Screen Printing

Screen printing is the classic way to put a logo on textiles and flat promotional items. Ink is pressed through a mesh screen that has been masked off everywhere except the design, so each colour needs its own screen and its own pass. The result is a thick, opaque layer of colour that sits well on both light and dark materials. If you are comparing custom screen printing with other options for a company order, the short version is this: it rewards simple artwork and decent quantities.

Where screen printing works best

The method needs a reasonably flat, even surface. Typical candidates are:

• cotton and cotton-blend garments such as custom T-shirts and hoodies;
• canvas and non-woven bags, including tote bags and drawstring bags;
• paper and card, for example printed paper bags.

Strengths and limits of screen printing

On the plus side, colours are strong and consistent across a whole run, Pantone matching is straightforward, and the print copes well with everyday wear and washing when the ink suits the fabric. Because the setup work is done once per colour, the method becomes more economical as the quantity grows.

The trade-offs are just as clear. Every extra colour adds a screen and a pass, so a design with many shades costs more to set up. Photographs and soft gradients are hard to reproduce; halftone dots are possible, but digital or DTF transfer printing is usually a better fit for that kind of image. Strongly curved or textured surfaces are also outside its comfort zone.

Screen printing or something else?

For a one- or two-colour logo on a bag or a shirt, screen printing is often the natural choice. For full-colour artwork on small batches of garments, DTF tends to work better, and for a premium look on polo shirts or caps, logo embroidery is worth considering. We look at your design and the product together and suggest the method that makes sense; you can see all options on the branding methods page.

Preparing artwork

Send the logo as vector artwork (AI, PDF, SVG or EPS) with text converted to outlines, and tell us the Pantone references if you have them. Very thin lines and tiny type may fill in on coarse fabrics, so we will flag anything that needs adjusting. Before anything is printed you receive a free digital proof showing the logo on the item, and production starts only once you approve it. More detail is in our artwork requirements, and the cost for your quantity and number of colours comes with your quote.