Information & Printing Methods
We provide custom screen printing on American Apparel shirts and hoodies. Along with using traditional inks, we use discharge and waterbased inks.
- We have a low minimum of 12 pieces per design.
- Pricing is based on three factors: quantity ordered (the size of the order), print complexity (whether it's just a one color print on the front, or multiple locations and colors), and type of garment used (a basic shirt versus a more expensive shirt versus a hoodie, etc).
- The price per item goes down as the amount ordered goes up. We have price breaks at 12, 24, 48, 100, 200 and 500 pieces. If you order multiple designs at a time, we will work with you on better overall pricing.
- Conversely, the price per items goes up as the complexity increases. Not by a tremendous amount, but how complicated the printing is defintely has an impact.
- We give free shipping straight to your address via UPS Ground and free set up. No ink mixing or screen charges ever.
- We usually use discharge and waterbased inks on 100% cotton, but we'll use whatever will give the best results for your specific needs.
- Hoodies are usually not 100% cotton, so traditional inks should be used for them, which we can do with very nice results. We print on hoodies all winter long and we can do multiple color prints on them just like we can on t-shirts.
- Orders usually ship within two weeks or less from when we get the blanks. We can estimate when we'll ship when you request a quote.
What do I need to know about your printing service?
- For lighter color garments we can use waterbased inks, and for darker 100% cotton garments we use discharge inks. Discharge is a type of waterbased ink. These inks result in a very soft print and settle into the fabric so that they can't be felt. We will print with whatever ink is best suited for the specific needs of your order. Traditional inks are best for blend fabrics like dark 50/50 blends and most hoodies.
- We can do vibrant colors on light garments as well as dark garments.
- Discharge inks are a special kind of ink that removes the shirt's color. It is quirky, and doesn't always work with all colors, but we're very skilled in using it. Generally, dark colors do best. Email us if you have questions about printing on any certain color and we will let you know what we think. Discharge is sort of like printing with bleach, except that it doesn't hurt the shirt material at all. It's a great way to get a red design on a black shirt, for example.
- Waterbased inks are great for white and lighter color shirts, and black ink on any shirt color. Like discharge, they result in a super soft print. Also, they are generally eco friendly. Achieving a bright color in a soft print is always great. Discharge printing stands out against heavy plastic prints.
- Discharge and waterbased inks are still great for multiple color printing. We can print up to six colors with our press and keep perfectly tight registration even in long print runs.
What's the difference between discharge and waterbased inks and traditional inks?
- We're a small company. We're professionals, but a fairly small shop, still capable of producing a lot of shirts every day, but not so huge that you get lost in a sea of customers. We focus on you.
- When you work with us, you will receive special attention and we guarantee you'll be happy with your order.
- Since we're not huge, we can get to your order more quickly, as we don't have a backed up production schedule where your order is in queue to be printed in three or six weeks.
- With us, communication is easy. Expect generally quick replies to emails and friendly phone calls. Our customers are often amazed by how quickly we reply to emails, and how painless we make the entire ordering process, from start to finish.
- We provide affordable pricing. While we focus on quality of production and service, we can still give very reasonable pricing. We offer great value.
