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Ink Calculator

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Width (in)? Height (in)? Prints (shirts)? Ink type? Density (g/ml)? Mesh count? Deposit (mils wet)? Underbase? Underbase coverage %? Underbase factor ×? Waste per color (oz)?
Colors & coverage %?
Coverage = share of the print area that this color actually covers.
These are estimates, not guarantees. Real usage depends on squeegee durometer and angle, off-contact, flood, emulsion thickness, garment, ink and press. Weigh or measure ink on a few jobs and adjust the deposit to match your shop.

Ink estimate

ColorCov.Fl ozQuartsGallonsWt ozLbSuggested buy

Suggested buy rounds each color up to whole containers (quart = 32 fl oz, gallon = 128 fl oz, 5-gallon pail = 640 fl oz). Containers are generic sizes, not tied to any brand. It picks the fewest, smallest containers that cover the estimate; open stock you already have is not counted.

How the estimate works

Ink per print (in³) = width × height × coverage × wet deposit thickness. One US fluid ounce is 1.805 in³. Per color: ounces × prints + waste allowance for screen and squeegee (default 4 oz, editable). Underbase deposit is multiplied by the underbase factor (default 1.5×) because underbases are usually laid down heavier or print-flash-printed.

Starting deposit by mesh (wet ink film, in mils = thousandths of an inch). These are rough working assumptions in a commonly cited range, not measured values; lower mesh counts lay down thicker deposits. Override the deposit field to calibrate.

Mesh (US threads/in)Assumed wet deposit (mils)

Weight = volume × ink density. Defaults are approximate: plastisol about 1.4 g/ml, water-based about 1.1 g/ml. Real density varies by brand and color (whites and metallics are often heavier), so check the maker's spec sheet or weigh a known volume and edit the field. Weight oz are avoirdupois ounces, not fluid ounces.

Water-based inks are often printed thinner, but they also dry in the screen and get washed out more often, so we use the same deposit and suggest raising the waste allowance if you run water-based.

What each box means

New to screen printing? Here is what every box above asks for, where to find the number, and a typical example. Tap any next to a box to jump to its explanation.

Width (in)
How wide your printed design is, in inches. Measure the art, not the shirt, for example 12.
Height (in)
How tall your printed design is, in inches, for example 14.
Prints (shirts)
How many shirts get this print, for example 144. That is 12 dozen, a common order size.
Ink type
The kind of ink you use. Plastisol is thick, plastic-based ink that has to be heated to dry. Water-based ink is thinner and soaks into the shirt. The label on your ink tub tells you which.
Density (g/ml)
How heavy the ink is for its size. The tool uses it only to turn ounces into pounds. It fills in about 1.4 for plastisol and 1.1 for water-based. Your ink's spec sheet may list the exact number.
Mesh count
How many threads per inch your screen fabric has. It is often printed on the screen frame or on the mesh label, like 156. Lower numbers let more ink through.
Deposit (mils wet)
How thick a layer of wet ink lands on the shirt. A mil is one thousandth of an inch, about as thin as a plastic bag. It fills in a guess from the mesh count, like 1.8 for 156 mesh. Leave it unless you have measured your own.
Underbase
Tick this if you print a white layer first. An underbase is that white layer, printed under the colors on dark shirts so they stay bright.
Underbase coverage %
How much of the design area the white underbase covers, as a percent. If white sits under about two-thirds of the art, enter about 60. It only counts when the Underbase box is ticked.
Underbase factor ×
How much thicker the underbase is than a normal color. 1.5 means 1.5 times as thick, because white is often printed heavier or twice. It only counts when the Underbase box is ticked.
Waste per color (oz)
Extra ink per color that never reaches a shirt. It stays stuck in the screen, on the squeegee (the rubber blade you push ink with) and in the bucket. About 4 fluid ounces is the default.
Colors and coverage %
One row for each ink color. Type a name and the percent of the design area that color covers, like 40 for a color that fills a bit under half the design. Use "+ Add color" for more rows and × to remove one.