Cost to Start a Screen Printing & Embroidery Business (Free Calculator)
You can start a screen printing and embroidery business for as little as $2,150–$3,700 with a manual press and a home embroidery machine, enough for small one- and two-color print jobs. A full-time solo setup with a multi-station press and commercial embroidery machine for higher color counts and quantity tiers runs about $12,700–$20,500, and an automatic press with a multi-head embroidery machine for production-scale contract printing pushes it to $50,000+. Use the calculator below to build your own number.
Build your screen printing & embroidery startup budget
Pick a budget tier, edit any price to match your market, and see your real startup cost, monthly overhead, and how many orders it takes to break even. No signup, no email.
A manual screen printing press and a home embroidery machine — enough to start small one- and two-color print jobs and basic embroidery.
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Supplies & materials
Licensing & setup
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The honest range: $2,150 to $50,000+
Screen printing and embroidery’s range on “how much does it cost to start” comes down to color count and volume capability — small orders need only a manual press; higher color counts and quantity tiers need a multi-station press and commercial embroidery machine; and production-scale contract printing needs an automatic press.
Most shops start with manual equipment on small orders, then invest in a multi-station press once higher color-count jobs are the regular booking.
Tier 1 — Bootstrap (~$2,150–$3,700)
A manual screen printing press and a home embroidery machine — enough to start small one- and two-color print jobs and basic embroidery.
- Manual 4-color screen printing press (~$800) — the core equipment
- Single-needle home embroidery machine (~$600) — for basic logos
- Screens, squeegees & ink starter kit (~$400) — the working supplies
Tier 2 — Serious Solo (~$12,700–$20,500)
The upgrade that changes the business is a multi-station manual press with a conveyor dryer and a commercial multi-needle embroidery machine — this lets you run higher color-count jobs and larger quantity tiers at the per-piece rates that carry real margin.
Tier 3 — Pro Rig ($50,000+)
An automatic screen printing press and a multi-head embroidery machine let you take on high-volume contract printing for schools, teams, and corporate accounts at production-line speed.
Don’t forget the monthly number
Startup cost is the one-time hit; monthly overhead against what you charge decides whether the business works. Out of a home or garage setup, budget roughly $75–$130/month: general liability insurance plus booking/invoicing software.
The calculator turns that into a single line: how many orders it takes to break even.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start a screen printing and embroidery business?
A lean start is $2,150–$3,700 with a manual press and a home embroidery machine — enough for small one- and two-color print jobs and basic embroidery. A full-time solo setup with a multi-station press and commercial embroidery machine runs $12,700–$20,500.
Do you need an automatic press to start?
No — a manual press handles small orders fine. An automatic press becomes worth it once high-volume contract printing for schools, teams, or corporate accounts is the regular job, since it runs at production-line speed.
What equipment do you need to start a custom apparel business?
The non-negotiables are a press and an embroidery machine. A multi-station press and commercial embroidery machine are the Serious Solo upgrade. An automatic press and multi-head embroidery are for the pro tier's production-scale contracts.
What are the ongoing monthly costs of a screen printing and embroidery business?
Budget roughly $75–$130 a month solo, before shop rent: general liability insurance ($30–$80) plus booking/invoicing software. A dedicated shop adds $400–$900 a month in rent.
Is a screen printing and embroidery business profitable?
Yes — priced as setup plus per-piece: $40-100 to digitize embroidery, $20-35 per screen per color, and $6-12 a shirt for a one-color print at 24 pieces, with garments marked up 40-100% over wholesale. At a $400 average order, the Bootstrap tier pays for itself in about 6 orders.