There are many reasons why a T-shirt shop should learn how to screen print inks using a wet-on-wet technique.The primary driver though, is simply speed.Every time you flash, you are slowing your production output. If you are flashing after every color, you are crawling by at a snail’s pace instead of zipping through a job.This article was written to give you some valuable tips to consider screen-printing inks wet-on-wet for apparel in your shop.

If you’ve bought into water-based ink’s hand-feel, longevity and sustainability advantages, then you’ve probably also heard about the challenges of transitioning from a plastisol to water-based ink system. While there’s a lot of trial and error inherent in the learning process, you’ll learn some tips here for printing success with water-based ink.

Using a low-cure ink means fusing the ink at a lower temperature than usual, typically around 275 degrees F (135°C). Typically, this means protecting either a heat-sensitive fabric from shriveling up or trying to keep the polyester dye from sublimating and migrating. Before starting a job with low curing temperatures, please be sure to check on the following essential points:

Go ahead. Walk out onto your shop floor and take a good look around. What do you see? Is everyone working? Are orders getting produced and shipped out the door? But despite the seemingly obvious amount of effort that is being generated before your eyes, you still feel that nagging in your gut that you could be getting out more work.

In the past century, the apparel industry has witnessed a dizzying number of changes in the way companies source, manufacture and decorate garments. From hand cutting film for screen-printed letters to designs that are ready to use in less than 30 seconds, there’s no doubt that the digital age has launched commercial decoration into a realm that industry veterans could only have dreamed of just two decades ago.
Follow the timeline of industry innovation in the form of apparel design, software solutions and decoration techniques to grasp how far this industry has come — and where it’s heading next.

Combining digital and analog garment printing techniques opens up a plethora of possibilities.

When you are a start-up screen-printing shop, there are a lot of different equipment choices. Some printers are on a shoestring budget and others want the best screen-printing equipment. No matter where you fall, many screen printers start out with a manual screen-printing press. This makes a lot of sense given the lower price point and typically smaller footprint of a manual press when compared to automatic alternatives. A solid manual press can last a life-time. In fact, some screen printers go years before getting their first automatic. While manual printing still has a place, it may be time for you to add an automatic press.

The below information will provide guidance on what to look for in your first automatic and help guide your thinking about incorporating automatic screen printing into your shop.

Not all inks are created equal. Lately, there’s been a lot of buzz regarding “eco-friendly” inks. Without going into too much detail on the make-up of these screen printing inks, I’d like to give a brief guideline of what to look for when switching to or using “eco-friendly” inks.

Producing amazing designs all day, every day is no easy feat. These hacks can help keep your creative juices flowing.