{"id":8587,"date":"2026-06-11T13:51:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T18:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bluecotton.com\/blog\/?p=8587"},"modified":"2026-06-11T14:13:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T19:13:44","slug":"screen-printing-ink-colors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bluecotton.com\/blog\/productivity\/screen-printing-ink-colors\/","title":{"rendered":"Screen Printing Ink Colors: How to Choose & What to Keep in Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to custom screen-printed apparel, ink color selection is one of those decisions that feels simple on the surface but has more going on underneath. The choices you make here affect the final look, the cost of your order, and how closely the finished shirts match your brand.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s what’s worth knowing about choosing ink colors for screen printing before you finalize your artwork.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why More Colors Means Higher Cost<\/span><\/h2>\n

Before you decide on <\/span>which <\/span><\/i>colors to use, it\u2019s worth deciding <\/span>how many.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

In screen printing, every color in your design requires a separate screen. Each screen needs to be produced and aligned on the press before printing, and the extra time and money it takes to assemble the print quickly show up in your order total.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Colors in Design<\/b><\/td>\nRelative Cost<\/b><\/td>\nGood For:<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$$<\/span><\/td>\nGreat for simple logos, text-based designs<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$$<\/span><\/td>\nCovers most athletic and organizational needs<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3\u20134\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$$$<\/span><\/td>\nManageable, common for event shirts<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5+\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$$$$<\/span><\/td>\nGood for premium merch & keepsakes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10+\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$$$$$<\/span><\/td>\nRarely necessary in SP, consider DTF instead<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

In some cases, these limitations also work in your favor. Oftentimes, a two-color design with strong contrast can have more visual impact than a five-color design that’s confusing to the eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stock Colors vs. Custom Mixed Inks (Pantones)<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Most screen printers maintain a variety of stock inks on hand. These are pre-mixed colors that cover the most common customer needs, and they’re ready to go without any additional setup. At BlueCotton, our most-used stock colors include: black, white, red (PMS 200), royal (PMS 286), athletic gold, purple, orange, navy, charity pink, and green.<\/span><\/p>\n

If your design calls for a color that isn’t close enough to a stock option, that’s when custom ink mixing comes into play. Blending inks to hit a specific target color adds a step to production, but for orders where brand accuracy matters, it’s the right call.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The target color is usually under the Pantone umbrella \u2014 a standardized color matching system used across the printing industry. Under the Pantone library, each color has a specific numerical code, and that code translates to the same color regardless of where or when it’s printed. So if your brand guide specifies “PMS 286 C” for your blue, a printer using the Pantone system can reproduce that exact blue consistently, whether it’s the first order or the fifteenth. Without a Pantone reference, you’re matching by eye or monitor, and screens vary too much to be reliable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use custom mixed inks when:<\/b><\/p>\n