Spring sports are well underway, but if your team still needs last-minute uniforms, custom screen printing is a great solution. Or if you already have uniforms, team-branded merch like sweatshirts and T-shirts are a fun way to boost team spirit off the field. Whatever your custom screen printing needs are, Tri-Valley Sports has you covered. But how much do you know about screen printing?
Let’s look at some frequently asked questions about screen printing.
How does it work?
There are multiple steps to the screen printing process, but we’ll give the short version here. The screen printer uses a negative image of the design and presses ink through a screen onto the fabric. The process gets its name from the screen the printer presses the ink through. When screen printing started out, the screens were made of silk, which is why it’s still sometimes called “silkscreen.” Today, the screens are polyester or another synthetic material.
How long does it last?
If the screen printer uses quality ink, the design should last as long as the shirt does. The printing process pushes the ink into the fabric, which keeps it from peeling off. The thicker layer of ink on the outside that shows the design is treated to prevent it from wearing and cracking. Washing your screen-printed clothing in cold water will also make it last longer and keep it from deteriorating.
What’s the best fabric?
Any porous fabric that can absorb the ink will work for custom screen printing. Cotton is excellent because it is a natural fabric that absorbs the ink well. But synthetic fabrics or blended fabrics work great, too. How heavy the fabric is will also affect how the design looks. Heavier fabrics result in a faded look while thin fabrics produce an opaque print.
What designs work for screen printing?
Basically, if you can imagine it, you can screen print it. Screen printing allows for multiple colors and pretty intricate designs. There are even some artists who are known for using screen printing as their medium. However, if you are getting custom screen printing for team or company apparel, it’s best to stick with a simple bold design with one or two, maybe three, colors. You want your brand or team name to stand out and be instantly recognizable.
Is it expensive?
Well, that depends. There are a couple of factors that determine the price of custom screen printing. If you have a complex design that involves several colors, it can be pretty expensive because it requires the use of many different inks. If your design is simple and only uses one or two colors, screen printing is an affordable option for customized apparel.
Custom Screen Printing from Tri-Valley Sports
Did we answer all of your questions? Probably not, but there’s a lot more to custom screen printing than we can fit here. You can check out everything we can do with screen printing or you can visit our Design Lab to start your custom apparel.
