MOQ
Also known as: Minimum Order Quantity, Minimum
Minimum Order Quantity — the smallest order a printer will accept for a given method.
MOQ is the smallest number of pieces a print shop will produce for a given method. Screen printers commonly require 24 minimum because of setup time. DTG, DTF, and embroidery often have no minimum — even a single piece is fair game.
MOQs exist because of setup overhead. For screen printing, the operator has to coat screens, burn artwork, mix inks, and register the press — easily 30–60 minutes of work before any shirt prints. Splitting that overhead across 1 piece makes the per-piece price ridiculous.
When comparing printers, watch for shops that "have no minimum" but charge a setup fee that effectively replaces the minimum. The math should always be: setup fees + (per-piece × quantity) divided by quantity = your real per-piece cost.
Related terms
Setup Fee
A one-time charge that covers the labor of preparing the press, screens, or digitization for a job.
Screen Fee
A per-color screen-printing setup charge — pays for burning the screen for one ink color.
Bulk Discount
Lower per-piece pricing kicks in at higher quantities — usually at 24, 48, 100, 250, and 500 piece breaks.