Discharge Printing
Discharge printing is a way to remove the shirt's color and replace it, instead of putting ink on TOP of the shirt.
The result? Super soft prints that are part of the shirt. Nice.
Discharge printing is a screen printing process that uses the same techniques and equipment as standard printing, but instead discharge inks are used, which remove the fabric’s dye instead of putting a layer of ink on top. The discharge printing technique is somewhat similar to bleaching in a design, except it doesn’t damage the fibers like bleaching would. It results in an extremely soft print that shows the weave of the shirt. It can be used in several ways: by itself, as an under-base for other colors to be put on top, or with pigments added.
Positives of Discharge Printing
• Creates a long lasting design that won’t tarnish over time.
• We offer discharge printing at no additional charge.
• Little to no feeling of the print on the shirt.
• Vibrant colors.
• Still able to achieve a great amount of detail.
• The best way to print on dark shirts with non-traditional inks.
Negatives of Discharge Printing
• Some garment types may discharge better than others.
• Not all shirt colors will discharge (royal blue never works well, for example).
• The process can be difficult.
• Can be hard to use for a photographic style design or process printing.
• Only works on natural fibers, like cotton, so 50/50 doesn’t discharge as well.
So what’s Discharge Printing All About?
Discharge screen printing is soft to the touch. You’ll have to feel it to believe it. Right after the shirt is made, you might feel the ink a little bit, but that goes away after the first time the garment is washed.
The final product is a soft cool design that’s in the fibers of the shirt.