- 100 pieces: 3-5 euros
At 100+ pieces of the same motif size screen printing often becomes cheaper, but DTF remains the pro for blended materials and functional fabrics.
Sublimation — for polyester from 25 pieces
Sublimation works only on polyester and needs special print set-ups. Minimum quantity usually 25 pieces because set-up costs otherwise don't pay off. Unit price drops comparatively little with quantity. Advantage: print disappears into the fabric, feels like no print.
Break-even calculation — an example
Assume you need 75 hoodies with a 2-colour logo:
Screen printing variant:
- Plain hoodie: 18 euros × 75 = 1,350 euros
- Screen print set-up (2-colour films): 70 euros
- Screen print per piece: 4 euros × 75 = 300 euros
- Total: 1,720 euros → 22.93 euros per piece
DTG variant:
- Plain hoodie: 18 euros × 75 = 1,350 euros
- DTG set-up: 0 euros
- DTG per piece: 8 euros × 75 = 600 euros
- Total: 1,950 euros → 26.00 euros per piece
DTF variant:
- Plain hoodie: 18 euros × 75 = 1,350 euros
- DTF set-up: 0 euros
- DTF per piece: 5 euros × 75 = 375 euros
- Total: 1,725 euros → 23.00 euros per piece
At 75 pieces screen printing and DTF are close, DTG is 3 euros per piece more expensive. At 200 pieces screen printing would clearly win.
When does what pay off — summary
- 1-15 pieces, any colour/photo: DTG or DTF
- 15-50 pieces, simple motif: DTF or screen print (compare)
- 50+ pieces, simple motif: Screen printing
- Polo/cap with logo: Embroidery (also from 10 pieces)
- Functional fabric with print: DTF or sublimation
- Sport jersey with number: Flex print
More calculations in our volume discount screen printing guide.
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