How many colours can my design have?
Unlimited with DTF, DTG and sublimation — they print full colour in one pass, so a photograph costs the same as a single colour. Screen printing is priced per colour because each colour is its own screen and its own pass on the press, up to eight per design; vinyl is priced per colour because each colour is cut and layered separately. Embroidery is priced on stitch count, and thread colours are free.
Colour by method
| Method | Colour limit | How colour affects the price |
|---|---|---|
| DTF | None | Not at all |
| DTG | None | Not at all; dark garments add an underbase |
| Sublimation | None | Not at all; polyester only, light base only |
| Screen printing | Up to 8 | A screen and a setup per colour |
| Vinyl | Practically 2–3 | Each colour is cut and layered separately |
| Embroidery | Up to 12 threads on our heads | Not by colour — by stitch count |
Choosing on colour count
One to three colours at 150 pieces or more: screen print, which is the cheapest and most durable method for simple artwork at volume. Four or more colours, gradients, or a photograph: DTF on any fabric, DTG on light cotton, sublimation on polyester — no separation, no screens, one price. Where a design has many colours but a small run, DTF usually wins outright; where it has few colours and a large run, screen print does. Past a certain colour count DTF is simply cheaper than screens, and we say so on the quote.
Gradients and halftones
A gradient in a screen print is a halftone — dots of one ink colour at varying size — which works for shading within a limited palette but is not a photograph. If the artwork depends on tone, use a digital method. If it depends on a bold flat colour, use a screen.
Related questions
- Does a full-colour print cost more?
- By DTF, DTG or sublimation, no. By screen print, yes — a screen per colour.
- Can I have unlimited thread colours in embroidery?
- Up to the number of heads on the machine, and colour count does not change the price; stitch count does.
- What is a colour separation?
- Splitting the artwork into one layer per ink colour so each can become a screen. It is why screen print needs vector artwork.
- Can you print white on a black shirt?
- Yes — as an underbase in screen print and DTG, and as part of the transfer in DTF.
Where to go next
More questions on artwork
What file format do you need for artwork?
Vector first — AI, EPS or PDF — because it scales to any size without losing quality and is what screen printing, embroidery and vinyl…
I only have a JPG or a screenshot of my logo. Is that a problem?
Send it anyway. We will tell you honestly whether it will reproduce well at the size you want, and what we would need to do if not. Simple…
Ask us the rest
Send the garment, the quantity and any date you are working to. A real price and a mockup come back, usually within a working day.
Get a quote