A plain shirt can do the job, but a well-printed one can turn your team into part of your brand. That is why screen printing remains a popular choice for New Zealand businesses that need uniforms, event shirts, promotional apparel or larger branded runs. 

It produces bold colour, clean logos and a finish built for regular use, but the final result depends on more than the artwork alone. Order quantity, print colours, garment choice and print position all affect the price and quality. 

Before you approve your next apparel order, it pays to know exactly what you are paying for.

What Is Screen Printing and How Does It Work?

Screen printing transfers ink directly onto a garment or product through a fine mesh screen. For artwork with several colours, a separate screen is prepared for each colour, so every part of the design can be applied cleanly and in the correct position.

The printer pushes ink through the open areas of the screen onto the material below. Each colour goes on separately before the finished item passes through a curing process, where heat helps the ink bond properly to the surface. This gives screen-printed designs their strong colour, sharp edges and durable finish.

Simple company logos, bold graphics and artwork with clearly defined colours usually suit this method particularly well. Businesses often choose it for uniforms, team clothing, event apparel and larger repeat orders because the same prepared design can be reproduced consistently across many items.

Screen printing is not limited to T-shirts either. Depending on the material and product surface, it can also suit selected notebooks, flags, bags and other promotional merchandise.

How Much Does Screen Printing Cost in New Zealand?

There is no useful single price for screen printing because the same shirt can cost very differently once quantity, colours and print locations change. 

As a current New Zealand benchmark, published trade pricing puts a standard one-colour print at about $2.75 each for 25–49 units, $1.40 each for 100–249, and $0.94 each for 1,000–1,999. Standard screen setup can add roughly 30–45 per screen. These are indicative print costs, not Dynamic Gift prices, but they show how quickly volume changes the maths.

Order Quantity

Screen preparation is largely a fixed cost. At 25 pieces, a $40 setup equals $1.60 per item before the actual print cost. Across 100 pieces, that same $40 equals just $0.40 per item.

Number of Print Colours

Each colour normally needs its own screen. Published NZ rates show a two-colour print at about $3.10 each for 25–49 units, compared with $2.75 for one colour. At 100–249 units, those figures fall to roughly $1.55 and $1.40 respectively.

Number of Print Positions

A logo on the left chest requires one print location. Add a large back logo and sleeve print, and you now have three positions, each with separate setup and production work.

Garment and Artwork Choice

Cotton tees, heavier workwear, seams, pockets and uneven surfaces can all alter production requirements. Clean vector artwork also reduces preparation compared with a low-resolution logo that needs rebuilding.

For that reason, compare the complete decorated cost per item, not the blank shirt price alone. Dynamic Gift provides a personalised quote plus a free artwork proof with no obligation, so you can check the finished layout before production approval.

Why Screen Printing Gets Cheaper at Higher Quantities

The biggest reason screen printing costs less per item at higher quantities is the setup work that happens before the first shirt reaches the press. Each print colour requires a prepared screen, artwork alignment and press setup. Those steps take almost the same amount of work for an order of 25 shirts as they do for an order of 100.

Take a hypothetical $40 screen setup charge. Spread across 25 shirts, that setup represents $1.60 per shirt. Spread across 100 shirts, it falls to just $0.40 per shirt. The actual setup charge will vary between suppliers, but the principle stays the same.

Once the press is ready, the printer can reproduce the same artwork efficiently across the full run. That is why 25 shirts carrying one design will usually have a higher decorated unit cost than 100 identical shirts.

Those savings depend on consistency. A second logo, extra print colour or additional sleeve or back position may require another screen and another setup, which adds cost back into the order.

Is There a Minimum Order for Screen Printing?

Yes, screen printing commonly has a minimum order, but there is no universal minimum that applies to every product or supplier. Some printers accept runs of 10 to 20 garments, while commercial bulk orders often start around 25 units or more. The exact requirement depends on the product, artwork, number of colours and amount of setup needed.

A six-shirt order with a four-colour logo, for example, may require four separate screens for only six finished pieces. That means the setup cost has to be divided across very few garments, so the price per shirt can become difficult to justify. A one-colour logo across 50 or 100 shirts makes much better use of the same process.

For very small orders, digital garment printing or another suitable decoration method may offer better value because less physical setup is required.

Businesses also need to check how the minimum applies across staff sizes. If your order requires 50 garments, you may be able to split that total into 10 small, 15 medium, 15 large and 10 XL shirts. You would not normally need 50 units of every size. Confirm the total quantity first, then allocate the required size mix before you request the final quote.

Screen Printing vs Other Branding Methods

No decoration method wins in every situation. The right choice depends on the product, artwork, order quantity and finish you want, so a method that works well for 200 event shirts may make little sense for 20 embroidered jackets.

Screen printing is particularly strong when the same logo needs to appear across dozens or hundreds of items. Once the screens and press are prepared, the same design can be reproduced efficiently across the run.

Embroidery suits garments where a textured, stitched logo adds a more premium uniform finish. Digital printing makes sense for artwork with fine detail, gradients or many colours, while sublimation works particularly well with compatible polyester products because the design becomes part of the material rather than sitting on top.

The product should therefore come first. Choose the decoration method around the material and artwork, not the other way around.

4 Branded Products to Pair With Screen-Printed Business Apparel

A branded uniform can identify your team, but it does not have to carry the entire visual identity on its own. Screen-printed apparel can work alongside event displays, client gifts and promotional products, which helps your logo stay consistent across every point where customers see the business.

1. Pacifica Notebook & Serenity Pen Set

The Pacifica Notebook & Serenity Pen Set is a practical match for staff onboarding packs, conferences, client meetings and corporate gifts. The notebook contains 80 sheets of ruled recycled paper and has a bamboo veneer cover, while the coordinating pen combines a soft-touch barrel with bamboo details.

Most importantly for a coordinated campaign, the set supports Screen Print, Digital Print, Laser Engrave and Pad Print. A business can therefore carry the same logo used on staff apparel onto notebooks supplied to employees, delegates or clients.

2. Promotional Flags

For outdoor events, trade shows, sports days and business premises, Promotional Flags take the brand beyond what staff wear. They use durable nylon material and support screen printing for block-colour artwork, as well as CMYK digital photographic printing.

That makes them particularly useful when your apparel already uses a bold one or two-colour company logo. The shirts identify the people, while the flags make the same brand visible across the wider site.

3. USB Eco Wood Card

The USB Eco Wood Card works well inside sales packs, conference kits and client presentation folders because its flat format fits much like a business card. It can be customised with up to four-colour screen printing or full CMYK digital printing.

For a company that already has screen-printed staff apparel, the USB provides another compact branded item that can carry the same logo into meetings, presentations and giveaways.

4. 3x6 Printed Marquee Tent

The 3x6 Printed Marquee Tent creates the larger visual anchor for markets, exhibitions, outdoor promotions and sporting events. It uses a 45mm hexagonal frame and a 600D Oxford polyester canopy, with unlimited-colour artwork available across the exterior panels.

Pair it with screen-printed staff shirts and promotional flags and the branding becomes much easier to recognise across an entire event space. The marquee also includes pegs, tie-down ropes and a carry bag, which makes it a practical choice for teams that attend events regularly.

Is Screen Printing Right for Your Business?

Screen printing makes the most sense when you need consistent branding across a larger run of apparel or promotional products. It gives bold colours, clean logos and a durable finish, while higher quantities can reduce the decorated cost per item because setup expenses are spread across more units.

The key is to plan the order properly. Confirm your quantity, garment or product type, artwork colours and print positions before you compare quotes. At Dynamic Gift NZ, we can also help you extend the same branding across staff apparel, notebooks, flags, USB products and event displays, with free artwork support and an obligation-free quote before production begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does screen printing last on clothing?

A properly cured screen print can remain sharp through repeated wear and washing. Longevity depends on the garment, ink quality, curing process and how the clothing is washed and dried.

Is screen printing good for work uniforms?

Yes. Screen printing is especially practical for larger uniform orders where the same company logo needs to appear consistently across T-shirts, polos or other suitable garments.

How many colours can you use in screen printing?

Screen printing can use multiple colours, but each additional colour usually requires another screen and extra setup. A one-colour logo will therefore usually cost less to produce than a four-colour design on the same quantity of garments.

Does screen printing have a minimum order?

Usually, yes. The minimum can vary by supplier, garment, artwork and number of print colours. Some printers may accept 10 to 20 items, while other commercial orders may start around 25 units or more.

Is screen printing cheaper than embroidery?

It can be, particularly on medium and larger apparel runs with simple artwork. Embroidery has a different cost structure and gives a stitched finish, so the better option depends on the garment, quantity and look you want.

What artwork works best for screen printing?

Clean vector artwork with clearly separated colours usually produces the best result. Logos with strong shapes, readable text and limited fine detail are easier to reproduce sharply than very complex designs with tiny lines or subtle gradients.