Screen printing is the most common way to customize apparel for many needs.  At PTM we have been in this business for over 35 years and our experienced team knows how to help your project be the best that it can be.

T-shirts and Sweatshirts are the norm but we also use screen printing to customize shorts, pants, jackets and a variety of other garments and accessories.

Achieving success for this type of project is the result of an effective combination of great artwork, appropriately sized and placed that will show well and perform as intended.

As you prepare for your custom screen printing project here are a few things to consider.

Artwork

Effective and impactful artwork for screen printing requires an expert understanding of both art and messaging as well as how inks, colors and fabrics will appear and perform in real-life.

Take a look at a screen printed shirt that you really like and you will probably find one that is simple, gets the message across and you really enjoy wearing it.  To achieve this kind of result, colors will often have to be reduced or changed while characters and details may need to be outlined or enhanced or even eliminated.  Simplicity is usually better than complexity in much of the custom screen printing we do.

Fortunately, an artist with experience in custom screen printing design and production can adapt or “interpret” a client’s artwork in ways that are true to the original design and yet are effective on the garment that is chosen.  It is never too early to get some input from a professional on your artwork.

Artwork also has a big impact on the cost of your project.  Every additional color and location requires additional production time.  Very often we will help a client to reduce the number of colors while still achieving an amazing result.

Garment and Product Selection

Choosing the right T-shirt, Sweatshirt or other product is critical to your success.  The fabric is the “canvass” upon which your art will be placed. Vintage, distressed or heathered looks are very popular and fabric choices from all-cotton to poly blends and performance fabrics that have varying textures present additional considerations.

Whether it is a classy polo, a pair of sweatpants we will need to make sure that your artwork and product work well together

Art Sizing and Placement

This is a detail within your artwork but it is important enough to warrant special consideration.

Sizing means making sure that the art is appropriately sized to appear and perform as intended.  If you are going to have a wide range of sizes or styles, lets say adult coaches and young children or very different men’s and women’s cuts; we will suggest appropriate size prints so that they look right on each.

Also important are the seams, zippers, pockets and other features of the item to be printed.  We have to make sure that we size the art and place it such that we have an adequate area so that we can get a good quality print.

Dates and Deadlines

We mention this in almost every article we post because custom decorated apparel and accessories are usually date-driven.  Make sure that you keep your end-date in mind and let us know about your date as soon as we get started.  Also, please browse these articles on how to make your project a success and the overall process.

Approval

Your approval is essential to the success of the project. Once the garments and the artwork have been selected your stamp of approval will move the process along to completion. Every day that your project has not been approved effects your deadline!

Let Us Help You Succeed!

We have over 35 years of experience helping clients succeed with custom screen printed clothing and accessories so be sure to use our knowledge.  Get us involved early and don’t hesitate to ask!