Screenprint F.A.Q’s

Screen Printing, often referred to as Silk Screening, is a printing process using mesh screen coated in photosensitive emulsion with a rubber squeegee to imprint your image onto a range of mediums. This is often done in layers, using a single ‘screen’ for each colour within the artwork.

Pros

– Durable and long lasting.

– Colours are generally more vibrant.

– Speciality inks available. (Metallic, Fluoro, Glitter, Glow-in-the-Dark etc.)

– Economical for bulk orders.

– Available for a wide range of materials.(Polyester, Nylon, Lycra etc.)

Cons

– Expensive for small runs.

– The more colours in the artwork, the more expensive the print will be.

Screen Printing is the most durable and long lasting print method for garments. Of course this will change depending on what you’re printing onto, it is generally considered to be the most durable.

This also depends on how the garment is washed and how often. As everyone washes things a little differently, it’s difficult to gauge exactly how long a print will last, however, of our printing is done to-spec whilst adhering to all curing guidelines, so you get the most of our your new apparel. We have t-shirts that have been out in the wild for over 7 years and still look great!

We can Screen Print onto a wide variety of garments and apparel, including;

– T-Shirts
– Hoodies/Sweats
– Pants/Tracksuits
– Bags
– Totes
– Work Wear
– Active Wear

Generally, anything we can fit on our press, we’ll print.

If you have a question regarding a particular item and whether or not we could print on it, email or call our friendly team and we’ll be able to help you out.

What is the difference between Plastisol and Waterbased Ink?

Screen Printing is primarily done with 2 inks. Waterbased and Plastisol.
As to which one gets used, this depends on a few factors.

Waterbased ink is an ink that uses water as a solvent, meaning that once the water has been evaporated from the ink, it will reach its cured state.

Plastisol, however, doesn’t use water as a solvent and is a PVC based ink which needs to reach a certain temperature in order to reach its cured state.

Advantages of Waterbased Ink
– Softer hand (meaning the print is softer to the touch)

Disadvantages of Waterbased Ink
– Curing takes a lot longer than Plastisol. Becoming more expensive.
– Colours are never as vibrant as Plastisol
– Print durability is usually less than with Plastisol inks. Colours can become muted over time.
– Not available on all garment types.

Advantages of Plastisol Ink
– Plastisol is usually a cheaper process than Waterbased. Making for cheaper prints.
– Longer lasting than Waterbased
– Brighter, more vibrant colours than Waterbased


Disadvantages of Plastisol Ink
– Noticeable hand (you can feel the print, some prints may be thicker than others depending on the application; although we can use additives to lessen the hand, you will always slightly feel a plastisol print)

Our maximum print size is 380mm (w) x 490mm (h)