Screen printing services
The industry-standard decoration method for cotton t-shirts, hoodies, totes, and posters. Bright, durable, cost-effective at scale.
Screen printing is the workhorse of branded apparel decoration: bright colors, sharp edges, durable through 100+ wash cycles, and the per-piece cost drops fast above 250 pieces.
What it's best for
- Cotton t-shirts and hoodies. The right tool for the substrate.
- Cotton + cotton-blend totes. Quality canvas takes a clean print.
- Posters + signage on paper or vinyl substrates.
- Bright, saturated colors - inks pop more than thread or transfer.
- Larger imprint areas (chest-spanning, full-front, full-back).
- Quantity runs of 250+ pieces - per-piece cost drops fast at scale.
What it's NOT best for
- Performance / moisture-wicking polyester. Use DTF (direct-to-film) or sublimation instead.
- Hats / caps. Curved crown - use embroidery, leather patch, or DTF.
- Photographic / gradient artwork. Process printing (CMYK halftones) handles it but DTF often looks better.
- Hard goods (tumblers, pens, awards) - use UV print or laser engrave.
- Quantities under 50 - setup fees become a higher % of the order. Use heat transfer or DTF for low-quantity.
Pricing model
- Per-piece print cost: ~.50-4.00 at 250 quantity, single location, one color.
- Setup fee: $25-50 per color screen, one-time per design. Multi-color designs = multi-screen setup.
- Color count: Each ink color requires a separate screen + setup. Most jobs = 1-4 colors. CMYK process = 4 colors for full-color.
- Reorders: Setup fees waived if same artwork + within 12 months.
Substrates we screen-print on
- 100% cotton t-shirts (tri-blends with caveats)
- Cotton hoodies, sweatshirts, fleece
- Canvas + cotton totes (10oz+)
- Cotton aprons
- Posters (paper, vinyl)
- Yard signs (corrugated plastic)
Common questions
How long does a screen print last?
50-100+ wash cycles with quality plastisol ink. Cracks earlier if low-quality ink or fast-fashion fabric.
Can I screen print on performance fabric?
Possible but rare - the synthetic fabric doesn't bond ink as well. Use DTF or sublimation instead for cleaner results.
Water-based vs plastisol ink?
Plastisol = brighter colors, more durable, slightly stiffer feel. Water-based = softer feel, slightly more eco. Both are fine for most jobs.
Can I do CMYK process printing for a photo?
Yes - 4-color process handles photographs and gradients. Setup fee is per-screen × 4. DTF often looks better for photo-real on quantities under 250.
See the full embroidery vs screen printing comparison →
