How are my shirts printed?

Every order is screen printed, with the screens and setup built into the per-shirt price. Full-color photo artwork may be printed direct-to-garment (DTG), which we decide when we prepare your proof. Here is what each one means for cost, color and feel.

Hands pulling a squeegee across a screen printing press

Side by side

Classic Cotton Tee, front print.

Feature	Screen printing (every order)	Direct-to-garment (photo artwork only)
When we use it	Every order. 30 shirt minimum per order.	Only for full-color photo artwork, decided at proof time.
Cost per shirt	Falls with quantity. $7.00 a tee from 30, $6.00 at 200+, $5.00 at 500+.	The same price as screen printing on the same order.
Colors	One screen per ink color, Pantone matched. Best for logos and text.	Any number of colors in one pass.
Photos and gradients	Possible as a dot pattern, but loses fine detail.	Prints photos and gradients as they appear in the file.
Feel	Ink sits on top. Bold and slightly raised.	Ink soaks in. Thin and soft.
Durability	Outlasts the shirt with normal washing.	Lasts years. Fades slightly on dark shirts over many washes.
Setup	Screens for every color, built into the price. No screen fees.	None.

What is screen printing?

A stencil is made for each ink color, and ink is pushed through it onto every shirt. The screens take time to make but cost almost nothing per shirt after that, which is why there is a 30 shirt minimum per order and why the price falls as the run grows: $7.00 a tee from 30, $6.00 at 200+, $5.00 at 500+.

The ink sits on top of the fabric. It is the boldest, longest-lasting print you can get, and it can be matched to a Pantone code.

What is direct-to-garment?

The shirt goes through a garment printer, straight from your file, with no screens. Photos and any number of colors print in one pass, so we use it when a design is a photograph or a soft gradient that a screen would turn into dots. The proof tells you when we have chosen it, and the price does not change.

The ink soaks into the cotton, so it feels soft. On dark shirts the colors come out a touch less vivid than a screen print.

Can you match my brand color?

Yes, on every order, because every order is screen printed. Put your Pantone codes in the order notes and the proof names the colors. Standard ink colors are included in the price, and the price steps down at 200 and 500 shirts whatever the colors.

Ink on dark shirts

Light ink gets a white underbase, included. Avoid thin lines and tiny text in light ink. The proof, within 24 hours, shows the exact combination.

Ink on light shirts

Dark ink prints sharp down to fine detail. Avoid white ink on white or sand shirts. Send a PNG with a transparent background so a white box does not print.

How do I wash printed shirts?

Turn it inside out.
Wash cold. No bleach or fabric softener.
Dry low or hang dry. High heat cracks prints.
Do not iron the print.
Wait a day after delivery before the first wash.

Printing questions

Which printing method will my order get?

Screen printing. Every order is screen printed, which is why there is a 30 shirt minimum per order. If your artwork is a full-color photograph, we may print it direct-to-garment instead; we decide that at proof time and the proof says which.

Can I get direct-to-garment for a photo on my shirts?

Usually, yes. Upload the photo and mention it in the order notes if you like. The proof within 24 hours tells you which method we chose, and the price is the same either way.

Does screen printing match Pantone colors?

Yes. Put the codes in the order notes and the proof names the colors. Direct-to-garment prints the colors in your file, close but not Pantone matched.

Why does white ink on a dark shirt cost the same as black ink on white?

We price by quantity and print sides, not ink color. The white underbase on dark shirts is included.

Do more ink colors cost more?

No. Standard ink colors are included on each side however many the design needs. The only print add-on is the back: $1 more per shirt for a back print.