Screen Printing Invoice Template (Free + Pricing Example)

Quick answer: A screen printing invoice template bills a customer for printed garments or items. It lists the blank garments by style, color and size, a per-print charge for each print location based on ink colors and quantity, one-time screen and art fees, extras such as 2XL+ upcharges or rush fees, sales tax, the deposit received and the balance due.

Screen printing is a volume business with high setup costs. Every new design needs artwork prepared, a screen burned for each color and a press registered before the first shirt is printed. A good screen printing invoice makes those costs visible so the price per shirt makes sense, and it records the details that matter for reorders: the design, the ink colors and the screen numbers. This guide explains how to structure the invoice, how per-shirt pricing works, a worked example with real numbers, and the mistakes that eat into print shop margins.

What is a screen printing invoice?

A screen printing invoice is a bill from a print shop or independent printer to a customer for custom printed apparel or other items, such as tote bags, hoodies or posters. Unlike a simple product invoice, it combines three kinds of charges:

• Goods: the blank garments, priced by style, color and size.
• Decoration: a per-print charge for each location (front, back, sleeve) based on the number of ink colors and the order quantity.
• One-time charges: screens, art preparation, color matching, test prints and rush fees.

Most shops send a quote first, then a deposit invoice once the customer approves the proof, then a final invoice at pickup or shipping. If you also run digital or offset printing, our printing services invoice template covers flyers, cards and large-format work. If you are setting up a shop, see our guide on how to start a screen printing business.

What should a screen printing invoice include?

Section	Details to include
Shop details	Business name, address, phone, email, sales tax permit number if your state requires it
Invoice data	Invoice number, order or job number, issue date, due date, PO number
Customer	Name, organization, billing and shipping addresses
Design reference	Design name, proof version approved, ink colors (Pantone references if matched), print locations and sizes
Garments	Brand and style number, color, size breakdown (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL), quantity, unit price
Print charges	One line per location: colors, quantity, price per print
Setup charges	Screens (number and rate), art cleanup or vectorization, color match, underbase
Extras	Size upcharges, folding and bagging, individual names and numbers, rush fee, shipping
Totals	Subtotal, sales tax (or exemption reference), total, deposit paid, balance due
Terms	Payment terms, spoilage policy, screen storage policy, proof approval, customer-supplied goods

The size breakdown matters more than it seems. Larger sizes cost more as blanks, and a missing 3XL is a common reason for a delayed payment. List each size with its quantity.

How is screen printing priced per shirt?

Most shops use a price grid with ink colors on one axis and quantity on the other. The table below is illustrative only, to show the structure. It excludes garments. Your prices depend on your equipment, labor costs and local market.

Quantity	1 color	2 colors	3 colors	4 colors
24 to 47	$2.75	$3.75	$4.60	$5.40
48 to 71	$2.10	$3.10	$3.85	$4.50
72 to 143	$1.60	$2.35	$2.95	$3.50
144 to 287	$1.20	$1.75	$2.25	$2.70
288+	$0.95	$1.35	$1.75	$2.10

To get the price per shirt, add:

1. Garment cost (your blank cost plus markup).
2. Print charge for each location, from the grid.
3. Per-piece extras such as 2XL and larger upcharges, names and numbers, or individual bagging.
4. One-time fees divided across the order, if you want to quote an all-in per-shirt figure.

Many shops quote an all-in price per shirt to the customer but show the parts on the invoice, which helps when the customer reorders or changes quantities. A clear price list with the grid and your minimum order quantity speeds up quoting. To make sure each tier is profitable after garments, ink, emulsion and labor, use our guide to calculating profit margin.

Screen printing invoice example with real numbers

A high school robotics club orders 72 shirts: a two-color front design and a one-color back. Prices below are illustrative, and this example applies a 7% sales tax because the club is not using an exemption certificate.

Invoice SP-2026-0318 | Job: Robotics Club 2026 Tees | Proof v2 approved October 2, 2026 | Ink: Front PMS 185 red and white, back white | Issued: October 16, 2026 | Due on pickup

Description	Qty	Unit price	Amount
Cotton tee, black, sizes S to XL (S 10, M 22, L 20, XL 12)	64	$4.50	$288.00
Cotton tee, black, 2XL	8	$6.50	$52.00
Front print, 2 colors, 11 x 11 in (72 to 143 tier, plus underbase)	72	$3.10	$223.20
Back print, 1 color, 10 x 3 in name bar	72	$1.60	$115.20
Screen setup (front underbase, red, white; back white)	3	$25.00	$75.00
Art cleanup and vectorization	1 hr	$45.00	$45.00
Subtotal			$798.40
Sales tax, 7%			$55.89
Total			$854.29
Less 50% deposit paid October 2, 2026			-$427.15
Balance due at pickup			$427.14

The effective price is $854.29 / 72 = about $11.87 per shirt including tax. In this example the shop counted the underbase within the front print rate but charged a screen for it, so three screens serve a "two-color" front plus a one-color back. If the club reorders within the shop's screen retention period, the screen and art lines drop off and the per-shirt cost falls.

You can recreate this layout with the free invoice generator, using one line per garment size group and one per print location.

Screen printing vs DTF and DTG: what changes on the invoice?

Many shops now offer direct-to-film (DTF) transfers and direct-to-garment (DTG) printing alongside screen printing. Each method suits different orders, and the invoice should make it clear which one you used, because pricing logic is different.

Method	How it is usually priced	Typical sweet spot	Invoice lines to show
Screen printing	Per print by color count and quantity, plus screens	Larger runs with few colors	Screens, per-print charge per location, garments by size
DTF transfers	Per transfer by size, plus pressing	Small runs, full-color art, mixed garments	Transfer size and quantity, press charge, garments
DTG printing	Per print by print size and garment color	One-offs and full-color designs on cotton	Print size, pretreatment on dark garments, garments

If you switch a job from screen printing to DTF because the customer cut the quantity from 72 to 18, say so on the revised quote and on the invoice, and drop the screen fees. Customers notice when a setup charge appears on a method that does not use screens.

How should you invoice reorders?

Reorders are where screen printing becomes profitable, so make them easy. On the original invoice, record the design name, approved proof version, ink colors and print sizes. Then state your screen retention policy, for example: screens are kept for 90 days after the order ships, and reorders within that period skip screen fees. After that, screens are reclaimed and setup is charged again.

When the reorder arrives, reference the original invoice number on the new one ("Reorder of SP-2026-0318") and only bill setup that actually happens, such as a new screen for an added sponsor logo. Reorders at a lower quantity may fall into a higher price tier; explain that on the quote rather than surprising the customer on the invoice.

Do screen printers charge sales tax?

In US states with a sales tax, custom printed garments are generally treated as sales of tangible personal property, so the full price, including printing and often setup charges, is usually taxable. The main exceptions:

• Orders for resale. A brand, band or retailer buying shirts to resell can give you a resale certificate, and you keep it on file instead of charging tax.
• Exempt organizations. Some schools, nonprofits and government agencies can buy tax-free with a valid sales tax exemption certificate, depending on the state.
• Clothing exemptions. A few states exempt or reduce tax on clothing; check whether printed promotional items qualify.
• Customer-supplied garments. When you only print, some states still tax the printing charge as fabrication labor. Check the rule.

Shipping charges may be taxable or not depending on the state. The Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board publishes resources for member states, and your state revenue department has the final word. This is general information, not tax advice. The sales tax calculator helps you check totals.

How to create a screen printing invoice step by step

1. Confirm the approved proof. Note the proof version, ink colors, print sizes and locations on the invoice.
2. Enter garments by size. One line per price group (S to XL, 2XL, 3XL), with brand, style and color.
3. Add print charges. One line per location with colors and quantity, priced from your grid tier.
4. Add one-time charges. Screens, art, color matching, test prints.
5. Add extras. Names and numbers, folding and bagging, rush fees, shipping.
6. Apply tax or record the exemption. Note the certificate number for resale or exempt orders.
7. Credit the deposit and show the balance due with the due date or "due at pickup".
8. Add terms. Spoilage allowance, screen storage period, how long you hold finished orders and accepted payment methods.

Use the same job number on the quote, proof, deposit invoice and final invoice. A consistent invoice numbering system makes reorders and disputes far easier to handle.

Common screen printing invoicing mistakes

• Not charging for the underbase. On dark garments it is an extra screen and pass. Count it.
• Single price for all sizes. 2XL and larger blanks cost more; build in an upcharge.
• Starting before deposit and proof approval. You are buying garments for a design the customer may still change.
• Billing overruns without agreement. Invoice the quantity ordered unless extras were approved.
• No reference to the proof. If a customer later says the color was wrong, the approved proof version on the invoice is your evidence.
• Missing exemption paperwork. If you skip tax, keep the certificate. Without it, you may owe the tax yourself on audit.
• Forgetting to quote art time. Low-resolution logos often need redrawing; bill that time.

Screen printing invoice checklist

• Invoice number, job number, dates and PO number
• Approved proof version, inks and print locations
• Garments by style, color and size
• Print charge per location with color count and tier
• Screens, art and setup charges
• Extras and rush fees
• Sales tax or exemption certificate reference
• Deposit credited and balance due
• Spoilage, screen storage and pickup terms

Many print shops also offer embroidery for polos, caps and jackets. Our embroidery invoice template covers stitch count pricing and digitizing fees, which work quite differently from screen fees.

A clear screen printing invoice template shows customers exactly why their price per shirt is what it is: garments by size, prints by location and color count, one-time screens and art, and tax. Build yours with our free invoice generator. It is free, needs no sign-up, and produces a PDF in your browser that you can download and send with the order.