A manual screen printer is a good starting point for most small printers. The majority start with 4-8 colours, which is ample to produce great designs as well as run two designs at the same time. For higher production runs, then investing in an automatic press will pay dividends with a greater ROI.  It can do all the work an employee does in about 2 hours a day, and will be more consistent and reliable.
The more colours and stations you have, the higher amount of colours you can have on your print.  As well as additional techniques, you can have on your print such as embossing, foild and flocking to name a few.
Look for a brand that’s innovative, reliable and has good support. Check out this link for our top of the range automatic machines: adelco.co.uk/screenprinting