SCREEN PRINTING
The silk screening process puts a bold and colorful message on a piece of apparel that people will see again and again, like a walking billboard. Our automated screening equipment applies vibrant layers of plastic inks to the fabric, then bonds the image with heat, providing crisp, durable, eye-catching color. screen printing is a great apparel option for enormous quantities or just a few t shirts.
Screen printed/ silkscreen t-shirts are used by businesses, sports teams, nonprofit organizations, bands, or even families headed to a reunion. Bring your own image or let our design department create just the right art for your message. Screen print shirts from US Logo are one of the most affordable, practical, popular and effective promotional tools ever made. Call (620) 644-9200 to learn more.
HOW TO GET STARTED WITH SCREEN PRINTING
Silk screen printing is one of the most colorful options for putting a design on fabric. It applies a thick layer of ink to the garment, one color at a time, forming a “skin” of color over the cloth that binds to the fabric below. Because ink layers are opaque, light colors can be printed on dark shirts, providing brilliant hues, crisp images, and versatility of design. High-tech inks allow us to control the drying process and prevent bleeds between colors.
Screen printed apparel can incorporate up to eight colors in a design. If you need help with art, our marketing specialists can advise you on the types of images and content that will best convey your message. Or our design department can tweak your design or create one for you from scratch.
Once the image is finalized, we’ll separate the design into its component colors for printing, then show you computer mock-up of how the finished art will look on your silk screen printed product(s).
The process of silk screen printing t shirts involves the application of inks that are squeegeed through a silk stencil onto the fabric. Each color layer is flash dried in a curing oven before applying the next color, and the inks are set in the fabric to assure that the design doesn’t prematurely crack, fade or peel off.
Once the final product is inspected, your message is ready to wear. We typically have a 10-business-day turnaround time, but we’ll always do our best to meet more urgent deadlines. It begins with a call, an email or a visit to our facility in Coffeyville.
HOW DOES SCREEN PRINTING SHIRTS COMPARE TO OTHER TYPES OF APPAREL GRAPHICS?
We can put graphics on apparel with several methods, including direct to garment, embroidery, and sublimation, but silk screen printing is the most popular method. This process provides brilliant color, fine detail, durability, and cost effectiveness for virtually any quantity. Silk screened images can applied to most any type of fabric.
HOW DOES SILK SCREEN PRINTING COMPARE…
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Direct to Garment Digital Printing – This is a great option when you just need a few garments printed. No set up or minimum quantity is required, but the colors aren’t as vivid as on a screen printed garment, and they will fade faster. Direct to garment is also not a good option for dark fabrics.
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Sublimation – A form of digital printing like direct-to-garment, sublimation provides bright colors and can be printed all over a garment, rather than only in the center of the front and back, as with screening. Potential drawbacks of sublimation are that it has a higher cost per garment and can only be printed on white, 100 percent polyester shirts.
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Embroidery – This is a long-lasting solution in which designs are sewn onto the garment with colored thread. It’s typically used for small designs—most often for a company logo and name on the chest area. Embroidery looks great, but doesn’t reproduce detail well or make the same kind of big, bold statement as screen printing.
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Heatpress – Commonly associated with name and/or numbers on the back of team jerseys, heat press vinyl is best suited to images or wording requiring only a single color but certainly can be used in the creation of multi-color images.
APPAREL PRINTING FAQ
Q: CAN I BUY SHIRTS IN A VARIETY OF SIZES?
A: Yes. As long as the same size art is being used on each t-shirt size, you can mix sizes at no extra charge.
Q: CAN I LOOK AT A SCREEN PRINTED SAMPLE BEFORE APPROVING MY DESIGN?
A: Sure, with an additional fee. However, in most cases, a digital proof will show you how the artwork will look once it is produced. We can also share samples of other, similar, printed garments if you stop by our facility in Coffeyville, Kansas.
Q: CAN YOU MATCH MY ART COLORS?
A: We have a wide variety of ink colors to choose from, and we can usually match the colors in your artwork very closely. If not, custom colors can be mixed at an additional charge.
Q: HOW BIG CAN MY DESIGN BE?
A: Your printed image can be as large as 14 ½ inches wide and 15 inches tall.
Q: WHAT TYPES OF ART DO YOU ACCEPT?
A: Screen printing requires vector images in one of the following formats: AI, EPS, PDF or CDR.
Q: WILL INK WASH OFF?
A: No. Our inks are bonded to the fabric with heat, making them washer and dryer safe.
Q: CAN I GET PRINTING ON OTHER TYPES OF APPAREL?
A: Sure. Screenprint t-shirts are our most popular garment, but we can print your message on sweatshirts, jackets and more.
Q: CAN I GET A DESIGN PRINTED ON DARK COLORED FABRIC?
A: Yes. Screen printing applies an opaque coating of ink to the fabric, so dark colors are no problem.
Q: IS SCREEN PRINTING THE SAME AS SILK SCREENING?
A: Yes. Screen printing is also called silk screening or serigraphy. The same technique of ink application is used whether for t shirt production runs or fine art prints.
Q: CAN I GET A PHOTOGRAPH SCREENED ONTO A GARMENT?
A: Sure, and it will look great. Screening is a versatile printing method that offers high color vibrancy and excellent image detail.
PROCESS IDEAL FOR: Artwork that requires high vibrancy, large quantities, Economical Pricing.
TURNAROUND TIME: 10 Working Days, Rush Services Available.
MINIMUM ORDER: 12+, Exceptions can be made but cost is much higher.