Custom silk screen printed t-shirts & Embroidered tee shirts

T-shirts Custom printed in Denver colorado with your school mascot image or Company Corporate Logo. Most Corporate wear and restaurant aprons, uniforms and Manager shirts are embroidered rather then screen printed. Screen printing looks and last a long Time. The print or printed Image can outlast the shirt itself.

We are happy to screen print as few as a dozen shirts with up to as many a six individual colors of screened ink. Our embroidery can have as many as twelve thread colors. Embroidered and screen printed apparel is a great way to promote your event or organization. Printed apparel can give your employees that professional look that Gives the proper company image. Printed and embroidered aprons and hats are great for your Kitchen or catering staff. What better way to promote your web site, log, event or company then people in Images and printed apparel like jacket and hats. Outer wear can be embroidered or screen printed, we even Print and embroider the same garment. Silk screened artwork can be image on any clothing item. Apparel alone is not the only thing, to stand out with a imprinted logo or graphic. Let us screen print your apparel with Our silk screen printing process right here in Denver colorado. We can ship our printed goods all over the country, Event staff and Volunteers need to get noticed and stand out in a crud, Printed shirts and jackets get the job done. Weather you need many colors of ink printed on the same side of a shirt or even the shirt sleeve, or just one color of ink printed all over the garment. We can image your apparel with any graphic, sort or design.

If you have ever purchased a printed t-shirt, you have probably experienced fading from the print after it has been washed several times. You should expect a quality printed t-shirt to resist fading at least through 36 washes. The best thing you can do to protect you print from wear is to turn your garment inside out when you wash and dry it. The process of washing and drying creates a rubbing action against the print and causes it to fade.

Sometimes printed t-shirts do not last like they should. You may notice that the ink on your shirt is washed out and you will most likely be stumped about the particular cause. If, upon closer examination, the ink appears washed out in certain areas only, in a random and spotty fashion across a design, the cause is undercured ink, known as ink washout. Curing is a printing process that allows the ink to adhere to the shirt. If the print is insufficiently cured, these random spots may occur and occasionally the ink will peel from the fabric altogether. If you experience ink peeling from your garments, ask the manufacturer to redo your order. If you have more minor ink washout problems, ask the printing company if they will give you a discount on your next order with them. If you do not trust the same company with your next order, consider switching printers.

If the ink color on your garment looks somewhat washed out or faded in an even manner over the entire print, you are most likely experiencing fibrillation. Fibrillation is a condition that occurs when fibers break loose from the ink film during to washing. The contrast between the ink and the fibers poking through causes the print to have a faded, “hairy” appearance. On the part of the screenprinter, there are a lot of variables that contribute to this faded appearance. The cause could stem from the type of ink used, the application process, or the fabric used. As a consumer, your best recourse to preventing or decreasing fibrillation is to turn your garments inside out while washing and drying. Fibrillation is a common problem that is becoming an even bigger problem due to contemporary clothing trends. Softer fabrics and thinner ink application, make garments more prone to fibrillation. If you feel the amount of fibrillation is more than it should be, discuss the problem with the screen printer and consider asking for a discount on your next order.I you are wondering whether to get custom printed t-shirts or to do it yourself by ironing on the prints, consider the following pros and cons of screen printed and heat transfer t-shirts.
Custom Screen Printing Pros

1. The custom printed t-shirts lasts through at least twice as many washings as a heat transfer shirt.
2. The process allows you to print on dark and colored custom t-shirts.
3. The print will be bright even on the darkest fabric.
4. At many companies, if you order over 12 t-shirts the price less than the cost of heat transfer prints.
5. Screen printing is a complex process that ensures the highest quality prints.

Screen Printed T-shirt Cons

1. Most screen printing companies require that you order at least 6 shirts.
2. If your order is less than 12 shirts, the cost per heat transfer shirt is less.

Pros for Iron-On Printed T-Shirts

1. The process can be done at home with a color printer and special paper that can be purchased at an office supply or computer store.
2. You are only able to have one printed t-shirt.
3. It is inexpensive if you are printing less than 12 printed t-shirts.
4. Heat transferring is ideal if you need a large number of colors printed relative to the number of t-shirts.

Cons for Iron-On Printed T-Shirts

1. They last only through 25 washing.
2. The ink may bleed while washing..
3. They do not look as professional as screen printed t-shirts.
4. You should experiment on a sample t-shirt first.
5. If you need more than 12 t-shirts, the price per t-shirt is more than a screenprinter's price.
6. You only can print on lightly colored t-shirts.
7. The print is stiff and not as precise.
8. The print does not breath well and, therefore, may provoke sweating.
9. The colors are not as bright.

Without a doubt, custom printed t-shirts are better in quality than heat transfer t-shirts. However, if you want 6 or less t-shirts for fun and limited use such as for a gag, for novelty, or for a party, you may want to consider making the t-shirts yourself. T-Shirt Trends

While Britney Spears is making a fashion statement by wearing her words on her t-shirt, other celebrities are making their statements a bit differently. Lindsey Lohan, Hillary Duff, and other teen idols have been practicing t-shirt trends, by wearing custom-cut tshirts. Whether the collar of the shirt is missing or the bottom is shortened, more and more fashion followers are wearing this untailored look. This style seems to be highly versatile as many trendsetters are pairing these tees with anything from diamonds to ripped jeans. Manufacturers and boutiques, such as American Apparel and Abercrombie and Fitch, have caught on to this trend and have been offering garments made with light fabrics and unfinished seems for some time now.Problems Printing on Nylon

Getting inks to properly adhere to nylon is tricky. In the process, two main problems are likely to occur: shrinkage and bonding problems. First, nylon is highly prone to shrinkage when flash cured. Secondly, some nylon products, such as nylon jackets, are treated with waterproofing chemicals. These chemicals prevent the ink from bonding to the nylon.

1.) To deal with curing problems:

a. Shorten your curing times.
or
b. Preshrink the material before printing on it. Use this method if a shorter curing time does not allow the ik to properly adhere to the material.

2.) To prevent problems due to waterproofing:

a. Remove the coating prior to printing. One method to remove the coating is wiping the fabric with rubbing alchohol. However, the alcohol may create shade variation on the fabric.
or
b. Modify your ink to enhance their ability to adhere by introducing an adhesion promoter. Use this method if shade variation is a problem with the particular fabric you are using.

Problems Printing on Polyester

Many screen printers choose to print only on printing on 50/50 cotton/polyester t-shirt fabrics. This fabric tends not to be problematic when good bleed-resistant inks are used. Problems mainly occur with 100% polyester. Problems that occur include the fabric’s potential for shrinkage when exposed to heat, the fabric’s potential for dye migration and sublimation, the ink’s inability to bond to the fabric, and matching the ink’s elongation characteristics to the fabric’s elongation characteristics.

1.) To prevent shrinkage problems:

a. Use a low-temperature when curing.
or
b. Use fast-fusing plastisols in order to reduce the total heat to which the material is subjected. These inks typically will fuse in the 280°F range, as opposed to the 320°F range commonly used for standard inks.

2.) To prevent the fabric's potential for dye migration and sublimation:

a. Select 100%-polyester fabrics that are dyed with cationic polyester colorants. These dyes are locked into the polyester fibers and resist migration.
b. Perform a number of ink-adhesion tests to test the fabric's receptivity to your inks such as wash testing.
c. Produce test prints at least a week in advance of the planned production run because bleeding may take a week or more to appear.

3.) To match the ink’s elongation characteristics to the fabric elongation characteristics:

a. Use a bleed-resistant, high-elongation ink. Many woven 100%-polyester materials have a high elongation factor. This type of ink is more resilient and resistant to cracking than conventional plastisols and can help prints remain intact on stretchable fabrics.
b. Match the ink’s elongation characteristics to the fabric’s elongation characteristics. Test the ink/fabric combination beforehand because not all athletic polyester fabrics stretch to the same degrees.

For both nylon and polyester it is essential that you experiment with different fabrics, inks, and curing methods to choose the best overall process.Many t-shirt printing companies have different policies about what services they charge for and what services they do not charge for. Many people have a difficult time comparing prices between screenprinters because there are so many variables that go into pricing such as, how many colors are used in the custom t-shirt printing and the type of t-shirt used. Although it may seem like a company has the best price, they may charge you hidden fees. If you are ordering custom t-shirts or other garments from a screenprinter, you should be aware of what fees you should expect to pay, and what fees that you should not have to pay.
Custom Design Art Charges

A quality screenprinter should allow you to send them any known graphic format. If the t-shirt design you send is not vector based, such as jpg or gif graphics, the company will have to recreate the art in a vector based program, such as Adobe Illustrator, but you should not be charged for this service. I have discovered that certain screenprinting companies will charge up to $50 per hour for such a service, while some custom screenprinters, such as Designashirt.com custom printed t-shirts, do not charge a fee for this service. If, on the other hand, you want the screenprinting company to create the graphic for you from scratch or from a drawing you have given them, you should expect to pay around $25 an hour for this service.
Printed T-Shirts Shipping

If you seek standard 14 day shipping on your custom t-shirts order, there are many screenprinters who will not charge a shipping fee at all. If you need your order sooner than 14 days you should expect to pay rush charges, although these charges vary from company to company. Typical rush charges not only refer to the shipping time, but the total time a buyer can expect to pick up their custom t-shirts after placing their order. Some local screenprinters are able to create your order as early as the same or next day, but most online companies will not. If you need your order rushed, expect to pay at least 30%-60% more depending how fast you need it. Often online rush charges are less than if you need it rushed from a local company.
Custom T-shirt Screens

Screenprinting custom printed t-shirts requires that a new screen be used for every color and every print location on a garment. For instance, if you need red printed on the body of a t-shirt as well as the sleeve, you will be charged for two screens. The process for setting up a new screen is time consuming and costly, so all companies vary their prices for custom printing according to how many screens are required. However, some companies work these set up fees into their prices and others charge a standard fee, such as $25, for each screen needed. It's probably going to be more expensive for you, if a screenprinter charges a set fee for each t-shirt screen they use, unless this fee is really low. If you want to be extra sure you are getting the most value for your dollar, get a quote a from screenprinter who encorporates set up fees into their custom printed t-shirt prices and from another who charges a standard fee for each screen. Before you do so, make sure you know how many colors you are using and the placement of your graphics and text. Keep in mind that the amount of text or graphics per color does not affect the price. Rather, it is the number of colors and number of t-shirt screens required that determines the cost.
Printed T-Shirts Quantity

Because the same amount of screens are needed whether you order 10 or 10,000 custom t-shirts, most screenprinters taper their prices. For instance, the average price per t-shirt may be around $20 if you order 10, but if you order 50 the price may be $10 dollars custom printed t-shirt. In addition, many screenprinters utilize what is called a price point. For instance if a company’s price point is 12 priinted t-shirts, the price of each t-shirt for orders under 12 may be $20 each. If the customer orders 12 printed t-shirts, the price for each custom t-shirt may go down to $15 a t-shirt. Screenprinting companies have different price points and different minimum order requirements. Compare a few different companies to determine the price points and minimum t-shirt requirements that best fit your needs.

A Note: Most screenprinting companies' minimum purchase requirement is 36 t-shirts or more garments. You may be able to negotiate a single t-shirt order, but expect to pay a bit more, because it costs the screenprinter a lot to set up the print. We found, however that DesignAShirt.com custom printed t-shirts, has a minimum of 6 shirts. Some printing companies will allow you to order one t-shirt, but be aware that your custom printed t-shirt will in most cases be made with a heat press rather than screenprinted. To learn more about these methods read, “Screenprinting vs. Iron-Ons: Are Heat Transfer Graphics Worth It?”.
Custom Printed T-shirt Types & Colors

You can expect to be charged differently for the garment type. Expect that clothing other than t-shirts, such as shorts, will be priced differently than t-shirts. Some clothing brands are made with higher quality materials than others, have more preferable styles, and as a result, cost a bit more. The color of the t-shirt is also a cost factor. White t-shirts are the least expensive and gray garments are normally priced lower than garments of other colors. Light colored t-shirts may be priced less than dark colored garments. An additional cost factor to using dark colored garments is that they require more ink layers (and consequently more screens), so the fabric color does not show through the printed t-shirts.
Custom T-Shirt Info

If you are ordering online, make sure that the custom printing company you're considering is secure to receive credit card information. Look for a secure site logo on the home or ordering page. One of the benefits of ordering online is that you should not be charged sales tax if you are ordering outside of the state the company is located in. Furthermore, you are better off going with a custom printed t-shirt company with a money back guarantee, in case you are unhappy with the finished product.

Screenprinting Company Details

If you would like details about pricing and quality among screenprinters, please refer to our custom t-shirt industry directory to view many popular screenprinters online websites.