You may have heard of it, we at Artemis Awards and Apparel have surely said it, but what is “screen printing”? Basically, screen printing is shearing ink through a screen, yes, like a window screen, to create a lasting design on a garment.
Quality
A properly screen-printed garment will last many washes, sometimes longer than the garment itself. We are conducting studies to determine exactly how long, but estimates are usually 50+ washes.
Feel
The ink has a noticeable sensation when touched, but it is usually unassuming. Some large, filled-in designs may be a bit heavy on the garment, but this is rare.
Price
For large orders (think 50+ shirts) this is almost always the way to go. The per unit production time is the fastest method available, so it is the cheapest. Warning! Set up time is very long, so even though making the garment can go quickly, getting there can take some time. That’s why you will see per print pricing drop as quantities go up.
Applications
Screen printing is best for low color (1-3), high quantity (50+) jobs. There are exceptions, but this is the rule of thumb.
What We Like
The process is repeatable, the error rate is low, and we can offer fast turnaround times on our orders.
Other Terms Used to Describe Screen Printing
Silk screening, Serigraphy