How to Get an Accurate Screen Printing Quote in One Business Hour

The 5 things every real quote needs

Every accurate quote is built from five inputs. Leave one out and the printer either guesses — you pay for the guess later — or emails back asking for it, and the clock restarts.

1. Quantity, with sizes if you have them. Quantity sets your bracket: 1 color is $2.75 per shirt at 48 pieces, $2.09 at 72, $1.93 at 144, $1.54 at 240, $1.32 at 500, per location. Size mix does not change print price, except oversize (2XL+) prices as its own line — note how many. If your count sits just under a break, say so: ordering up sometimes costs less in total.

2. The artwork itself. Not a description — the file, or the closest thing you have. It tells the quoter how many ink colors are really in the design, whether it needs an underbase on a dark garment, and whether it is print-ready or needs cleanup. We price the design you will actually print, not the one you described.

3. Ink colors per print location. Colors are the second pricing axis, and locations multiply them. A 2-color front is two screens; a 2-color front plus a 1-color back is three screens and a different price. State it plainly: "2 colors front, 1 color back." Each color is a screen at $30 per color, plus one $55 setup per job — never per location — full grid on our screen printing pricing page.

4. The garment — or the job it has to do. The blank is usually the largest line and varies most between quotes. Give a style if you know it ("a standard cotton crew tee," "a moisture-wicking work shirt"). If not, describe the job — kitchen heat, job-site visibility, client-facing wear — and the quote will price a named garment that fits it.

5. Your date and delivery plan. Production runs 7–10 working days after proof approval and receipt of blanks — we do not offer same-day printing — so the quote should confirm the timeline backwards from your opening or event. Say whether you will pick up free at our Miami Gardens warehouse, need delivery across South Florida (priced, not free), or are shipping through a Miami freight forwarder to the Caribbean.

Send those five through our screen printing in Miami page and there is nothing left to guess.

Artwork: what to send and in what format

Send vector files when you have them. AI, EPS, PDF, or SVG files price instantly and print cleanest, because each color is already separated. If a designer made your logo, this file exists — ask them before sending a screenshot.

Send a high-resolution raster if vector is gone. A PNG or JPG at 300 DPI at print size, on a transparent background, can usually be priced and printed after separation work. State the print size — "11 inches wide, center chest" — or the quoter must assume one.

Send what you have, honestly labeled. A photo of a shirt or a low-resolution logo can still start a quote: we count the apparent colors, price the run, and tell you what cleanup it needs. We will not pretend it is print-ready — among miami screen printers, that honesty matters, because artwork problems found at quote stage cost an email; on press, they cost the order.

Two facts belong on the quote: dark garments need a white underbase, which adds a screen and can affect your minimum — shown, not absorbed silently — and brand colors are matched by ink formula and Pantone reference where needed. Nothing prints until you approve the proof, because custom printing is made-to-order and there are no refunds.

Have the five details ready? Send artwork and quantity — real quote within one business hour.

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Why "how much for some shirts?" can't be priced

It is the most common first message in this business, and it is unanswerable as asked — the same words describe orders thousands of dollars apart. Take: "How much for 100 shirts?"

1-color front only: 100 shirts at the 72-piece rate — print 100 × $2.09 = $209.00, screens $30.00, setup $55.00 → $294.00 on the print side, before the garment.

4-color front plus 4-color back, same 100 shirts: print 100 × $3.30 × 2 locations = $660.00, screens 8 × $30.00 = $240.00, setup $55.00 → $955.00 on the print side, before the garment.

Same quantity, same words, more than three times the price — and neither includes the garment. Anyone who answers that question with a single confident number has quietly chosen the cheapest version of your order and will re-price it when the real design arrives.

The fix takes ninety seconds. Copy this format: Quantity and sizes (e.g., 144 total — S 20 / M 45 / L 45 / XL 25 / 2XL 9) · Artwork file + print size and placement · Colors per location (e.g., 2 front, 1 back) · Garment style or job, plus garment color · Date and delivery (need-by date; pickup, delivery, or freight forwarder).

Worked example in that format: 144 tees, 1-color front and 1-color back: front 144 × $1.93 = $277.92 · back $277.92 · screens 2 × $30.00 = $60.00 · setup $55.00 → $670.84 on the print side, $4.66 per shirt, garment extra and named separately. Check every number against the matrix in our complete breakdown of how much screen printing costs in Miami.

What happens after you send it (our 1-hour clock)

Send a complete request during business hours and a real quote comes back within 1 business hour. Here is what happens inside that hour.

Your inputs are checked against the minimum ladder first. 48 qualifies a 1–2 color design, 72 a 3–4 color design, and so on. If your design needs more colors than your quantity supports, the quote returns with the workable version priced — a color simplified, quantity raised to its minimum, or a note that DTG or DTF fits under 48 better.

Your artwork is opened and counted. Colors are counted, print size confirmed, underbase flagged, and any cleanup priced as its own item — never discovered later.

The garment is priced on a stable basis. Per-unit regular wholesale cost plus standard markup — never a supplier sale price that expires before you reorder — so reorders stay predictable. Oversize pieces are broken out separately.

The lines are assembled separately. Garment, print at your bracket and colors, screens at $30 per color, the one-time $55 setup, and delivery if requested — plus the timeline: proof first, production 7–10 working days after approval and receipt of blanks. If something cannot be priced as sent, you hear that within the same hour, with the one missing thing named.

Comparing quotes apples-to-apples

Most buyers collecting three quotes are comparing three different orders under the same description. Line them up on these checks first.

Same garment, by name? If one quote names the exact blank and another just says "t-shirt," they are not the same quote. A cheaper blank substituted for the one you discussed explains most too-good totals.

Same print specs? Quantity, colors per location, locations, and print size must match. A quote missing the back print wins on paper by printing less of your design.

Are screens and setup shown? Honest quotes show them as separate lines — ours are $30 per color and $55. A single all-in number cannot be checked against anyone's matrix, including ours on the screen printing pricing page.

Is the minimum stated, and is a proof included? A quote with no minimum named is not describing screen printing, and one with no proof step is missing the protection — custom work has no refund safety net.

Is delivery in or out — and is the timeline real? Burying delivery versus listing it makes identical totals look different. A same-day bulk promise means a skipped cure, a skipped proof, or a broker shipping from elsewhere. Ours: 7–10 working days after proof approval and receipt of blanks, free pickup at 5120 NW 165th Street, Bay 101, Miami Gardens, or delivery priced on the quote.

When all five checks match, compare totals with confidence — that is bulk t-shirt printing bought like a business input.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get a screen printing quote from Miami Tees Online?

Within 1 business hour during business hours, when your request includes quantity, artwork, colors per location, garment choice, and your date. If one input is missing, you get a reply in the same hour naming the one thing needed, so the clock never restarts in silence.

What information do I need to get an accurate screen printing quote?

Five things: quantity with sizes if you have them, the artwork file, ink colors per print location, the garment or the job it must do, and your need-by date with pickup or delivery plan. Screen printing starts at 48 pieces for 1–2 colors, scaling to 500 for 9 colors.

Can you give me a quote from a JPG, a screenshot, or a photo of a shirt?

Yes — send what you have and we will count the apparent colors, price the run, and tell you exactly what cleanup the file needs before proofing. Vector files (AI, EPS, PDF, SVG) price and print cleanest; a low-resolution file can start a quote but cannot go to press as-is.

Why did two printers quote different prices for the same shirts?

Usually because the quotes are not for the same order: a different blank, a location or color quietly dropped, screens and setup blended invisibly, or delivery treated differently. Line both quotes up on garment name, print specs, screen and setup lines, proof step, and delivery before comparing totals.

Does getting a quote commit me to ordering, and what happens next if I accept?

No. A quote commits you to nothing. If you accept it, the next step is your digital proof — nothing prints until you approve spelling, placement, size, and colors on that proof. Production then runs 7–10 working days after approval and receipt of blanks.

Get your accurate quote in one business hour

If your order is 48 pieces or more, you are five details away from a price you can budget, compare, and hold us to.

Send artwork, quantity, colors per location, garment, and your date for a quote within 1 business hour, or call (786) 540-3020. Get a Screen Printing Quote

Screen printing starts at 48 pieces — if that's your order, we're your printer. Miami Tees Online, 5120 NW 165th Street, Bay 101, Miami Gardens, FL 33014 — printing for Miami-Dade since 1988.