Whenever you have a custom screen print order, you will always encounter the minimum order requirement for a project to proceed. But why do customers and sellers need to comply with the requirement when the actual client requirements are just a few pieces of shirt? Well, being in the screen printing business, there’s a big reason why a minimum order requirement is being implemented and I will be explaining it to you.
Why does minimum order for screen printing exist? Since screen printing is a combination of a mechanical and manual process that involves time, the set-up in running 1 custom shirt is technically the same as running 100 customs shirts. The minimum order requirement will essentially make the bulk orders more affordable to customers.
You probably have wondered what is with the set-up of the screen printing process that affects the cost of custom shirt production. Let’s take a brief look into the process which might help you understand more why most if not all screen printing business impose minimum order requirements.
The Process of Screen Printing
Perhaps you are quite familiar with the screen printing method, or perhaps not? But anyway, let’s take a brief look into the process so as to establish the reason behind the setting of minimum order requirement.
The screen printing method uses a mesh to transfer colored inks onto the substrate, which in most cases is a garment, excluding areas blocked by design stencils that are impermeable by coloring agents. The ink is pushed over the mesh and then pulled by a tool called squeegee.
Image by threads_screen_print
The printing method only allows single color per application thus it involves several stencils and meshes per color application.
The Factors Affecting Minimum Order Quantity
So, how does the process of screen printing affects the minimum order quantity? Among other custom print methods, screen printing is the most physically and detail demanding. It does not just print the desired image instantly onto the substrate, but it takes several stencils and application to achieve the desired designs.
One of the biggest factors affecting the minimum order requirement is the cost of materials and labor. Since the process involves one mesh screen and stencil per color application, a multi-colored design will require several materials to complete.
Even though meshes are recyclable, the process will still demand use of existing material that of course, will add up in the cost of the printing technique.
And even though there are screen printing businesses that operate in fully automatic machines, the operations will still require manual supervision and manual set-up. The existence of automatic machines does not discount the need for manual labor.
But what about the demand for time in producing the custom shirt? Screen printing is indeed time-consuming. For example, the time that will be consumed in setting up everything to produce one shirt is exactly the same amount of time that will be consumed in setting up for an order of 100 shirts or even more.
The pre-printing process will involve customer support, design separations for the stencil, preparation of meshes, ink preparation and test print for color accuracy.
Preparing everything to run the designs is not only the part of the process that is time-consuming. The ink will also take moments to dry, and as well as the process of cleaning all the meshes and the machine or the aftercare.
Inks also matters in dictating how the business will set a minimum order requirement. Remember what I have said? One application can only accommodate one color, so a multi-colored design will require several applications.
Inks have a price of their own. Some screen printing services require a fewer minimum order for fewer color involvement. For example, there are shops which will require 24 pieces of minimum orders for 2 ink colors, 36 pieces of minimum orders for 3 ink colors, 50 pieces for 4 to 6 colors and 100 pieces for 7 to 10 colors.
Too Much For A Minimum Order Quantity
The fun in having your own custom shirt is always pleasurable. Customers who are into such enjoyment may find the screen printing minimum order requirement quite disappointing. Of course! What is the sense of having 24 shirts of the same design when you only need one to wear?
But setting a minimum order requirement for custom screen printing shirts are the prerogative of the business owners since they want to produce products that are economically feasible. Everything goes down to math and business computations that will save both business and clients to expensive costs.
It simply goes like this – all costs involved including materials, labor, time and other resources will be averaged among the minimum order requirement to be affordable for the client.
For example, the cost will be averaged over a hundred shirts versus the same cost that will be averaged to 2 shirts, a hundred shirts get a minimal share of cost per unit than the latter.
And if in case you decided to go big and make a bulk order of over a hundred, I am pretty sure that you are worrying of its outcome without having a test print since it will cost you a lot. But there’s nothing to worry at all because shops nowadays provide mock prints of your order so as to have the best replica of your design on a shirt.
Single Printing Order
But you might have encountered some shops or custom printing services that allow a single order for every design. Yes, definitely there are. But what is in the printing process that makes it possible to run one order per design?
The shops or services that offer single prints may be using other printing methods such as sublimation and direct to garment (DTG) methods. These are printing processes that do not involve meshes and stencils and are quite easier to execute.
Sublimation printing involves the use of special sublimation transfer papers that transfers the printed design using pigment inks into the substrate with the use of a 400 degrees Fahrenheit released through a heat press machine.
On the other hand, a direct to garment (DTG) printing is similar to putting your shirt in a color printer and directly prints your design onto the substrate.
You may still find a few screen printing shops which will cater your request for a single run screen print job. But do not expect the price to be affordable, because that single job will accommodate all the cost of print. It will be extremely expensive.
Understanding the Logic
In running a business, would you rather go for a process that would end up costing you too much? Or would you go for a process that will be economical and will deliver the expected output? Of course, we will go for the process that will save us both time and resources. Having a minimum order requirement goes the same way.
Let’s make the situation pretty simple, you render printing and photocopying services and you have a client who asks for a printing service for one single photo. You will obviously use your laser printer to produce the photo.
But when the client requests for a thousand copies of that same photo, you will obviously use your copy machine to produce the required number in a more cost-effective yet efficient way.
Going into the actual application of minimum order requirement, let’s say the computed cost to run the job is $300, that amount or even higher will be the cost if you wish to create one custom shirt done on screen printing method.
But if you decided to have it printed in a hundred pieces, the $300 will be divided into a hundred plus the cost of shirt. Would it be practical and affordable on client’s end?
Related Questions:
What is the minimum order requirement for screen printing? The minimum order requirement or minimum order quantity (MOQ) varies depending on the supplier. It is the prerogative of the custom screen printing business owners as to how many will they set as a minimum order requirement based on the cost computations.
What other options do I have for a single print order only? There are other methods of custom printing that can accommodate single run orders such as sublimation or heat transfer printing and direct to garment (DTG) printing. These methods do not require much labor and resources cost.
What is the difference between the screen printing method and direct to garment printing? Screen printing creates more vibrant colors and more durable designs while direct to garment prints create less vibrant colors but accommodates more complex designs.
