A DC live printing quote has five lines: crew, press time, garments, setup and teardown, and travel. Most events land between $5,000 and $15,000 all-in. The shop is 2,281 straight-line miles away in Fullerton, and travel is the one line that doesn't change with guest count, so a larger DC event costs noticeably less per shirt than a small one.
What your quote includes
| Included | What it means |
|---|---|
| Crew | Trained printers who keep a queue moving, flown in a day before load-in. |
| Equipment | Presses, flash dryers, heat presses, ink and tables, shipped freight and built on site. |
| Garments | Blanks in a full XS–4XL run, counted to your headcount so nobody in line gets turned away. |
| Setup & teardown | Load-in, station build and breakdown inside the venue's window. |
| Every print | The printing itself, with no per-shirt surprise at the end. |
What moves the number
- Guest count: more shirts means more blanks and press hours, and sometimes a second station.
- Hours: an evening reception at the Wharf and three days at Walter E. Washington Convention Center are different jobs.
- Garments: a premium hoodie or a structured cap costs more than a basic tee.
- Stations: a hat bar or embroidery beside the press adds an operator.
- Travel: freight, flights and lodging as one fixed line.
Venue charges such as electrical orders and drayage are set by the building, not by us. We add them once we've read the exhibitor manual.
You see every line separately, so you can move any one of them. If the total needs to come down, the blank and the run hours are the two biggest levers. A shorter print window or a simpler garment changes the number far more than trimming the guest list. Send your date and headcount and we'll price the room you actually have.