There's no doubt that a picture tells a story.
We are drawn to imagery and designing tee shirts are one of the many ways we work with community partners. Sometimes the story is a milestone moment, or intended to create unity, promote a cause or have fun with advertising your brand. Each is customized for you.
Whatever your reason for having a tee shirt design created- we will lend our talents.
There are many ways to decorate a tee, as well as different fabrics to select. Our showroom makes it simple to determine what's the right tee and the right decoration method for your project. Work one-on-one with our designers in the graphic studio, which will cut down design time significantly. Access numerous brands & fabric weights, and try on your selection for fit.
One of the most popular ways to decorate remains - silk-screening.
What's the process?
Basically a frame is made, fabric is stretch across the frame and a film is applied. Then exposure to light to burn away film or cutting away film exposes the screen, which will allow ink to pass through to the fabric.
There is a screen for each color, in each location. If you have 3 colors on the front and 3 colors on the back- that's 6 total screens! Even if one color is only the size of a dime in one location- that's a screen.
Each color of ink is squeegeed across the screen to press the ink through the holes of the fabric onto the shirt. If you have more than one color or a light color like white, a second pass of ink is required to "pop" on a dark colored shirt. This process is called a flash. A quick pop of heat over the surface of the shirt to "cure" the ink. The ink is then dry enough & hard enough to accept another color or pass of ink.
Large shirt orders are usually produced on a machine like the one shown here. The printer stands in one location, pulls the shirt across a wooden board called a platen, then pulls the screen down, pulls the ink across, then swings the around to print another shirt, saving time.
Once a shirt has all the layers, & flashes it makes a final trip through larger conveyor belt style dryers before folding & packing an order.
Silk-screen is durable and economical, but it's not the only way to decorate a tee.
There are a lot of other processes that work well, including transfers, sublimation and DTG.
Great tee designs start with great art, a little geometry, an understanding of color and of course a talented design team.
Do you have a favorite tee shirt in your closet? What's the story?