KENYA · GUIDE 0993 · EDITION 4.7
Screen printing service in Kenya: Pricing, Costing and Cash Flow Example
Editorial update: 28 October 2026 · Business planning reference · Review scope
Use one accepted sale unit throughout
Work through a fictional KSh 25,500.00 invoice against KSh 17,950.00 of selected cost lines; distinguish the invoice from collected cash.
This is a planning reference for screen printing service. The order below is an invented teaching case. It is not a completed customer job, an operating approval or a prediction of demand or earnings.
The example offer and its boundary
Fictional screen-print order: thirty adult cottonT-shirts with one 200×250 mm one-colourfront design. Buy32shirts for a planned two setup/reject units; deliver30only after approved print/cure checks. Client supplies authorised artwork.
Charging basis to confirm: printed unit. The rates and quantities below are teaching assumptions. Even a previously recorded listing is not adopted here as a current quotation or an earnings forecast.
Itemised arithmetic
| Selected input/activity | Quantity | Assumed unit rate | Selected cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton shirts | 32 | KSh 350.00 | KSh 11,200.00 |
| Screen/stencil service | 1 | KSh 1,800.00 | KSh 1,800.00 |
| Ink container allowance | 1 | KSh 1,200.00 | KSh 1,200.00 |
| Printing/curing hours | 6 | KSh 500.00 | KSh 3,000.00 |
| Packing/care cards | 30 | KSh 25.00 | KSh 750.00 |
| Calculation | Teaching result |
|---|---|
| Selected cost total | KSh 17,950.00 |
| Priced/accepted output | 30 example units |
| Assumed selling price | KSh 850.00 |
| Assumed invoice | KSh 25,500.00 |
| Difference before excluded costs and tax | KSh 7,550.00 |
Batch cost = KSh 17950; allocated cost per sale unit = KSh 598.33; assumed revenue = 30 × KSh 850 = KSh 25500; pre-tax scenario surplus = KSh 7550. Illustrative30-deliveredscenario with 32blanks; ink container is a purchased unit, not claimed consumption. Actual setup waste, cure verification and artwork fees need quote.
Check cash timing and a weaker outcome
TRAINING-0993: a fictional order for the scoped offer in section 01, using 30 priced units at KSh 850.00 each. Buyer group: clothing businesses and event teams. No buyer was contacted and no order was completed.
Teaching invoice = 30 x KSh 850.00 = KSh 25,500.00. The selected input lines in section 06 total KSh 17,950.00; their difference from this assumed invoice is KSh 7,550.00 before excluded costs and tax.
For cash-timing practice only, suppose a buyer pays a 30% advance of KSh 7,650.00. The invoice balance is KSh 17,850.00. If the selected input bill is paid before the balance arrives, additional cash of KSh 10,300.00 is needed after applying the advance. The advance is counted once, not again at final collection.
On full collection, total receipts are KSh 25,500.00. Cash against the selected example bill is KSh 7,550.00 before other payments. If a hypothetical 10% increase in the largest selected line (Cotton shirts) adds KSh 1,120.00, the unchanged invoice leaves KSh 6,430.00 against that revised bill.
If the customer instead leaves 10% of the invoice unpaid, KSh 2,550.00 is a receivable. Cash collected is KSh 22,950.00 and collected cash less the selected bill is KSh 5,000.00. This differs from invoice margin; do not spend the unpaid amount as though it is already cash.
The scenario is complete only as a teaching record of the stated lines. Add actual excluded startup and operating costs using file 12, and replace every assumed rate before relying on a quote. Use measured accepted output for the actual invoice; unaccepted output is not automatically chargeable.
For an actual quote, add all relevant excluded costs, use measured accepted output, and compare amounts from the same period. An unpaid invoice balance is not available cash. A deposit held for an uncompleted obligation is not automatically earned income.
References and their limits
ScreenPrinting.com: What is Cure Temp?
Ink-layer cure concept; actual ink technical sheet and measured process govern settings. Reference check recorded 2026-10-26.
STAHLS: Avoid Dye Migration in Sublimated Garments
Manufacturer discussion of polyester decoration defects; obtain the actual transfer application sheet. Reference check recorded 2026-10-26.
Recorded references support only the scope stated beside them. They do not prove current supplier stock, a local quotation, actual buyer demand, operator competence or the feasibility of this particular business. Later editorial changes do not refresh earlier source-check dates.
Prepared by Business Starter Guides using AI-assisted drafting and desk editorial checks. Independent operator trials and specialist certification are not claimed. See the editorial method for the review scope.
Editorial method and evidence limits