Screen Printing

Screen Print

All You Need to Know About Screen Printing

How long has screen printing been around?

In its current form, screen printing was first invented in 1911, so it’s well over 100 years old. There were earlier versions of the process though, with the oldest being traced back to the Song dynasty in ancient China, from sometime around the year 1000 AD.

How is screen printing done?

As the name suggests, it uses a screen with a stencil that blocks out parts of a design on top of a mesh layer. Squeegees are used to roll ink over the stencil and mesh, and where there is no stencil, the ink is applied to the material below.

Is screen printing a one-color process?

Not always. There are single-color screen-printing presses, but most companies have four color presses that can create multi color images. This creates a dynamic finished product.

What materials can you screen print on?

Screen printing is actually one of the most versatile printing options. Professional companies use this type of printing on fabric like t-shirts, creating custom t-shirts. Plastic items, paper, metals and other things are also used with the screen printing method. In fact, there are very few materials that you can’t screen print on!

Screen printing is great for custom designs and creating a promotional product.

Why is there a setup cost?

In order to print your design on your items, your professional screen-printing company needs to create the stencil or stencils that will be used for the print. This takes a little more time and uses some materials, so you will usually have a fixed setup cost, and then a cost per item.

Can you screen print at home?

Yes. There are various DIY and commercially available printing screens you could use to do your own printing. But the screen printing process requires some skill. Professionals use screen printing equipment to create quality products that last longer than their DIY counterparts.

Information For Submitting an Order

Due to the process of screen printing there is typically a minimum order. However, we do have flexible solutions that allow you to order what you need now and save money on future orders.

Let us help create the best solution for you! Submit the form or call (941) 925-3855 for a quote and guidance.

We will want to know:

• Purpose: Is there an event? Are they work shirts? Are you promoting a cause or business?
• Artwork: What do you want on your shirts? Do you have the artwork?
• Quantity: How many do you need?

Are you on a budget? Here are some general guidelines for pricing:

• The more colors in the art, the higher the cost.
• The fewer colors in the art, the lower the cost.
• The more items in the order, the lower the cost per piece.
• The fewer items in the order, the higher the cost per piece.
• The more print locations, the higher the cost.
• The fewer print locations, the lower the cost.

Art Requirements

Vector Art; common file types include .eps, .ai, .cdr, .ps

Don’t have the right art format?  Let us create it for you! Learn more here.