Screen printing, also known as t-shirt printing, is the process of applying ink to a clothing surface by squeezing it through a screen or mesh. Each screen contains the required design for each colour. So if there are four colours within the design, four screens are used. This is done by applying each colour through each screen in turn, thus building up the final, four colour finished design. The best way to place a design onto most cotton garments is by screen printing. Screen printed clothing should wash well and last longer then heat transfer prints which do not look as professional nor do they last as well (it is worth noting that many smaller operations and t-shirt screen printing shops use transfer printing for the cheap set-up cost). The full process is as follows: 
- We receive digitised artwork.
- Print out each colour design onto vellum.
- The mesh screen is then produced using chemicals,a light box and the custom design for each colour.
- The screen is then mounted on one of our screen printing carousels. T-shirts are then placed underneath on 'platens' which hold them taught.
- Ink colour is then poured into each screen.
- The process then begins (either on our manual or automatic carousels, depending on the size of the job). The screen is then brought down over the garment and a squeegee is then pulled over the back of the screen, pushing the ink through the mesh and onto the garment.
- Each colour is then dried using a spot-curer before the next colour is applied.
- The process is repeated for each colour design.
- Garments are then checked, neatly folded, bagged and shipped out to our fab customers!
- Learn more about t-shirt printing colours with examples.
Cost saving notes. In screen printing, each colour requires an additional time to apply. It also requires a screen for each colour. Therefore, if you want to reduce the cost of an order, look to see if you can reduce the number of colours in your design and/or the number of print positions on the garment.
A highly professional way of showing off a design; affordable on numbers over 6; great for large designs and complex artwork.
On lower numbers it can be expensive. Other than that..............we can't think of any!