WHAT IS SCREEN PRINTING?

Bring Your Vision To Life With The Most Trusted Philadelphia Screen Printing Company

Screen printing is the art of pulling ink through a fine mesh in order to imprint a design onto a substrate (it’s a fancy word for t-shirt or whatever you’re printing on). Modern screen printing hasn’t ventured far from its ancient origins as a manual printing method, even at an industrial scale. Screen printing has remained the most cost-effective way to decorate apparel, especially in bulk. Odds are, most of the graphic tees you’ve come across have been screen printed.

Screen printing was developed in early 3rd century China as a way to print drawn designs onto fabric. The process was picked up by Japanese artists, who modified the technique using paper stencils, mesh screens made of hand-woven hair, and rigid brushes. This was common practice until the 17th century, when French printers began using silk screens to support stencils. By the Industrial Revolution, screen printers had dropped the brush and picked up the squeegee in order to produce at a larger scale — and we still use them today.

Contemporary screen printing, of course, looks a bit different:

  1. Prepare artwork for production: To screen print your design, it must first be vectored. Each color is then separated into its own layer.
  2. Print film positives: Individual layers are sent to the film printer and transferred to a film positive.
  3. Burn screens: Once films are printed, they are burned onto a screen coated with light sensitive emulsion. After each screen is washed out, the negative image remains open in the mesh.
  4. Place inks in screens: Custom inks are mixed, and standard inks are scooped from their buckets.  These inks are carefully placed in the corresponding screens (our films have the ink color listed, so printers can easily see which ink color goes in each screen)
  5. Print: Once screens are properly registered, and loaded with the correct ink, a squeegee is used to press the ink through the screen’s fine mesh.
  6. Cure: Once ink has been applied, the fabric is fed through a conveyor dryer, where heat cures the newly-pressed ink properly to the garment.
  7. Quality control: After garments leave the dryer, they are carefully inspected before they are folded in bundles by size, and repacked for shipping.

This process allows for the creation of bold, vibrant graphics on the product of your choosing.

IS SCREEN PRINTING RIGHT FOR YOU?

Screen printing is the most flexible and accommodating option for most orders because it allows designs to be replicated rapidly without sacrificing quality or incurring a high cost. If you’re looking to outfit your office staff in a pinch, load up on branded merch before your restaurant’s grand opening, or keep a popular print stocked in your store, this service is likely your best bet.

BENEFITS LIMITATIONS
Cost effective – especially for large orders Minimum of 24 pieces required
High quality prints that last for years Maximum of 8 colors per location
Can be used on a variety of garment colors and styles Requires the use of halfones to create full color designs
Allows for exact PMS matches Not ideal for hats or other bulky/non-flat items
GETTING DOWN TO DETAILS

Ink Types

Unlike many other shops, we pride ourselves in the ability to offer a variety of ink types as unique as your project. We are able to match the specific PMS values you require, at no additional charge.

Turnaround

Our standard turnaround for screen printing orders is 15 business days (approx. 3 weeks, excluding holidays).

Expedited orders may be available for an additional fee, depending on our availability and the scope of your order. Please contact us directly if you need to meet a specific deadline.

Pricing

When it comes to pricing your screen printing job, we stick to the basics:

    • Quantity: How many pieces would you like to order? We have price breaks at quantities of 24, 36, 48, 72, 100, 144, 300, 500, and 1,000. Have an order for 2,000 pieces or more? Contact us directly and we will determine special pricing.
    • Color: How many colors are in your design? Please note: If you will be printing a color onto a dark shirt, an underbase (a base layer of white ink that helps the color pop) will be required and will count as an additional color.
    • Location: Where will your design(s) be printed? Specialty locations (sleeves, hoods, pant legs, etc.) will incur an additional fee.

Curious about how much your project will cost? Check out our instant quote calculator!

Artwork Specifications

We aren’t especially picky, but when it comes to your design, we do prefer vector files — and so should you. Vectors (.ai, .eps, .svg) allow your image to scale infinitely without taking a hit on quality. If your design isn’t in the vector format, no need to worry, our design team will happily assist you!

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

CUSTOM SCREEN PRINTING SERVICES IN PHILADELPHIA

Press & Release Printing prides itself in providing the best screen printing services in Philadelphia and beyond.  We provide a wide range of screen printing services to local businesses and organizations in the Philly area.

Do you only offer custom printing services?

Although t-shirt screen printing has always been our most popular service, we are also known for providing the best apparel embroidery in Philly.  And if you’re looking for other options to help your brand or business stand out, we also offer branded promotional products in Philadelphia.  No matter your needs, we have a decoration method that can help you achieve your goals.

Screen printing has remained one our most popular services because of its many benefits.  It can be very cost effective, especially if you’re in need of large quantities.  Screen printing is the most versatile decoration method and can produce high quality imprints on a variety of garment colors and styles.  Contact us today for your screen printed t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, and more!

Where is Press & Release Printing Co. based?

We are a small company in Philadelphia that works primarily with other companies in the Philadelphia region.  As a small business, we know our clients best, because their business is often similar to ours.  Whether you’re a company of 1 or 100, we’d love to get to know you, and help in any way we can.

Do you only print for large companies?

Our company does our best to cater to businesses and organizations of all sizes.  That’s why we offer price breaks at various tiers from 12 pieces to 1,000 pieces.  For screen printing services over 1,000 pieces, it’s best to work with an account manager, as special pricing typically applies.

If your business or organization is in need of t-shirt screen printing services in Philly, we are here to help.  Our company’s goal is to bring your vision to life, ensuring your brand is seen and heard.  We’ve streamlined our ordering process making it easy and pain free.  Once your order is approved and in production, you can sit back worry free.  We have several quality control checks in our t-shirt screen printing process to ensure you’re consistently satisfied.

What areas do you serve?

We are not only one of the best printing companies in Philadelphia, we are also amongst the best for screen printing services in Bucks County and t-shirt printing in Montgomery County, PA.  We are dedicated to helping companies and organizations in the greater Philadelphia area and beyond achieve their marketing goals with the use of branded merchandise.  This is done through compelling custom design, high-impact promotional solutions, and excellent customer service.

Your search for the best screen printing services in Philadelphia is officially over.  To get started, all you have to do is get in touch with our team.  We are standing by eager to assist you, and excited to get your project started.  We look forward to speaking with you!

Why Screen Printing?

Companies across the world both big and small use t shirt screen printing to share their brand with potential customers and clients. Our screen printing services essentially create mobile advertisements for companies in Montgomery County, PA. Contact us so we can help you creatively connect with future customers.

T-shirt screen printing isn’t just for businesses and advertising. Any group or organization in Montgomery County, PA looking to create custom gear for their members should consider our screening services. Whether you’re with a school, sports team, volunteer group, and everything in between then our screen printing services are here for you. Give your members in Montgomery County, PA a way to remember all the great experiences you have to offer them.

What Are The Benefits of Screen Printing Services? 

  • GREAT FOR BULK ORDERS
  • LONG LASTING PRINTS
  • MANY INK TYPES TO CHOOSE FROM