Screen Printing
Since 1999, we have been tirelessly perfecting our in house screen-printing (also called silk screening) process and we take great pride in working with you to bring your ideas to life.
There’s a reason why we’re a trusted partner of businesses across Canada & the US. It’s because we are picky, really picky when it comes to quality. Our high standard of quality means you can trust that you will be getting great quality work, right out of the gate.
Simply put, it all comes down to reliability & service and we are best in class in both areas.
- Decoration Details
- Recommended Uses
- Restrictions & Limitations
- Garment Care Instructions
- Screen Printing vs DTG/DTF printing
- Artwork Guidelines for Custom Screen Printing
The process uses a screen and ink is pushed through the screen onto the garments. The garment is then put through an industrial conveyor dryer which cures ink onto the garment. Screen printing requires a lot of upfront setup. See the chart for a simplified visual. The first step is to coat the screen with emulsion and allow it to dry. The artwork is converted into a film positive which is then burned onto the screen and the emulsion is then washed out. Once dry the screen is placed into the press and aligned so that your logo is printed in the perfect position. Ink is then applied with a specialized squeegee. This process is repeated for each colour. Pricing is by colour and quantity. The fewer colours and the more pieces you buy, the cheaper each garment is.
Screen printing is a great way to showcase the name of your company, a team logo or to showcase an event. Screen printing is extremely cost-effective for high-volume orders. Screen printing is extremely durable and should last the lifetime of the shirt without peeling or cracking. Screen printing is also a very practical option for day-to-day uniforms because of the low cost and durability. Our knowledgeable team can help transform your ideas into prints that will look fantastic.
Screen printing can be costly for smaller jobs as the cost for screen printing is all in the front end of the process. Lighter weight material may not be suitable for screen printing due to the temperature that the industrial commercial dryer needs to be set at to properly cure the ink. Graphics that have gradients or very fine details in them can be challenging and don’t always reproduce well as screen-printed images. In some cases, logos need modifications to make them better suited for screen printing. Our team will work with you and your logo to make sure it is optimized for screen printing.
You’ve got your new custom screen-printed apparel & you love it so much you want it to last a
long time. Here’s our recommended garment care instructions to prolong the life of your screen-
printed apparel.
We recommend washing on cold cycle using a mild detergent. Heat can cause fading &
shrinkage of the garment & will degrade the print faster. We also recommend:
– Hanging to dry
– Washing the garment inside out
– Wash with like colors/materials.
– Do not bleach.
– Do not iron the print.
By following these instructions, you should be able to enjoy your custom apparel for years to
come.
When considering screen printing, it’s also worth looking at newer technologies such as
DTG (Direct-to-Garment) and DTF (Direct-to-Film).
The best printing method depends on your artwork, order quantity, garment colour, and the
look and feel you want.
| Artwork Type | Best Method | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Photographs | DTG or DTF | Captures gradients, shadows, and fine detail that can be difficult to reproduce with screen printing. |
| Full-colour illustrations | DTG or DTF | Allows for many colours without requiring a separate screen for each one. |
| Watercolour effects | DTG | Preserves soft transparency and subtle colour blending. |
| Digital paintings | DTG | Excellent for complex artwork with many tones and subtle details. |
| Small-run custom designs | DTG or DTF | No screen setup is required, making one-offs and small orders more economical. |
| Variable data, names, numbers, or unique graphics | DTF | Each print can be different without additional setup. |
| Fine-line artwork | DTG or high-quality DTF | Better suited to very thin details than standard screen printing. |
| Vintage or faded artwork | DTG | Can create a softer, worn-in appearance. |
| Multi-colour gradients | DTG or DTF | Produces smooth colour transitions without relying heavily on halftones. |
| Artwork with 10+ colours | DTG or DTF | Screen printing becomes more expensive as each colour typically requires its own screen. |
When DTG is the Better Choice
DTG (Direct-to-Garment) excels for detailed, full-colour artwork and smaller production runs.
Best For
- Photographic prints
- Detailed illustrations
- Soft-hand prints, especially on cotton
- Small orders of approximately 1–25 pieces
- Complex artwork with many colours
- Fine typography and intricate line work
Common Examples
- Album covers
- Pet portraits
- Anime artwork
- Realistic wildlife illustrations
- Digital paintings
- Watercolour floral designs
When DTF is the Better Choice
DTF (Direct-to-Film) works especially well across a wide range of garment types and print placements.
Best For
- Polyester garments
- Performance wear
- Cotton/polyester blends
- Bright colours on dark garments
- Small to medium-sized orders
- Left-chest logos
- Sleeve prints
- Hats and more difficult print locations
Common Examples
- Sports jerseys
- Company uniforms
- Event shirts
- Small logo applications
- Multi-location prints
When Screen Printing is Still the Best Option
Traditional screen printing remains an excellent choice for larger orders and bold designs with fewer colours.
Best For
- Large orders, typically 50–100+ pieces
- Bold vector graphics
- Spot-colour logos
- Athletic prints
- Large areas of solid colour
- Specialty inks such as puff, metallic, glitter, discharge, and high-density
- Maximum durability for heavy-use apparel
Common Examples
- Brand logos
- College apparel
- Concert merchandise
- Corporate promotional shirts
- Bold graphic streetwear
Artwork That Should Generally Avoid Screen Printing
These types of designs are often better suited to DTG or DTF because screen printing can become costly or technically challenging:
- Realistic portraits
- Landscapes
- Photographs
- Airbrush artwork
- Watercolour paintings
- Highly detailed fantasy art
- Complex comic illustrations
- Images with hundreds of colours
- Soft gradients
- Transparent effects
- Glow and lighting effects
- Fine pencil drawings
- Highly textured digital art
Quick Decision Guide
DTG or DTF
Depends on the artwork. Choose screen printing for simpler designs and DTG/DTF for highly detailed artwork.
Screen printing is usually the most cost-effective option.
Rule of Thumb
- Choose screen printing for simple, bold, vector-based designs with relatively few colours and larger production runs.
- Choose DTG for cotton garments featuring photographic, artistic, or highly detailed designs where a softer feel is important.
- Choose DTF for vibrant, full-colour graphics across a wide variety of garment types, especially polyester or blended fabrics, and when flexible print placement is important.
An easy way to think about it:
if the artwork looks like it belongs in a digital art gallery or photography portfolio, DTG or DTF is usually the better fit. If it looks like a clean logo, mascot, or bold graphic with a few solid colours, screen printing is typically the better choice.
Getting Your Artwork Ready for Printing
We want to ensure your garments are customised perfectly. You may already have a design ready to go, or our team can help create artwork for you.
If you are submitting your own artwork, please make sure it follows the guidelines below. Artwork that is not print-ready may require an additional artwork preparation charge. However, this is assessed on a case-by-case basis, and in many cases artwork preparation is provided free of charge.
These guidelines are written with professional designers in mind, so some of the terminology may seem technical. If you are unsure about anything, simply contact us and we’ll happily guide you through the process.
Screen Printing Design Guidelines
Screen printing has specific artwork requirements that make it different from other printing methods. Because designs often need to be enlarged to fit garments, artwork must be clean, accurate, and prepared correctly.
For example, a full-back shirt print can be approximately 13.5″ × 18″, so the artwork must remain sharp and clean when enlarged.
General Artwork Requirements
- Adobe Illustrator files (.AI) are preferred where possible.
- Photoshop files should be supplied at a minimum of 400 dpi.
- Designs should generally contain no more than five colours.
- The thinnest lines should be no less than 0.25 point.
- All text should be converted to outlines.
Standard screen-print artwork should generally avoid:
- Gradients
- Shadows
- Colour tints
Print-Ready Artwork Formats
Vector Files Preferred
- .AI
- .EPS
- .SVG
Raster Files
- .PSD
- .PNG
- .JPG
Raster artwork should be supplied at 300 dpi at the final print size or larger.
Why Vector Artwork Is Preferred
Vector files are created using mathematical paths rather than pixels. This allows the artwork to be resized without losing quality, making vector artwork ideal for clothing printing and embroidery.
Raster files are made from pixels and can become blurry, jagged, or distorted when enlarged.
A small image downloaded from the internet usually cannot simply be enlarged for printing. We may need the original high-resolution artwork or may need to recreate the design.
Artwork Preparation Requirements
File Size and Dimensions
Artwork should ideally be supplied at the exact size you would like it printed.
| Final Print Size | Resolution | Required Pixel Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| 5″ × 5″ | 300 dpi | 1500 × 1500 px |
| 10″ × 10″ | 300 dpi | 3000 × 3000 px |
| 12″ × 12″ | 300 dpi | 3600 × 3600 px |
If you are unsure about the correct print size, try measuring the printable area on an existing garment to get a better idea of how large you would like the design to appear.
Simply increasing the dimensions of a small image does not improve its quality. Low-resolution artwork may need to be recreated or replaced with a higher-resolution version.
Colour Requirements
Maximum Five Colours
Each colour used in a traditional screen print generally requires its own separate screen. These screens must then be precisely aligned during production.
As the number of colours increases, so does production complexity, setup time, and the potential for registration challenges.
- Keep designs to five colours or fewer where possible.
- Consider simplifying the colour palette when appropriate.
- For artwork containing many colours, digital printing may be a better option.
We also offer digital printing solutions for complex and full-colour designs.
Gradients, Shadows and Colour Effects
Gradients and complex shading can be difficult to reproduce using traditional spot-colour screen printing.
To simulate a gradient, printers use halftones — patterns of very small dots that create the appearance of lighter or darker shades. This can require additional artwork preparation, screen setup, and testing.
For standard screen-print designs, we recommend avoiding:
- Colour fades
- Shadows
- Transparent effects
- Complex shading
Text and Fonts
Convert Text to Outlines
All text should be converted to outlines before artwork is submitted. This ensures the design displays and prints correctly even if we do not have the original font installed.
In Adobe Illustrator:
- Select the text.
- Right-click and choose Create Outlines.
- You can also use Type > Create Outlines.
If you cannot convert your text to outlines, please include the font file used in the design.
Minimum Font and Line Sizes
- Fonts should generally be no smaller than 8 pt.
- Lines should be no thinner than 1 pt where possible.
- Reversed-out text and negative spaces may require larger sizes.
For designs containing very small details, we recommend printing the artwork on paper at its actual intended size. If the text or detail is difficult to see on paper, it may also be difficult to reproduce clearly on a garment.
Artwork That Is Not Print Ready
If your artwork is not suitable for production, our creative team can usually recreate, clean up, or prepare it for printing.
Artwork preparation is charged at our standard artwork rate where applicable. We can provide an estimate before beginning any additional work.
Send it to us anyway. We’ll review the artwork and let you know if anything needs to be changed before production.
Simulated Colour Separations
Photographic images and highly detailed full-colour artwork may require simulated colour separations before they can be screen printed.
This process separates the artwork into multiple layers of ink that work together to reproduce highlights, shadows, shading, and colour transitions.
Additional artwork and screen setup charges may apply. Simulated colour separations commonly require approximately 7–10 colours to reproduce detailed artwork effectively.
Screen Print Resolution Guidelines
Recommended
Minimum acceptable quality
Generally not suitable
Maximum Screen Print Size
13.5″ wide × 15.5″ tall
Please note:
- Children’s garments, youth sizes, and some fitted garments may have smaller printable areas.
- Sleeves, pant legs, and other specialty placements may not accommodate the maximum print size.
- The available print area will be shown during the design process where applicable.
Colour Matching
We use the Pantone Matching System (PMS) to achieve consistent colour results for screen printing.
If your brand or design requires specific Pantone colours, please provide the PMS colour references with your order.
Computer and phone displays create colour using light, while screen printing uses physical inks. Because of this, slight colour variations between your screen and the finished garment are normal.
Choosing Colours Wisely
Every additional colour in a screen-print design increases production complexity and cost. For the best balance of quality, appearance, and value:
- Use colours thoughtfully.
- Keep designs simple where possible.
- Consider digital printing for highly detailed or multi-colour artwork.
Still unsure?
Our team is always happy to review your artwork and recommend the best printing method for your design.
