You’ve got your idea and the number of shirts in mind that you need. And, maybe you are even decent at drawing or graphic design and have the perfect image that you want on your shirt. The next step — screen printing — is critical. To have your shirt turn out the way you want, you have to take care in ensuring the right screen printing is done. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a shirt that looks like the local scouts applied department store iron-on applique.

Not to fret, your local screen printing shop in Hastings is here to help you get the best outcome on your custom shirt. Follow along today as we provide insight into some of the things that are common to overlook during the screen printing process. The hope is that you can learn from other’s mistakes and get the flawless custom shirt you deserve.

#1. Screen Printing Process

Remember the iron-on applique we discussed earlier? That is a real possibility if you do not work with the right custom shirt company. It is too easy to use a laser printer to transfer designs to iron-on paper and heat press the image onto your shirt. But, that’s exactly what it will look like. High-quality screen printing will consist of processes that adhere ink to the fibers of the shirt material rather that have it resting on top. Not only does this make the shirt look better, but it will allow it to be more comfortable to wear and won’t fall apart in the washer.

#2. Quality of the Shirt Used

The quality of the printing ink and the care and precision of the screen printing process doesn’t matter much if the quality of the material is subpar. A good custom screen printing shop will be able to refer you to the right materials or guide you in your decision of what fibers to use. For instance rib-knit and nylon print very differently than poly-cotton blends. And, 100% cotton is 100% guaranteed to shrink. Great print shops will carry a full line of tried and true shirts that are ready for print.

#3. The Image Being Printed

The image being printed is the focal point of the shirt. It is the entire reason you are getting custom screen printing services done. So, great care should be taken to ensure that the image being printed is perfect! If you have a rough drawing, you will want to ensure that all the lines are crisp, clear, and clean prior to being submitted for the printing process. You’ll want to make sure that the image is easy to see and clearly defined so that it translates well onto the shirt. A great print shop will have designers available to help you understand how images print onto a shirt differently than onto a canvas and can help modify your design as needed, prior to going to print.

By heeding these three tips, our hope is that you get a finished product that you are proud of. Stay tuned to part two where we share three more helpful tips to help you get the custom shirt that you’d be proud to wear. For all of your custom apparel needs in Kearney or Hastings, visit your local Shirt Shack! And, for our non-local customers, visit us online or contact the shop to see our quality work and find out how we can help you get your project completed!