Stop.
No, seriously. We see the tabs in your browser. That cheap, online print shop? Yup. That one right there. You’ve thought about buying your next batch of printed T-shirts from them, haven’t you?
Don’t.
What you really want is a high-quality, beautiful piece of art – a screen-printed tee. And that, friends, is something we really rock at doing.
Read on – but, please, do close that tab first.
We’re a part of a historical tradition
Bet you didn’t know that screen printing goes back centuries. Let us impress you a bit with our historical knowledge – trust us, it is important for your decision-making process.
It sounds simple, but it really is art on a tee. Screen printing uses screens and special ink to transfer an image onto fabric. This art dates back to around 960 AD when a style of screen printing first appeared in China during the era of Song Dynasty Art. We’re pretty sure it wasn’t used for marketing gizmos and pizza but it became popular and made its way to Europe later in the 18th century.
So, if you think about it, that T-shirt you’re ordering is a work of art.
We don’t use the same process as the folks back in 960 did. Screen printing in its current form was not figured out until the 1910s after several printers stumbled upon the modern emulsion system. http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/printmaking/screen-printing.htm. These days, screen printing is made possible by using a color-separated mesh stencil. Each color is applied one at a time to the finished piece. Great care must be taken to ensure everything lines up correctly. After the ink is applied, each piece is placed in a dryer so that the ink may cure.
Andy Warhol and screen printing
Speaking of art, it wasn’t until Andy Warhol began popularizing screen-printed items in the 1960s that screen printing (or silk screening as it’s also called) really started being used in the mainstream by folks like us. And the fancy artists.
Screen-printed art can go for millions at auction. So hold on to that free T-shirt you got at the Wichita Wings game last year. In fact, an anonymous purchaser bought Warhol’s silkscreen print Eight Elvises for $100 million in a private sale. No, seriously, $100 million. We didn’t believe it at first, either, but go read about it here: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/the-100m-warhol-1830661.html.
We’re really hoping one of the T-shirts we’ve printed goes for that much someday, too.
We love the way he described the process: Warhol once wrote that “… you pick a photograph, blow it up, transfer it in glue onto silk, and then roll ink across it so the ink goes through the silk but not through the glue. That way you get the same image, slightly different each time. It was all so simple quick and chancy. I was thrilled with it. When Marilyn Monroe happened to die that month, I got the idea to make screens of her beautiful face, the first Marilyns.”
Ok. Let’s insert a little disclaimer here. We are darn good at screen-printed tees. Amazingly good. Superfast. Super talented.
But, we’re not Andy Warhol. Just saying.
Why are we telling you this?
We are the premier local experts in bulk screen printing. At least that’s what we tell our moms. We don’t send your order off to a company in Timbuktu, we don’t cheat and whip out the iron to do printed transfers. We. Know. Screen printing.
And we love screen printing. Screen-printed art tends to last much longer than heat-pressed art. It also requires more chemicals and equipment for it to work. And an artist – and we just happen to have a team of them.
o Screen printing is more cost-effective for large orders – think of us for your next event
o Gives you a softer feel on fabrics – no stiff vinyl
o Designs are more durable and last longer – and longer wear means more folks see your message
o Gives you more vibrant colors, even on dark-colored fabrics
So what are you waiting for? Open a new tab and check out our work with the ancient art of screen printing! https://logodepotweb.com/screen-printing.