Screen-printing estimating glossary
The meaning of the cost, material, and quantity terms used in Screenprintcalc.
- Blank garment
An unprinted garment. Purchased blanks can exceed the number of finished shirts because of tests, extra stock, or rejects.
Use this term in context ↗- Finished quantity
The number of acceptable printed items planned for delivery. This is the quantity used to calculate quote revenue.
Use this term in context ↗- Print impression
One counted print event for the color or location being estimated. Record whether the rate represents a complete print sequence or a single pass.
Use this term in context ↗- Setup cost
A cost assigned once to preparing a particular job. Its boundary should exclude work already charged elsewhere in the estimate.
Use this term in context ↗- Allocated overhead
A consistent share of shop expenses assigned to the job. Do not add an expense again if it is already in a labor or shop rate.
Use this term in context ↗- Profit margin
Profit divided by selling revenue. A $4 profit on a $10 price is a 40% margin.
Use this term in context ↗- Markup
Profit divided by cost. A $4 profit on a $6 cost is a 66.67% markup.
Use this term in context ↗- Contribution per unit
Selling price minus variable cost per unit. A positive contribution can recover fixed costs as quantity increases.
Use this term in context ↗- Fixed job cost
A cost held constant across the quantities in the specific job model. Changing the scope may change this cost.
Use this term in context ↗- Variable cost
A cost that changes with the number of units in the model. The break-even tool assumes a constant variable cost per finished shirt.
Use this term in context ↗- Mesh count
Thread density expressed per inch or per centimeter. Count alone does not specify thread diameter or clear opening.
Use this term in context ↗- Coated area
The area actually coated with emulsion, excluding the frame. This calculator uses one-face area with a usage rate that includes the entire recipe.
Use this term in context ↗- Handling allowance
An added percentage for material losses not already included in the measured base rate.
Use this term in context ↗- Operating reserve
Material kept available on the screen or tools during a run. It may be recoverable and is not automatically a loss.
Use this term in context ↗- Reject rate
Rejected items divided by attempted items. It uses a different denominator from extra stock expressed as a share of finished quantity.
Use this term in context ↗- Extra-stock allowance
Additional blanks calculated as a percentage of the required finished quantity. This is the mode used in the pricing calculator.
Use this term in context ↗