A setup charge is a one-time fee that covers the prep work a decoration method needs before the first piece can be produced. It pays for the physical and digital things we have to make — a screen, a die, a digitized stitch file — that are reused across the whole run. It is separate from the per-piece price of the product.
#Why setup charges exist
Most decoration methods don't run directly from your artwork. There is a step in between where your file is converted into something the machine can use. That step has real cost — a person's time, materials, sometimes a piece of tooling that gets stored after the run.
A few examples of what a setup charge actually covers:
- Screen printing — burning a screen for each color in the design. A two-color design needs two screens.
- Embroidery — digitizing your logo into a stitch file the embroidery machine reads. Different sizes and placements may need their own files.
- Foil stamping and debossing/embossing — cutting a metal die in the shape of your design.
- Pad printing — making a printing plate.
- Laser engraving and DTG — usually no setup charge; the machine runs from your file directly.
The work happens once per design, per method, per placement. The per-piece price covers what it costs to apply that prep to each unit.
#Where setup charges show up
Setup charges appear as their own line on your quote, separate from the per-piece product price and any per-piece decoration charges. The quote will show:
- What the charge is for (which method, which design, which placement)
- The amount
- Whether it's one-time or recurring
If a single order has multiple designs or multiple methods, you'll see a setup line per design × method × placement. We don't bundle them into the per-piece price — keeping them separate makes the reorder math honest later.
#Which methods incur them
As a rough guide:
- Screen print, embroidery, foil, pad print, debossing/embossing — yes, almost always.
- DTG, sublimation, laser engraving, heat transfer — usually no, or a very small one if any.
- Stickers, labels, sourced items — varies; depends on the supplier and the substrate.
Exact charges depend on the product, the decoration, the number of colors, and the complexity of the artwork. Your quote will spell them out. If a setup charge looks high, ask your account team — there's often a simpler version of the art that brings it down.
#What happens on a reorder
This is where setup charges earn their keep. The first time you run a design, we pay for the screen, the digitized file, or the die. We keep those assets. The next time you reorder the same item with the same decoration, the setup work is already done.
- Identical reorder (same design, same method, same placement, same product) — setup charges are typically waived or substantially reduced. You're paying for ink, time, and the piece, not the prep.
- Same design, new product or new placement — there is usually a reduced setup fee to adapt the existing assets to the new application.
- New design — full setup fee, like the first time.
We hold setup assets on file as long as your account is active. If a screen or die needs to be remade — physical wear, a long enough gap between runs — you'll see a new setup line on the reorder quote, and we'll explain why.
#What this means for your quote
Setup charges weigh on small runs more than large ones. A $X setup fee spread across 25 pieces hits the per-piece cost harder than the same fee spread across 250. If you're early in deciding on quantity, ask for both — a 25-piece and a 250-piece quote — to see how the math shifts.
For how to read the whole quote alongside setup, see Understanding your pricing. For how setups carry between runs, see Reordering.