Screen Printing in Atlanta

What do you need for a screen printing quote?

Three things set a screen printing quote: what you're printing on, how many pieces you need, and the design, meaning how many ink colors it has and where it prints. Send those with your in-hand date, and we'll quote the order and tell you whether screen printing or DTF fits it better.

Reach us through our contact page, call (678) 845-6864 or email hello@tidalcolors.com.

Ordering more than one shirt color or style? List each one with its own size counts, so the quote covers every version. Collecting sizes for a group? Our guide on how many of each size to order helps you fill in the counts.

How does screen printing work?

Ink is pushed through a fine mesh screen onto the garment, one color at a time. Each color in the design needs its own screen, lined up so every color lands exactly in place. The printed ink is then cured with heat so it bonds to the fabric.

The result is a bold, opaque print with crisp edges, which is why custom screen printed shirts remain a favorite for teams and events.

Before the first shirt prints, the artwork is separated into its colors, and each color becomes a stencil on a separate screen. Every print location, such as the front, back or a sleeve, gets its own set of screens. The machine behind it is a screen printing press: the screens stay locked in position while each color prints, and a dryer cures the ink afterward.

For inks, press types and printing on dark garments, see our guide to screen printing methods for apparel.

How much does screen printing cost?

We quote every screen printing order, because the price depends on the job: the number of ink colors, the number of print locations, the quantity and the shirt you choose. Each color in each location needs its own screen, and that setup is shared by every shirt, so the cost per shirt drops as the quantity grows.

That's why two orders of the same size can be priced very differently. A one-color front uses a single screen for the whole run, while a multi-color design on the front and back needs a screen for every color in both places. The shirt adds its own share, too: bright inks on a dark shirt usually sit on a white base layer, which is one more screen.

How can you lower your screen printing cost?

Simplify the setup and spread it over more shirts: use fewer ink colors and fewer print locations, order one design for the whole group in a single run, and pick a shirt color that doesn't need a white base layer under your ink.

• Use fewer colors. Each ink color is another screen, so a bold one- or two-color design keeps the setup small.
• Print in fewer places. The front, back and sleeves are each set up separately.
• Order the whole run at once. Collect every size first instead of adding small top-ups later; a few extra shirts after the run suit DTF better.
• Match ink to the shirt. Dark ink on a light shirt skips the white base layer that bright inks need on dark shirts.

Comparing methods for a smaller order? Our guide shows when DTF costs less than screen printing as the quantity changes. If you sell the shirts you print, see our guide to pricing shirts you resell.

A bulk order is one design across every size your group wears, often adult (men's or unisex), women's and youth sizes in one run, so count the sizes first. Then pick the shirt: our guide to choosing blank t-shirts for printing covers fabric, weight and fit, and the styles and colors are on our custom t-shirts page.

Still deciding between a bulk run and printing shirts only as they sell? Compare the two in print on demand vs bulk orders, which also walks through how to order t-shirts in bulk.

When is DTF the better fit?

DTF is the better fit when the run is small, the art is full color, or every shirt is different. Our DTF transfers have no setup fees or minimums and print every color in one pass, so a handful of shirts, a photo design or a different name on each shirt usually costs less than setting up screens.

Screen printing loses its edge when a design has many colors or every shirt is different. In those cases, DTF transfers usually make more sense:

• Small runs: there are no setup fees and no minimums on DTF transfers.
• Full-color art: photos, gradients and many colors print in a single pass.
• Names and numbers: each name is simply its own transfer.
• Mixed fabrics: DTF adheres to polyester, nylon, denim and blends as well as cotton.

We don't offer DTG: full-color printing without screens is done with DTF here, and our DTF vs DTG guide explains how the two compare.

There are two ways to order. Press the transfers yourself: a full-color 12" × 12" transfer is $4.51, or many designs and names fit on one 22-inch gang sheet; see every DTF size and sheet price. Or order finished printed shirts with no minimum order: start designing on a custom apparel product page, and the online designer's Add Team Name tool puts a different name on each shirt.

DTF orders placed before 3 PM EST, Monday to Friday, are printed and shipped the same day; delivery time then depends on the shipping option and the distance, as our DTF shipping and turnaround page explains. Learn more about custom DTF transfers, or compare the two methods in our guide to DTF vs screen printing.

Screen printing in Atlanta for teams and events

Many team orders combine both methods. The shared front design is screen printed across the whole order, then each player's name and number goes on the back with DTF transfers. Send the name list with each player's size, so every name lands on the right shirt.

Schools, clubs, nonprofits and fundraisers order the same way: one shared design for everyone, plus DTF names when each shirt needs its own. Shirts for a race, a reunion or a company outing follow the same pattern, so put the event date in your quote request as the in-hand date. Count every size first and order early, because finished shirts need production time on top of shipping.

Outfitting a league or school team? See our custom team uniforms, or browse shirt styles and colors on our custom t-shirts page. Our guide on how to order team uniforms walks through each step, from sizes to names and numbers.

Screen printing near you in Alpharetta

We offer screen printing from our shop at 1891 McFarland Pkwy in Alpharetta and work with schools, teams, businesses, clubs and nonprofits across metro Atlanta. Pick up your finished order free at the shop, or we ship it with tracking to any of the 50 states.

• Hours: Monday to Friday 9 AM to 5 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 2 PM, closed Sunday
• Phone and email: (678) 845-6864 · hello@tidalcolors.com
• Also here: custom embroidery for polos, caps and jackets, and DTF transfers in Atlanta that you can pick up in Alpharetta too

You don't need to visit to get started: request a quote by phone, by email or through the contact page. For online orders, choose Local Pickup at checkout, and we'll let you know when your order is ready. For a few printed shirts with no minimum order, see custom t-shirt printing in Atlanta.

Let the shirt do some of the work, too: any part of the design that is simply the shirt color showing through needs no ink and no screen.

Photos, gradients and many-color art print as designed with DTF instead. For DTF we prefer a PNG with a transparent background at 300 DPI, and our DTF artwork requirements cover the rest. Not sure your file suits screen printing? Send it with your quote request, and we'll tell you which method fits.

Frequently asked questions

Plan your screen printing order

Tell us about your design, quantity and date, and we will recommend the right way to print it. If DTF suits the job better, we'll say so. Pick up the finished order free in Alpharetta, or we'll ship it to you.

Request a quote