Decoration Techniques / Screen Printing
Screen Printing for Custom Apparel
The workhorse of apparel decoration: bold flat colour, high durability, and the best unit economics at quantity. Every screen-printed order is approved on a physical strike-off before bulk.
Overview
One Design. Several Layers.
One design on screen can become several production layers on fabric. These four factors decide whether screen printing is the right route — and what it will cost.
Artwork
Vector artwork with clear colour separations is ideal. Photographic gradients and unlimited colours point toward digital printing instead.
Quantity
Setup cost is spread across the run. Below ~50 pieces per colour-way, other routes are often cheaper; above 100, screen printing usually wins.
Surface
Flat, stable knit or woven panels print best. Seams, pockets, zips and heavy ribbing limit placement or require special handling.
Result
Flat bold colour with sharp edges and excellent wash durability. For raised or textured effects, see puff, flock or silicone routes.
Suitability
Is This a Screen Printing Job?
Screen printing suits most knit garments and many wovens. The garment decides the details.
T-Shirts
The classic screen-print garment. Cotton and cotton-blend jerseys take plastisol and water-based inks predictably.
Hoodies & Sweatshirts
Excellent on fleece and French terry. Brushed fleece surfaces need adjusted mesh and ink deposit to keep edges clean.
Pants, Joggers & Shorts
Good on flat leg panels before construction, or on finished garments with careful placement away from seams.
Jackets & Performance
Conditional. Coated, waterproof or high-stretch fabrics need ink and cure-temperature testing before commitment.
How It Works
How Screen Printing Behaves on Fabric
Each colour is pushed through its own mesh screen. The garment colour underneath changes how many layers the job needs.
Light Garment
Inks sit directly on the fabric. Fewer layers, softer handfeel, lower cost per print.
Dark Garment
A white underbase is printed first so colours stay true. It adds one screen, one layer, and slightly more handfeel — planned into the quote from the start.
Materials
Choose Materials After the Fabric
Ink is chosen after the fabric, never before. The three main ink families behave very differently.
Plastisol
The industry standard. Opaque, durable, sits on the fabric surface. Works on almost any composition and colour.
Water-Based
Soaks into the fibres for a soft, breathable print. Best on light-coloured cotton; limited opacity on darks.
Discharge
Removes the garment dye and replaces it with the print colour. Very soft result on 100% cotton darks; not for polyester blends.
Process
From File to Finish
From your file to cured print — seven controlled steps, each with its own checkpoint.
Review
Artwork, garment, fabric and quantity are reviewed together. Unsuitable details are flagged here, not after sampling.
Separate
The artwork is split into one layer per colour. Line weight and trapping are adjusted for mesh limits.
Make Screens
Each colour layer is exposed onto its own mesh screen. Screen count drives setup cost.
Register
Screens are aligned on press so colours land exactly on top of each other.
Ink is pushed through each screen in sequence — underbase first on dark garments.
Cure
The print passes through a dryer at a controlled temperature. Under-cure cracks; over-cure scorches.
Inspect
First-off approval, then in-line checks against the locked sample at agreed intervals.
Pricing
What Changes the Quote
Three variables move a screen-printing quote. Knowing them lets you engineer the price before asking for it.
Setup
One screen per colour, plus the underbase on darks. Six-colour artwork costs more to set up than two — regardless of quantity.
Run
Unit price falls as quantity rises. Print size and number of placements add press time per piece.
Conditional
Special inks (metallic, glow, high-density), seam or pocket placements, and coated fabrics are quoted case by case.
Quality Control
What a Failed Print Looks Like
We inspect against these known failure modes — agreed before production, not invented after a problem appears.
Misregistration
Colours land slightly apart, leaving ghost edges. Caught at first-off and by in-line registration checks.
Fibrillation
Fabric fibres poke through the ink film after washing, dulling the print. Controlled by ink deposit, cure and fabric choice.
Wash Cracking
Under-cured ink cracks when stretched or washed. Cure temperature and time are verified per batch.
Dye Migration
Polyester dyes bleed into the ink at cure temperature, tinting whites pink or grey. Low-bleed inks and controlled cure prevent it.
Poor Opacity
The garment colour shadows through the print. Solved with a proper underbase or higher-deposit ink.
Seam Build-Up
Printing across seams leaves ink gaps and heavy edges. Avoided at placement review — before screens are made.
Sampling
Approve the Physical Result
A screen image is not the approval standard. The physical print is.
Artwork Approval
You confirm the separated artwork, dimensions and placement on a digital mockup.
Actual-Fabric Strike-Off
A small print run on the real garment fabric checks colour, opacity and handfeel.
Pre-Production Garment
A complete sample garment with final placement is your sign-off standard.
Bulk Checks
First-off approval before the run, then in-line sampling against the locked reference.
Decision Boundary
Screen Printing or Another Route?
Screen printing is not always the answer. Here is the honest decision boundary.
Screen Printing
Flat colour, bold graphics, quantity runs.
Best for: Logos and graphic tees at 100+ pieces
Digital Printing (DTG)
Unlimited colours, photographic detail, no screens.
Best for: Small runs and full-colour artwork
Heat Transfer
Cut film or printed transfers applied by heat.
Best for: Names, numbers and very small batches
FAQ
Questions Before Sampling
What is the MOQ for screen printing?
Our practical minimum is 50–100 pieces per design and colour-way, because each colour needs its own screen. Below that, digital printing or heat transfer is usually more economical — we will tell you honestly which route fits your quantity.
How many colours can I print?
Technically up to 8–10, but each colour adds a screen and press time. Most strong designs work within 2–4 colours. We review your artwork and suggest where a colour can be dropped without hurting the design.
Can you match my Pantone colours?
Yes, inks are mixed to Pantone references and approved on a physical strike-off. Screens and monitors vary, so the strike-off on the actual fabric — not your screen — is the binding colour standard.
How durable is screen printing in the wash?
A properly cured plastisol print typically outlasts the garment itself — 50+ wash cycles without significant cracking or fading. We wash-test the strike-off before bulk and verify cure temperature per batch.
How much does screen printing cost per piece?
As a frame: a one-colour chest print on 100+ pieces usually adds $0.50–$1.20 per garment; multi-colour or multi-placement prints cost more. Send your artwork, quantity and garment and we quote the exact setup and run price.
Send the Actual Job
Send what you have — artwork, a reference image or just an idea. The more of this list you include, the sharper our quote. We reply within 24 hours.
✓ Vector artwork (AI, EPS or PDF) or high-resolution PNG
✓ Print dimensions in cm
✓ Placement (chest, back, sleeve…)
✓ Garment style and fabric composition
✓ Garment colour(s)
✓ Quantity per design
✓ Target result (flat, vintage, soft-hand…)
✓ Delivery country