PlastisolThe most common form of screen printing — plastisol ink printing is widely used by customers whom are looking for a durable, economically priced imprinted garment. With the ability to print anything from spot colors to four color process, custom jobs are easily printed on anything from t-shirts and hoodies to signs and koozies. Plasitol printing is limitless in terms of what types of garments to print on or the locations desired. This form of printing has a heavier “hand” (or feel), as the ink is screen printed directly on top of the garment.
An environmentally-conscious choice, water-based screen printing is the choice for the highest quality prints on lighter-colored garments. With an incredibly soft “hand” (or feel), water-based printing provides vibrant colors that will never crack or fade away. With such superior feel and longevity, the cost of this style of screen printing is more than normal plastisol inks, but we work hard on keeping pricing down to a very affordable level to keep our customer base satisfied. Water-based ink prints are actually dyeing the fabric, in comparison to plastisol ink prints that are sitting on top of the garment. This method of printing allows the print to stretch with the fabric as well as the ability to iron on the garment. Water-based prints don’t heat up and get sticky, which is a huge plus for sports teams or any outdoor activity that enjoys the benefits of a breathable garment. All these benefits are in conjunction with the fact that water-based screen printing is far better for the environment. Water-based inks contain no ozone-depleting chemicals and the clean up process is far less harmful with water — and no chemical solvents — needed to reclaim the screens.
Discharge printing is an incredibly popular style of printing where customers can get vibrant colors on dark garments. While water-based printing is good for a soft “hand” (or feel), so is discharge printing, as this method dies the fabric itself. The process of discharge printing much more intensive, but there will never be any fading, cracking or peeling. Discharge printing is done by using an agent that actual removes the color of the shirt back to a subtle white. The artwork is then printing on the white of the shirt, dyeing the actual fabric, and giving the print an incredibly soft “hand” (or feel) like water-based printing, but with a twist. Discharge printing is extremely popular and a selling point in its own right, so the next time you’d like vibrant colored, yet soft print on a dark shirt, think about giving discharge screen printing a try.
