NAICS 323113 Quarterly Industry Report
Commercial Screen Printing
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 323113Sector: 32Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 323113 provides business owners, acquirers, and financial advisors with data-driven valuation insights for the commercial screen printing sector, drawing on data from the U.S. Census Bureau[5] and Bureau of Labor Statistics[6] employment records. The report aggregates transaction multiples, financial benchmarks, and market trends specific to NAICS 323113 establishments, supporting buy-sell agreements, succession planning, SBA-financed acquisitions, and litigation support engagements.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the commercial screen printing industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Commercial Screen Printing (NAICS 323113) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in screen printing on purchased materials including textiles, apparel, paper, plastics, metal, glass, and other substrates without publishing. Products include decorated t-shirts and apparel, banners, signs, promotional items, decals, circuit boards, and specialty industrial prints. According to the U.S. Census Bureau[5], approximately 6,500 establishments operate in this sector, with the vast majority classified as small businesses employing fewer than 20 workers in local and regional market areas.
Apparel decoration represents the largest market segment, with screen printers serving schools, sports teams, corporate promotional programs, event merchandisers, and retail brands requiring custom-printed garments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics[6] reports production roles including screen press operators managing manual and automatic press equipment, ink technicians mixing custom colors and specialty formulations, artwork preparation specialists creating screens and stencils, and quality inspectors evaluating print registration, color accuracy, and durability.
Direct-to-garment digital printing and dye-sublimation technologies are creating new competitive dynamics as these methods enable single-unit and short-run production that traditional screen printing handles less efficiently. Per the SBA Office of Advocacy[7], screen printing businesses have responded by combining traditional screen capabilities with digital decoration options, offering customers a full range of production solutions from single promotional items through large-run custom apparel programs.
What's Included in This Industry
- Valuation multiples benchmarked to commercial screen printing operations
- Revenue and EBITDA trends for domestic screen printing and garment decoration businesses
- SBA lending data and financing terms for NAICS 323113
- Comparable transaction data from recent screen printing company acquisitions
- Industry risk factors including digital decoration competition and apparel demand cycles
- Workforce composition and labor cost benchmarks for screen printing operations
- Regional market analysis covering screen printing and decorated apparel markets
- Capital expenditure benchmarks for automatic presses, dryers, and digital decoration equipment
- Growth projections tied to promotional products, e-commerce custom apparel, and brand merchandise
- Owner compensation and discretionary earnings benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Printing and Related Support Activities | 323 |
| Industry Group | Printing and Related Support Activities | 3231 |
| NAICS Industry | Printing | 32311 |
| National Industry | Commercial Screen Printing | 323113 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 323111 | Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) | Commercial printing establishments providing offset and digital printing services that complement screen printing within full-service commercial print operations |
| 315990 | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | Apparel accessories and other apparel manufacturing establishments producing blank garments and textile products consumed as substrates for screen printing decoration |
| 339910 | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | Jewelry and silverware manufacturers sharing promotional product distribution channels where screen-printed items compete for corporate promotional budgets |
| 541810 | Advertising Agencies | Advertising agencies commissioning screen-printed promotional products, branded merchandise, and event materials as components of marketing campaign programs |
| 541430 | Graphic Design Services | Graphic design services creating artwork and screen separations for screen printing production across apparel decoration and signage applications |
| 323120 | Support Activities for Printing | Support activities for printing providing prepress film separations, screen preparation services, and finishing operations that support screen printing production workflows |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 12.0% | 698 |
| 2 | Texas | 8.3% | 480 |
| 3 | Florida | 7.1% | 410 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 4.2% | 245 |
| 5 | Ohio | 4.2% | 245 |
| 6 | New York | 3.9% | 228 |
| 7 | North Carolina | 3.3% | 194 |
| 8 | Illinois | 3.3% | 190 |
| 9 | Georgia | 3.2% | 186 |
| 10 | Michigan | 3.0% | 171 |
% Of Establishments
0%
12%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
1,016
Total SBA Loans
$403.8M
Total Loan Volume
$397K
Average Loan Size
11 yrs
Average Loan Term
10.13%
Average Interest Rate
9,696
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: Commercial screen printers seeking SBA financing typically qualify under the SBA size standards[8] for NAICS 323113, which set the threshold at 500 employees for small business classification. The SBA 7(a) loan program[9] provides up to $5 million for business acquisitions, automatic press upgrades, and working capital for ink and blank apparel inventory. Industry CDC/504 loan program[10] offers long-term fixed-rate financing for production equipment, dryer systems, and facility expansion to accommodate growing order volumes. Lenders evaluate customer diversification, production capacity, and the integration of digital decoration technology alongside traditional screen printing capabilities.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 160 | $60.7M | $380K |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking Company | 48 | $51.3M | $1.1M |
| 3 | The Fidelity Bank | 16 | $29.0M | $1.8M |
| 4 | Genesee Regional Bank | 8 | $24.0M | $3.0M |
| 5 | Bank of America, National Association | 24 | $23.2M | $967K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the typical valuation multiple for a screen printing business?
Screen printing businesses typically trade at 3x to 5x EBITDA, with higher multiples for operations with automatic press capacity, diverse customer segments, and integrated digital decoration capabilities. Per U.S. Census Bureau[5] data, the predominance of small owner-operated shops means that seller discretionary earnings multiples are more commonly used than EBITDA for smaller transactions.
What SBA loan options are available for screen printing companies?
The SBA 7(a) loan program[9] provides up to $5 million for acquisitions and automatic press investments, while the CDC/504 program[10] finances production equipment and facility improvements. Screen printing shops generating consistent revenue from recurring customers typically receive favorable underwriting terms.
How is digital garment printing affecting the screen printing industry?
Direct-to-garment and dye-sublimation technologies enable cost-effective single-unit and short-run production that traditional screen printing handles less efficiently due to screen setup costs. Per Bureau of Labor Statistics[6] industry data, many screen printers have added digital capabilities to capture small-order demand while maintaining screen printing for high-volume runs where per-unit costs remain lower.
What are the primary revenue segments for screen printing businesses?
Custom apparel decoration represents the largest segment, followed by promotional products, signage and banners, athletic team uniforms, and industrial screen printing applications. Per U.S. Census Bureau[5] product data, corporate promotional programs and school spirit wear account for a major share of recurring revenue for mid-size screen printing operations.
What environmental regulations affect screen printing operations?
Screen printers must comply with EPA[11] regulations governing volatile organic compound emissions from plastisol and solvent-based inks, screen cleaning chemicals, and press wash solutions. Water-based and discharge inks have gained market share as alternatives that reduce VOC emissions while meeting growing customer demand for environmentally preferred printing methods.
What is the SBA size standard for commercial screen printers?
The SBA[8] classifies businesses with up to 500 employees as small for NAICS 323113 commercial screen printing. With the vast majority of screen printing shops employing fewer than 20 workers, nearly all establishments qualify for SBA lending programs and small business government contracting preferences.
What equipment investments are critical for screen printing businesses?
Automatic multicolor screen presses, gas or electric conveyor dryers, exposure units for screen making, and direct-to-garment printers for short runs represent the primary capital investments. Per U.S. Census Bureau[5] capital expenditure data, upgrading from manual to automatic presses represents the most impactful capacity investment for growing screen printing operations.
What are key factors when acquiring a screen printing business?
Critical acquisition factors include automatic press capacity, customer concentration and contract recurrence, digital decoration capabilities, operator skill levels, and brand reputation in local markets. Per Bureau of Labor Statistics[6] industry data, buyers evaluate the proportion of repeat business from schools, sports organizations, and corporate accounts versus one-time event orders.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [7]SBA Office of Advocacy advocacy.sba.gov
- [8]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [9]SBA 7(a) loan program sba.gov
- [10]CDC/504 loan program sba.gov
- [11]EPA epa.gov
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