Screen Printing: Ink Ounces To Mix

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Nothing kills a print run like running out of ink on shirt 180 of 200. Multiply shirts by colors by the ounces each hit lays down, round up, and mix that much plus a touch so the last shirt matches the first.

Quick formula: Shirts times colors times ounces per hit, rounded up to a whole ounce:

=ROUNDUP(B2*C2*D2,0)

200 tees, 3 colors, 0.03 oz a hit is 18 ounces of ink to have mixed before you flood the first screen.

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

ROUNDUP PRODUCT

The example

Three jobs, each with a shirt count, number of colors in the art, and ounces of ink per color per shirt.

	A	B	C	D	E
1	Job	Shirts	Colors	Oz/hit	Ink oz
2	Tees	200	3	0.03	18
3	Hoodies	100	4	0.05	20
4	Totes	250	1	0.04	10

The formula

Every shirt takes one hit per color; multiply it out and round up:

=ROUNDUP(B2*C2*D2,0) // shirts x colors x oz per hit, rounded up to whole oz

How it works

Three inputs, one safety round:

B2*C2 is the total number of ink hits — every shirt gets one pass per color.
*D2 multiplies by the ounces each hit deposits, which depends on mesh, coverage, and how heavy you print.
ROUNDUP(...,0) rounds to the next whole ounce so a fractional result never leaves you a hair short.
Mix by color, not in total — a 3-color job needs each color's share, so run the formula per color if the coverage differs.

Heavier deposits on dark shirts (an underbase plus the color) push the ounces-per-hit up — keep separate coverage figures for lights and darks.

Try it: interactive demo

Interactive

Enter the shirt count, number of colors, and ounces of ink per hit.

Shirts

Colors

Oz per hit

Variations

Add an underbase

Printing on darks? Add a white underbase as an extra color.

=ROUNDUP(B2*(C2+1)*D2,0)

Ink cost

Multiply the ounces by your cost per ounce of mixed ink.

=ROUNDUP(B2*C2*D2,0)*0.45

Pitfalls & errors

Coverage per hit is not one number for every job. A full front print uses far more than a left-chest logo — measure your own ounces-per-hit for a typical design before you trust the total.

Always mix a little past the rounded number. Ink dries in the screen, sticks to the squeegee, and gets test-printed — the round-up covers the shirts, not the waste.

Practice workbook

📊

Download the free Screen Printing: Ink Ounces To Mix practice workbook

Edit the yellow shirts, colors, and oz-per-hit cells; the ink ounces recalculate.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my ounces per hit?

Weigh your ink before and after a known run and divide the difference by the number of hits. It varies with mesh count, emulsion thickness, ink type, and how heavy you flood, so measure on your own press.

Should I round up or add a flat cushion?

Do both. ROUNDUP handles the fractional ounce so you are never a shred short, and a small flat cushion on top covers ink lost to the screen, squeegee, and test prints.

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Function references: ROUNDUP PRODUCT