Screen printing is the most widely used technique for customising t-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts and promotional accessories. This guide explains how it works, when it pays off and how to get the best result.
How screen printing works
Screen printing pushes ink through a fine mesh stretched over a frame, transferring it onto the fabric. Each colour needs its own frame, which is why it suits artwork with few colours (from 1 to 8).
The process in five steps
- Preparing the screen: your logo is output onto film, then exposed onto a screen coated with photosensitive emulsion.
- Exposure: UV light hardens the emulsion, leaving a stencil of your logo.
- Positioning: the garment is placed under the screen on the printing carousel.
- Printing: the ink is pushed through the mesh with a squeegee.
- Curing: the garment passes through a tunnel dryer that fixes the ink permanently.
When to choose screen printing
Screen printing is the right call when:
- you need larger quantities (from 50 pieces up)
- your logo has few colours (1-4 Pantone colours)
- you want bright, opaque colours even on dark fabrics
- you are after the best value per piece on long runs
What screen printing does well
- Exceptional durability: it survives hundreds of washes
- Pantone colours: exact colour matching
- Cost per piece: drops sharply as quantity grows
- Versatility: works on cotton, polyester, blends and non-wovens
Where it falls short
- not suited to photographs or complex gradients
- a setup cost for every colour (one screen each)
- recommended minimum: 50 pieces
What does screen printing cost?
Three things drive the price:
- Number of colours: every extra colour means another screen
- Quantity: the more pieces you order, the lower the unit cost
- Print size: larger prints cost more
For a quotation on your job, get in touch with your logo and the quantities you have in mind.
Screen printing versus the other techniques
Compare it with the alternatives on our customisation page to work out which one fits your project.
Need a screen print? Request a free quotation