Screen
Print-
ing.
What is
Screen
Printing?
Screen printing is a technique where ink is forced through a mesh screen onto a substrate. A stencil blocks ink from passing through in certain areas, while open mesh areas allow ink transfer to the garment below.
Each color in your design requires its own dedicated screen, which is why setup costs exist. The more pieces you print, the more that setup cost is spread — making screen printing dramatically more cost-effective at volume.
The result: unmatched vibrancy, soft hand-feel, and prints that last the life of the garment.
Artwork
Preparation
Your design is separated into individual color layers — one per ink color. Each layer becomes a separate screen. We require vector files (AI, SVG, EPS, PDF) or high-resolution PNG at 300 DPI minimum.
FILE: SVG / AI / PDF / PNGFilm
Output
Each color separation is output as a positive film — a transparent sheet with your artwork in opaque black. The black areas block UV light during screen exposure, creating the precise stencil boundaries.
OUTPUT: 1 FILM PER COLORScreen
Burn
The film is placed on a mesh screen coated with light-sensitive emulsion and exposed to UV light. Unexposed areas wash away, leaving an open stencil through which ink will pass.
MESH: 160 COUNTPress
& Print
The garment is loaded onto the press platen. A squeegee forces ink through the open stencil and onto the fabric. Each color is registered, printed, and flash-cured before the next color is applied.
CURE: 320°F / 30 SECHalf-
tones
A halftone is a reprographic technique that simulates continuous-tone imagery through the use of dots varying in size — creating the optical illusion of gradients, shading, and photographic tones.
In screen printing, halftones allow a single ink color to reproduce gradients and vintage photo-style artwork. Dots are printed at 65 LPI (lines per inch) on a 160 mesh screen, producing smooth tonal transitions.
The classic "vintage" or "distressed" look you see on band tees and branded apparel is almost always a halftone technique applied to a single or dual-color print.
White Base /
Underbase
Printing on dark garments requires a white underbase — an initial white ink layer that prevents the garment color from showing through subsequent colors. This adds +$1.00 per piece to your order.
COST: +$1.00 / PIECEFile Quality
Matters
Better artwork = better prints. Screen printing exposes your file at high resolution — any jagged edges, low-res pixels, or unclear separations will show in the final print. Send us SVG, AI, EPS, PDF, or PNG at 300 DPI minimum.
ACCEPTED: SVG / AI / PDF / PNGBulk
Discounts
Screen printing setup costs are fixed per run — the more pieces you print, the lower the per-unit cost. Orders of 24, 48, 72, and 144+ unlock significant per-piece savings. Request a quote for exact pricing.
BREAKS: 24 / 48 / 72 / 144+Browse blanks, configure your print, and request a quote — all in one step.