Welcome to our Services Section. Our main strength and focus as a company is screen printing t-shirts and hoodies. We can also print hats, tote bags, umbrellas, sweatpants/joggers, and just about any other article of clothing you can think of. We use a number of different techniques and speciality inks when we are printing. Below is an in depth look at the different types of printing services we offer. To see and feel examples of our work in person, email or call us to schedule a visit to our showroom. We can be reached at: 917-319-4254 or [email protected]
Plastisol Ink
Plastisol is the most commonly used ink for screen printing. Plastisol is a plastic-based ink that offers vibrant colors and bold deposits of ink. It is known as a 100% solid ink system. It has a ‘strong hand,” which refers to the feeling of the ink when holding the garment. “strong hand” means you can very obviously feel the difference between the shirt and the print.
Discharge Ink
Discharge Ink has the “softest hand” of any of the inks we offer so the prints are soft and have very little texture. Discharge Ink (a comb of a base + an additive) removes the back dye or the color of a cotton fabric. The addition of a pigment concentrate to this preparation allows us to replace the original color of the garment with a new one. The Discharge Ink allows for a decoloration/dying process, so the final result is that the printed areas have no “Hand” and do not require an underlayer of white on dark fabrics which thickens the print.
Water-Based Ink
Water-based Ink offers a “nice hand.” You can slightly feel the ink, but it will get smoother and softer over time. Water-Based Ink is also better for the environment, the consumer, and the manufacturer.
Puff Ink
Puff Ink is exactly what it sounds like, an ink that causes the design to rise with rounded edges, giving the print a 3-D puff effect. It’s an additive that can be added to any color to make a unique texture. Originally made popular in the 80’s, Puff has made a huge resurgence in the past few years. Puff has a “strong hand,” but that’s the point – to see and feel the design come to life.
High Density
High Density prints are achieved by stacking layer upon layer of ink to raise the print above the fabric by up to 1/8” of an inch. Special “thick” emulsion is used on the silk screen to aid in laying down a thick layer of ink that’s heated until it is dry to the touch, and then printed again. The process is repeated until the desired print height is met. High Density prints have a “strong hand” with sharp and straight raised edges, as opposed to Puff Ink, which has soft, rounded edges.
3M Reflective
Originally 3M Reflective Ink was used mainly for construction and road sports to make the wearer highly visible to oncoming traffic or equipment. When light hits 3M Reflective Ink, tiny glass beads in the metallic ink cause the light to reflect back. It’s especially visible in light from car beams and flashes on cameras. 3M has a “nice hand,” you can tell the print is present by feeling it, but it’s not super heavy and will get softer over time.
Simulated Process Printing
Simulated Process is usually used to print photos and high color graphics onto garments. Simulated Process Printing, also called “sim pro” for short, is when you mix 6-8 ink colors to make a full-color, photorealistic image.
Large Sim Pro Printing
Made popular on Nascar and Harley Davidson tees in the 80’s and later immortalized by the Hip Hop tees of the 90’s, oversized Large Simulated Process Printing uses the same techniques listed above, but on larger than standard screen printing sizes. We can go up to 16” wide x 22” tall.
Glow in the Dark Ink
For Glow in the Dark Ink we apply a phosphorescent ink onto garments, typically over an underbase. The intensity and duration of the glow depends on the amount of ink coverage and the length of time charged in sunlight or UVA light, such as blacklight. When exposed to light correctly, our Glow effect is vibrant and eye-catching. Glow Ink has a “heavy hand.” We can make Glow in the Dark into any color shade, and can even add Puff to Glow Ink for a truly unique garment.
CMYK Printing
This specialty method of screen printing is called Four Color Process (or CMYK) Printing. It breaks down your full color image into just 4 colors: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (refered to as Key, hence the K in CMYK) which mix to give a similar effect as Simulated Process Printing, but further simplified, for a stylized, photorealistic image.
Bandana Printing
We now offer edge to edge printing on bandanas, up to 22” x 22” (standard bandana sizing). Bandana printing matched with Discharge Ink will give you a “soft hand” and ensure years of use from the consumer.
All Over Printing
We are one of the only screen printing shops you will find that offer this specialized type of printing. Each project is different: some All Over prints can’t be achieved with screen printing and some work perfectly. We have added full wingspan plates to our arsenal in order to accommodate this type of printing. Email us to see if this type of printing will work for your design. [email protected]