Decoration Cost Comparison, Side by Side
Every axis that moves the per-piece price. Setup, best run size, and cost per unit sit side by side so you can see exactly where screen printing overtakes the digital methods. Your recommended method is highlighted as you change the inputs above.
| Method | Best run size | Setup | Color & detail | Durability | Hand & feel | Fabrics | Lead time | Cost per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Printing | Best at 100+ | Setup per color | Solid spot colors | Excellent | Sits on the fabric | Best on cotton | Longer (screen prep) | Cheapest at volume |
| DTG | Best at 1-50 | No setup | Full color, photographic | Good | Very soft, into the fabric | Best on 100% cotton | Fast | Flat per unit |
| DTF | Best at 1-100 | No setup | Full color, vivid | Very good | Slight transfer feel | Almost any fabric | Fast | Affordable small to mid |
| Embroidery | Any quantity | One-time digitizing | Thread colors, no photos | Excellent | Raised stitching | Polos, caps, jackets | Moderate | Premium, by stitch count |
When to Choose Each Method
- Screen Printing, the volume play. One-time setup per color, then the per-piece cost falls the higher you go. Cheapest once a one to three color run passes roughly 72 pieces.
- DTG, the small-batch full-color pick. No setup, flat per unit, best on 100% cotton. Ideal for 1 to 48 photographic prints.
- DTF, the mixed-fabric workhorse. No setup, vivid full color on almost any material, priced well from 1 up into the low hundreds.
- Embroidery, quantity-proof and premium. Priced by stitch count, not run size, so a left-chest logo costs the same at 12 or 500. Best on polos, caps, and jackets.
Arklavo runs all of these in house with no minimums and two-day shipping, so we recommend the method that fits your job, not the one we feel like running. Get a quote and we will confirm the best fit.
Get your per-piece price
Email the cost comparison plus a quote priced to your exact garment and piece count. Grab it here.
FAQ
It comes down to your piece count. Under about 24 pieces, DTF and DTG usually print cheapest because they carry no per-color setup. Cross roughly 72 pieces on a one or two color design and screen printing pulls ahead, since its setup divides across the whole run. Embroidery prices by stitch count, so a chest logo stays steady at 12 or 500. Set your run size and the tool names the cost winner for that exact number.
More than any other input. A screen print charges setup per color once, then the per-unit price keeps dropping as the run grows, so 300 shirts can land near half the per-piece cost of 24. DTG and DTF stay flat per unit at every quantity. That is why the tool flips its pick from a digital method at a dozen pieces to screen printing once you pass the mid-hundreds.
A properly cured screen print and embroidery both outlast the garment with cold-wash, low-dry care, which is how they earn their higher setup at volume. DTF holds up very well and DTG is good; both stay sharp longer when you skip high dryer heat. If cost per wear matters as much as cost per piece, screen printing at volume is hard to beat.
DTG is softest because the ink cures into the cotton fibers with no added layer. DTF leaves a thin flexible film you can feel slightly, a screen print sits on top of the fabric, and embroidery is raised thread. For a near zero-feel print at small counts, DTG leads with no setup charge.
DTF is the fabric all-rounder, bonding to cotton, polyester, tri-blends, and performance knits, which makes it the safe cost pick when a run mixes garment types. DTG needs high-cotton tees, screen printing runs best on cotton, and embroidery suits structured pieces like polos, caps, and jackets where thread reads clean.
Send your garment, piece count, ink or thread colors, and the method the tool recommended, and we price it to your run size with no minimums and no setup surprises. Use the quote link in the tool for your side-by-side, or the request-quote page for a full estimate.
Last updated June 30, 2026