How to Price Print Shop Jobs: Free DTF, Screen Printing, and Embroidery Pricing Tools

Pricing your services requires more than covering costs; it’s about building a flexible strategy that adapts to market changes like rising labor costs, economic fluctuations, and seasonal slowdowns. 

A strong pricing framework protects your margins and helps you:

• Save hours of quoting time
• Stay consistent with how you communicate to your team and customers
• Win more jobs with professional, transparent quotes

That’s why Inktavo created free pricing matrices for Direct-to-Film (DTF), screen printing, and embroidery. Below, you’ll learn how each one works and why print shops rely on them.

How to Calculate DTF Printing Prices

With DTF’s popularity continually growing, decorators need a clear method for balancing print speed, ink usage, and profitability. This is especially true since reports like this one from GrandView Research estimate the overall market size of DTF printing to hit nearly $4 billion in 2030! 

That’s why we collaborated with the team at Supacolor to build the DTF Pricing Matrix.

4 Key Variables to Consider with DTF Prints 

1. Garment type: fabric composition, zippers, seams, or print locations that affect press time
2. Heat press method: manual vs. pneumatic, or multi-platen presses for high volume
3. Finishing services: poly bagging, private labeling, or removing heat press marks
4. Customization: adding names/numbers (use setup charges to cover added complexity)

Margins for DTF Printing

• Wholesale: aim for ~30% margins
• Retail: aim for ~50% margins

Try the free Inktavo DTF Pricing Matrix to build quotes quickly without underselling your services.

Screen Printing Pricing Calculator Explained

Screen printing pricing can spiral quickly when setup fees and multi-color jobs pile up. The Screen Printing Pricing Matrix simplifies this process with a structured calculator.

Seven Key Factors in the Calculator

1. Profit percentage goal
2. Shop’s monthly costs (use slightly above average)
3. Production capacity
4. Impressions per hour
5. Utilization rate (**This is how many actual hours you’re running your press, not the whole work day. Many shops operate at <30% utilization.)
6. Number of presses
7. Garment cost + markup

Shops that track these metrics consistently see improved margins and faster quoting.

Download the Screen Printing Pricing Matrix to structure profitable pricing.

Embroidery Pricing Matrix for Shops

Embroidery pricing is heavily influenced by design complexity, especially stitch counts. The Embroidery Pricing Matrix accounts for these details while protecting margins. To help get a real-world picture of costs, we worked with groups like the National Network of Embroidery Professionals (NNEP) and shop owners like Courtnee Wampole of Get it Got it Print Shop to build a strong pricing tool. 

3 Key Pricing Factors for Embroidery 

1. Stitch counts & hooping — higher complexity = higher costs
2. Digitizing & setup — subcontracting digitizing can save time and reduce errors
3. Routine machine maintenance — plan for downtime to avoid profit loss

Explore the Embroidery Pricing Matrix to build embroidery pricing with confidence.

Why Use a Pricing Matrix Instead of Manual Quotes?

• You’ll save time since manual calculations take longer.
• It keeps pricing consistent so your team and customers don’t get confused.
• Present reliable, professional quotes to customers that win long-term business
• Less likely to miss hidden costs and risk underpricing

Grab all three free pricing tools from Inktavo’s Tools & Resources Hub.

FAQs

1. What margin should I charge for screen printing?
   Most shops aim for 40–50% on retail jobs. The matrix adapts based on your actual shop’s costs and goals.
2. How do embroidery stitch counts affect pricing?
   More stitches mean longer machine time and higher costs. Our calculator factors in stitch counts.
3. Can these pricing tools work for small shops?
   Yes. Whether you’re a single press shop or a large operation, the matrices scale with your business. 
4. Do these pricing matrices include finishing costs?
   Yes. From bagging to relabeling, you can include finishing services and simplify quotes. 

Quote Faster with Smarter Pricing.

Hundreds of shops already use these free tools to quote jobs faster and win more customers. By using structured matrices instead of manual calculations, you’ll protect your profits, improve team and customer confidence, and save time. 

👉 Download your free DTF, Screen Printing, and Embroidery Pricing Matrices today.