# Screen Printing vs Embroidery, start up cost vs profit margin



## tymbo (Jul 14, 2010)

I am looking to start a small garage based business and looking at either getting into Screen printing or Embroidery. I am looking at embroidery machines and screen printing equipment. Cost is obviously much higher to start up with a single head machine or an older multi-head. I have also looked into screen printing too. The screen printing has a lower start up for the most part. My question is, who does both is a shop, and what do you find more profitable. Do you recommend having both? Also i am looking for some old embroidery machines that are broken if anyone has any. Any recommendations would be nice and thanks for any help that you may have.


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## The Youngin (Nov 26, 2007)

Embroidery is more profitable, and far easier to learn then profitable screen printing..... That being said having both is far better, screen printing is far more profitable for me but that is because embroidery is newer and less established. We only have a minor operation of embroidery but we had to bring it in because our customers asked soooo much.... It was quicker for the crew to learn, takes less floor space (screen printing has 1000s of squares), and if your out of you garage you could not handle enough screen production to beat the profitability of screen printing 

I hope this stupid ramble makes sence....

Jason


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## Guest (Nov 4, 2010)

We have both. We are a sporting goods store and the people that order a custom uniform usually want an embroidered hat to go with it so for me they work hand in hand.


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## macmiller (Jul 23, 2007)

I screen and have a single head emb machine. I probably only run 2-3 embroidery jobs a month, which is really my own fault.You need to push embroidery more than screen printing, people just don't need it as often. 

Also embroidery has become a commodity just like printing, except it takes 8 or 10 minutes longer to make that same $5 you just made on a shirt. If you have a niche or can do something others around you don't you'll do much better.

Buy screen equip first, and grow into an embroidery machine.


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