Screen printing

What is screen printing?

Screen printing is the process of transferring a stenciled design onto a flat surface using a mesh screen, ink and a squeegee. Fabric and paper are the most commonly screen-printed surfaces, but with specialized inks it’s also possible to print onto wood, metal, plastic, and even glass. The basic method involves creating a stencil on a fine mesh screen, and then pushing ink (or paint, in the case of artwork and posters) through to create an imprint of your design on the surface beneath.

The process is sometimes called 'silk screening' or 'silk screen printing' and while the actual printing process is always fairly similar, the way the stencil is created can vary, depending on the materials used. Different stenciling techniques include:

Using masking tape or vinyl to cover the desired areas of the screen.
Painting the stencil onto the mesh using 'screen blockers' such as glue or lacquer.
Using a light-sensitive emulsion to create a stencil, which is then developed in a similar way to a photograph.

Designs made using the screen printing technique may use just one shade of ink, or several. In the case of multicolored items, the colors must be applied in individual layers, using separate stencils for each ink.

If you need help with a design, we have an onsite graphic artist ready to help your order become fabulous. There is no charge for design creation and not set up fees!

screen printing process

Step 1: Design Creation

We can help create a design or take an existing design, clean it up, and figure out the best way to print it onto polo shirts, hoodie, T-Shirts or other apparel.

Step 2: Art Approval

After your design is created our artist will send you an email for approval. A sew out of the design is always done before production to ensure quality.

Step 3: Production

After the design is approved the order then goes into production.

Step 4: Order Completion

Once the order is finished it is boxed up and is ready for pick up.