Creative Touch Designs

silk screening faqs.....

Things to think about when choosing Silk Screening:

1. Print fewer colors as each color requires additional set-up time and materials

2. Print in few locations on the t-shirt to avoid added cost from printing complexity

3. Order light colored T-shirts as manufacturers charge more for dark colors

4. Order in large quantities as it is cheaper per T-shirt to print

5. Choose the "Printer's Favorite" brand as printers get quantity discounts from the manufacturers

How can decorated apparel really help sell my company or business?
There's no better way to make a great impression than with attractive shirts identifying your organization. Market research agrees: recent studies show that affiliate shirts (those bearing a club's name) are designated as "favorites" by the greatest percentage of shirt wearers than any other style of shirt. These studies also report that "favorite" shirts are, on average, worn three times per week and to places where, for males: an average of 65 people congregate; and for women: an average of 18 people gather. So, what does this mean for you?
It means that each person wearing a shirt endorsing your club, product, or organization can promote or expose your name to upwards of 780 people each month. If you want people to notice your company or product, custom printed shirts/jerseys may be just what you're looking for. Just think about it. When looks are everything, there's not much that can compare to a customized jersey promoting pride in your club. And don't worry about finding room in your crowded dressers for them...they won't spend much time in there anyway.

A lot of company's go through a tremendous effort to create a logo for their company that makes a statement and captures the essence of what the company stands for. Consider shirts, jackets, hats, t-shirts, etc. to be very effective advertising for your company. All of these items are miniature billboards that walk around and say hello! Your decorated items will travel the globe, and you would be surprised how effective this form of advertising really is and it's tax deductible.

What is screen printing?

Screen-printing is a print process where a design or logo is transferred to the substrate by way of a screen. The printer will transfer the inks through the screen to the garment to achieve the desired result. The process involves exact pressures, specialized inks, and heat curing to result in a long lasting design. Screen printers can normally print up to four colors.

What makes a quality T-shirt?
There are a few factors that should be considered prior to deciding on a particular T-shirt. Ounce weight and materials should be your main focus. Look for shirts at an ounce weight of 5.4-6.0. Premium shirts will most often exceed this range.

How long will a screen print last?
Unlike a transfer which sits on top of a garment, screen printing penetrates the filters making it last as long as the garment itself.

How much does it cost to have silk screening work done?
There are a few things that we need to know to figure out the cost. Size and location of your logo, number of colors, your art work, the number of and cost of items you need silk screened. Check out silk screening link for pricing

What kind of Artwork do I need?
The best artwork you can provide us is camera-ready. This is the sharpest, crispest black and white version of the artwork, that is at the finished size. Also, include any sketches and color versions that you may have available. You should print the image on the glossiest paper stock that you've got. This is typically called "camera ready art".

We can also work from a variety of materials such as business cards, menus, letterheads, photocopies, drawings, garments, etc. When working from these items, we suggest that you bring in the largest possible examples of your logo or artwork, since detail may be lost when resizing, Although we have completed designs from faxes and business cards, the better quality art you provide us with will make your final product take less time and cost much less. Complexity of the design plays a role in the final cost of making the design and poor quality artwork makes the effort more complex. In extreme cases where the artwork is very poor we may need to discuss the possibility of a "graphic design charge" or "design change" to get the image ready for digitizing. Artwork provided from garments may be slightly distorted from the average stretch and shrinkage of garments. Therefore, when working with garments, we will do the best we can to come as close as possible to the original.

Screen Printing Alternatives

T-shirt transfers are a common alternative to the screen printing process. Transfers allows full color printing on the t-shirt of your choice. This process however is not a direct print. It uses a process that "transfers" a photo onto the substrate using a commercial heat press. There are a few advantages to this process. One, it is much cheaper than screen printing because the set-up charges are eliminated. Two, It allows the printer to use full color photography to transfer your design to the shirt. And finally, in most instances, there are no minimum orders.