When you decide to go into the screen printing business, there’s a lot that needs to be considered. No matter what industry you find yourself in, you’ll need to do your research, especially when you’re offering people a product. With t-shirt printing, it’s all in the shirt quality, among other things. But today we’re going to discuss the best t-shirt options for screen printing.
Fabrics
Hands down, the most common and most popular fabric for t-shirt printing is cotton. 100% natural cotton. It’s perfect for screen printing because it’s affordable and guarantees great colour transfer during the printing process. It offers wearers a durable softness that’s also very breathable. There are several kinds of cotton you can choose from, like preshrunk or ringspun, which are even more cost-effective. Some printers lean towards 100% ringspun cotton, as it’s softer and prints slightly better than other cotton options.
Next, we have another popular choice. A t-shirt blend that’s composed of 50% polyester and 50% cotton. This is another great option for t-shirt screen printing, as it’s very affordable and offers customers a soft material to sport around. Due to the unique blend of natural and synthetic fabrics, colours can be heathered with beads of grey or black.
Lastly, we have our final fabric that would be a great option to use for screen printing, and it’s the tri-blend. Made up of 25% cotton, 25% rayon and 50% polyester (usually), this hybrid material adapts the best qualities of all the fabrics included. It’s lightweight like rayon while having the softness of cotton and the durability of polyester.
Shrinkage Factor
Picking a fabric that’s not going to shrink is important in the screen printing business. It’s the best way to ensure that your design and the overall product stay intact for as long as possible. Many fabrics contain features that prevent it from losing its shape after being washed or just from long-term use. Keeping this factor in mind while shopping for t-shirt materials will mean that your design will stay as bright and vivid as the day it was made.
Overall Construction
These days, we commonly choose between two types of t-shirts: seamless and stitched. Each shirt construction comes with its own advantages. For example, seamless t-shirts allow for an uninterrupted design to be printed onto a larger surface. You also don’t have to worry about pressing the seams before printing begins, as there’s nothing to press. However, seamless shirts have their downsides as well. Because of the construction on the shirt, it offers a more personalized fit that might not allow your printed sign to transfer well once worn.
Since 1995, Above All Screening has provided customers with high-quality screen printing and design services. Located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we screen print all kinds of apparel, from t-shirts and team jerseys to hats and pants. With an expert staff and lightning-fast shipping, contact us today to get started on your custom printed order.