Custom and Wholesale T-Shirt Printing: Screen Printing

Wholesale T-shirt printing is generally carried out to order,
and it is possible to have such work carried out online
rather than you having to visit printers trying to find the
right design or the best price for your order.

Garment printing is a popular means of adding logos and
script to garments, and screen printing T-shirts is one the
more popular means of doing so. This type of clothing has
always been very popular, particularly with younger people,
and while they come in a very wide variety of designs and
logos you can't beat a customized Tee printed in a
personalized design or even designed by yourself.

When seeking custom or wholesale garment printing firms
online, it is normally screen printing that would be used
unless specified otherwise. However, screen printing
T-Shirts is more economical for large orders because of the
expense of making the screen. This can be explained better
by means of a quick description of the screen printing
process.

Screen Printing

Also referred to as silk-screen printing, the screens are
made of fine mesh, originally silk, that are coated with a
light-sensitive polymer emulsion. The artwork is
photographed onto the light-sensitive emulsion, and where
the design permits the light to pass through, the emulsion
hardens. When the emulsion is washed off the design areas
are left behind to block the passage of ink through the
screen.

The screen is placed over the garment, the ink is applied to
one side of the screen frame, and a squeegee, as it is
called, pulls it across the screen. The areas where the
emulsion was washed off allows the ink to penetrate the
fabric and so prints the design.

Because of the way it operates each color has to be applied
individually, so a number of screens are needed for
multi-color printing. That is why screen printing is best
when used for wholesale T-shirt printing. Screen printing
T-shirts on an individual basis is expensive because of the
cost of preparing the screens.

Most commercial custom Tees printers do not apply separate
set-up charges, such as the cost of making the screen, but
instead include that in their quoted price. By doing that
customers know exactly what they are paying for their screen
printed T-shirts.

Custom Tee are very popular, and customers for screen
printed custom T-shirts or who require wholesale T-shirt
printing can have up to 4 colors printed, but if your order
is large enough you can have up to 7 colors. Order size
matters so that you are not paying too much for your
T-shirts, and 7 colors would require 7 different screens to
be prepared. However, you can generally get what you want if
you are prepared to pay for the extra set-up costs.

Wholesale T-Shirt Printing

Wholesale printing is the least expensive way in which to
order printed T-shirts. While a single T-shirt can cost
almost $30 to have color printed, this price drops
dramatically with volume, and wholesale T-shirt printing
orders for between 500 and 1000 can be as little as $5, or
$6 for seven colors! That is a significant price difference,
and many wholesale retailers have their customized T-shirts
printed this way.

The colors with screen printed T-shirts are much brighter
than with any other fabric printing technique, and unlike
inkjet, can be used on all types of fabric, natural or
synthetic. There are also no specific washing instructions
other than for the fabric itself. In addition, you generally
get to choose the make of shirt you prefer from a range
offered by the printer. Examples can include Ramo, Bella and
Fruit of the Loom, so the T-shirt printing carried out by
printers is not only first class quality but so too are the
T-shirts being printed.

Many online printing firms allow you to offer your own
designs for printing - now that is really cool! You can be
totally unique with your own custom T-shirts and you don't
have to know anything about printing. Screen printing can
handle any design you want, but keep in mind that due to the
printing process, screen printed T-shirts become increasingly
expensive the more colors you use.

Not only T-shirt Printing

It's not only T-shirt printing that these screen printing
can handle, but practically any article. Some popular
examples are hoodies, rashies and polo shirts, and screen
printing techniques are also ideal for personalizing items
such as mugs, coasters, mouse pads and a whole range of
personalized gifts for your friends and family. Just get
online and find a printer that offers printed T-shirts, silk
screen printed items or even wholesale T-shirt printing if
you are a retailer interested in selling them. You could
even take orders online and pass them on to the printer,
adding your own markup.

Custom and wholesale T printing is becoming very popular and
an increasing number of printers are screen printing
T-shirts, mugs and a whole host of items to meet this
demand. A personalized item, or one designed by you, is
always a welcome and very much appreciated gift - and with
the holiday period coming up. . .