Printing Setup Fee: What It Is and When It's Charged
We explain what a printing setup fee is, which jobs have a 0 EUR fee and which have 15–35 EUR, and how it's spread across a print run.
A printing setup fee is a one-off charge for preparing the technical file and equipment for a specific design — making screen printing screens, creating an embroidery program, or putting together a print layout. In our price list, this is 35.00 EUR for screen printing (1 colour, 1 position), 25.00 EUR for embroidery, 15.00 EUR for A4 and A5 catalogues, while stickers, business cards, posters and DTF transfer are 0.00 EUR. The fee is charged once per design, not per piece, so the larger the print run, the faster its impact on the per-unit price drops.
What exactly is included in the setup fee
Setup is not design development. It's the technical work that happens between the file you send us and the first printed piece:
- Screen printing — separating each colour, printing the film, coating the screen with emulsion, exposing it, washing it out, adjusting the equipment and mixing the colour to Pantone.
- Embroidery — converting the design into a stitch program (digitising), choosing stitch density and direction, a test run on similar fabric.
- Print jobs (catalogues) — preparing the layout, arranging pages on the print sheet, setting up folding and stapling, adjusting colours on the first sheet.
This work takes anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours regardless of whether you're printing 10 or 500 pieces. That's why the fee is one-off and fixed.
Where there's no setup fee
Digital technologies don't involve a physical form — the data goes straight to the machine. That's why we don't charge a setup fee at all for stickers, business cards, posters or DTF transfer. Stickers on matte or glossy vinyl start from 24.00 EUR/m² (from 5 m² — 22.00 EUR, from 20 m² — 19.00 EUR), contour cutting +8.00 EUR/m², with nothing added on top.
This means digital printing is more cost-effective for small runs, while screen printing and embroidery work better for large ones. The break-even point is usually around 20–40 pieces.
Price list: setup by product
| Service | Price per piece | Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Stickers (matte/glossy vinyl) | from 19.00 EUR/m² | 0.00 EUR |
| Business cards 90x55 mm, 300 g (100 pcs) | from 25.00 EUR/set | 0.00 EUR |
| Poster A2 / A1, 200 g | from 6.00 / 9.00 EUR | 0.00 EUR |
| Catalogue A4, 8 pages, 170 g | from 1.90 EUR | 15.00 EUR |
| Catalogue A5, 8 pages, 170 g | from 1.20 EUR | 15.00 EUR |
| DTF transfer up to A4 | from 4.20 EUR | 0.00 EUR |
| Screen printing, 1 colour, 1 position | from 1.50 EUR | 35.00 EUR |
| Embroidery up to 10,000 stitches | from 4.00 EUR | 25.00 EUR |
Prices are indicative and exclude VAT. The exact amount depends on quantity, number of colours, and number of printing positions.
How setup affects the price per piece
A simple calculation with screen printing (1 colour, 1 position) and T-shirt printing:
| Run size | Printing total | Setup | Setup per piece |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 pcs | 35.00 EUR | 35.00 EUR | 3.50 EUR |
| 50 pcs | 125.00 EUR | 35.00 EUR | 0.70 EUR |
| 100 pcs | 190.00 EUR | 35.00 EUR | 0.35 EUR |
| 250 pcs | 375.00 EUR | 35.00 EUR | 0.14 EUR |
For 10 T-shirts, screen printing including setup costs 7.00 EUR/pc — more expensive than DTF (6.00 EUR/pc with no setup fee). For 50 pieces, screen printing already drops to 3.20 EUR/pc versus DTF's 4.20 EUR/pc. That's why we usually recommend DTF for small runs and screen printing for large ones.
When setup is charged again and when it isn't
If you order the same design, in the same size and colours, we don't charge setup the second time — we keep the screens and embroidery programs on file. Setup is charged again in the following cases:
- the number of colours or the colour shade changes (each additional screen printing colour requires a separate screen);
- the print position changes (chest instead of sleeve or back);
- the print size changes significantly — a logo going from 8 cm to 25 cm requires a new screen and a new embroidery program;
- you switch technology, for example from embroidery to screen printing;
- the catalogue's page count or format changes.
A small text correction in a catalogue (for example, a different phone number) also requires a new layout, so the 15.00 EUR setup fee is charged again in that case.
Promotional products: setup by printing method
For promotional products from our catalogue, the setup principle is the same — what matters is the printing method and number of colours. For sublimation products, such as the *Pic 330 ml* ceramic mug, the *Thor 500 ml* recycled stainless steel bottle, the *Cove 500 ml* vacuum thermal bottle and the *Spring 750 ml* single-wall bottle, printing is in 1 colour and no form setup is needed, so we work with even a single piece.
For paper products, setup is included in the print layout: the *Desk-Mate® A5* and *A4* spiral-bound notebooks with a printed back cover use 4-colour printing (lithography), while the *Sticky-Mate®* recycled sticky notes with a 30 cm ruler or planner use 2-colour web offset. For these products, setup costs are already included in the quote depending on the quantity.
How to reduce setup costs
- Combine orders. If a school needs T-shirts for two classes with the same logo, print them together — one setup instead of two.
- Start with a single-colour logo. In screen printing, each colour requires separate setup; a black-and-white or single-colour version saves real money.
- Send the right file. Vector graphics (.ai, .eps, .pdf), CMYK, text converted to outlines. A poor file means extra setup hours.
- Plan your annual volume. If you know you'll need 300 T-shirts over the year, one larger run is more cost-effective than three small ones.
The standard turnaround for stickers, banners and posters is 2–5 business days, while for printed promotional products it's 5–10 business days after artwork approval; setup takes place in the first few days. Urgent jobs — by arrangement.
Frequently asked questions
Is the setup fee charged for every order?
No. It's a one-off charge for a specific design. If you reorder the same logo in the same colour, size and position, we don't charge setup again — the screen or embroidery program stays on file.
Why is there no setup fee for stickers and business cards, but catalogues have a 15 EUR fee?
We produce stickers and business cards using digital printing — the data goes straight to the machine. A catalogue additionally requires preparing the page layout on the print sheet, and setting up folding and stapling, which is separate work regardless of the run size.
How much does 2-colour screen printing cost?
Each colour requires its own screen, so setup is 35.00 EUR per colour — around 70.00 EUR for two colours, plus the per-piece printing price. For small runs in this case, DTF transfer with no setup fee is usually more cost-effective.
From what quantity is screen printing more cost-effective than DTF?
Roughly from 30–40 pieces in one colour. For 50 T-shirts, screen printing including setup costs around 3.20 EUR/pc, DTF — 4.20 EUR/pc. We calculate the exact break-even point in the quote.
Does the setup fee include design development?
No. Setup is the technical work with the file you submit. If the design needs to be created from scratch or redrawn in vector format, we quote that separately and agree on it beforehand.
Is the fee charged if I order just 1 piece?
For digital jobs and sublimation products — no, we work with even 1 piece. For screen printing and embroidery, setup still applies even for a single piece, so in that case we recommend a different technology.
Send us your file and the desired quantity to info@attaprint.lv or message us on WhatsApp at +371 25776699 — project manager Madara will work out which technology will cost less for your run. We prepare a quote with all setup items within one business day.
FAQ
Is the setup fee charged for every order?
No. It's a one-off charge for a specific design. If you reorder the same logo in the same colour, size and position, we don't charge setup again — the screen or embroidery program stays on file.
Why is there no setup fee for stickers and business cards, but catalogues have a 15 EUR fee?
We print stickers and business cards digitally — the data goes straight to the machine. A catalogue additionally requires preparing the page layout on the print sheet, and setting up folding and stapling, which is separate work regardless of the run size.
How much does 2-colour screen printing cost?
Each colour requires its own screen, so setup is 35.00 EUR per colour — around 70.00 EUR for two colours, plus the per-piece printing price. For small runs in this case, DTF transfer with no setup fee is usually more cost-effective.
From what quantity is screen printing more cost-effective than DTF?
Roughly from 30–40 pieces in one colour. For 50 T-shirts, screen printing including setup costs around 3.20 EUR/pc, DTF — 4.20 EUR/pc. We calculate the exact break-even point in the quote.
Does the setup fee include design development?
No. Setup is the technical work with the file you submit. If the design needs to be created from scratch or redrawn in vector format, we quote that separately and agree on it beforehand.
Is the fee charged if I order just 1 piece?
For digital jobs and sublimation products — no, we work with even 1 piece. For screen printing and embroidery, setup still applies even for a single piece, so in that case we recommend a different technology.
