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4 Hour Tees is Kansas City's self-proclaimed "fast t-shirt shop," offering same-day screen printing services. Customers can use the company's online design studio to fully customize the front and back of a white or colored t-shirt. The company features a promotion of full-color printing on white t-shirts for $10 per unit, with a 24-hour turnaround time. Free quotes are available over the phone for bigger print jobs.
Custom Graphics offers screen printing, custom embroidery, and promotional goods for individuals, teams, and corporations. The Lees Summit business provides screen printed and embroidered t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, tank tops, hoodies, and sweatshirts. Customers can design personalized t-shirts and other products using the company's online design tool.
Heartland Sales & Promotions is a family owned business in Grandview with over 30 years of industry experience. The company specializes in custom screen printing and embroidery, including monogrammed apparel with custom logos for corporations, schools, churches, local fashion designers, and individuals. Products available for customizable screen printing include t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets, and polos. Customers can request a quote directly on the company's website.
Olathe T-Shirt & Trophy is a locally owned business founded in 1981 in Olathe. The menu of services includes screen printing, embroidery, signage, custom awards and trophies, and professional design. The screen printing studio offers prints of up to eight colors and uses techniques such as graphic halftones, simulated process printing, split fountain printing, and distressed printing.
Point Graphics is an Overland Park graphic design company specializing in logos but also providing websites, business cards, ad design, brochures, embroidery, catalogs, and many more business paper products. The company was founded in 1998 and also offers screen printing on t-shirts, bags, hats, outerwear, polos, and team and work apparel.
Rellec Apparel Graphics in Lenexa offers screen printing and apparel design for both individual and corporate clients. The company was founded in 2010, starting out in a garage and now operating out of a large warehouse. Services include embroidery, heat press applications, logo and brand design, shirt graphics, and screen printing. Past and current customers include KC Running Co, Alenco Home Improvement, and Crossfit Health Ridge.
S&W Varsity Sports opened its doors in 1976 in Kansas City to offer custom embroidery, screen printing, letter jackets, and personalized trophies. The company's state-of-the-art screen printing facility can produce over 1,000 custom t-shirts per day. Services are available for individual customers and for local shops without screen printing equipment.
Seen Merchandising opened its doors in early 2009 and now operates in Shawnee. The family-owned company was founded by brothers RL and Micah Brooks. Services include screen printing, embroidery, custom art design, and promotional products. Screen printing is typically performed using phalide-free plastisol inks to ensure superior color quality and long-lasting results. Free quotes can be obtained online or on the phone and are valid for 30 days.
Show Me Logos was founded in 2003 in Liberty and provides corporate wear, team uniforms, signage, banners, screen printing, embroidery, and vehicle lettering. Customers can use the company's online design studio to customize t-shirts or set up an in-person appointment with the company's art department to create a desired look.
T-Shirt King, Inc. is a Kansas City company providing schools, churches, businesses, community organizations, and sports teams with custom screen-printed apparel, promotional products, and embroidered garments. The company opened its doors in 1985 and is a certified minority business enterprise. Screen printing is fully customizable and performed by a team with over 30 years of industry experience.
TW Sportswear is a family-operated Smithville company originally founded by a mother of four who wanted to provide personalized t-shirts for her children's swim team. Services include custom apparel sublimation, screen printing, custom embroidery, and tag removal and printing. Past and current clients include Randy Reed Automotive, the local YMCA, and Plaza Middle School. The company also serves on the board of the North Kansas City YMCA and Sporting KC's The Victory Project. In client testimonials, the company is praised for its professionalism, quick turnaround time, and great quality work.
Vahalla Studios is a full-service letterpress and silkscreen studio in Overland Park. The family owned and operated business specializes in analog print techniques and was founded in 2005. Lead designer Dan Padavic has a degree in visual communications from the University of Kansas. Screen printing for flat artwork is typically priced by press sheet, with a minimum order of 50 press sheets. A range of sizes for screen-printed artwork is available, including 8x10, 18x24, and oversized prints of 24x36. The company uses TW Graphics ink, which is durable, water-based, and free of any harsh chemicals.
Screen printing is a method of applying graphics to a T-shirt. It typically involves layering thick inks onto the shirt's surface instead of soaking them into the fabric. Screen printing is also sometimes called silk screening.
Since screen printing generally uses thicker inks, this type of fabric printing is usually better for graphics with one or two colors. If you have more complicated, colorful graphics, direct to garment printing, or DTG, may be a better option.
Major fabric printing methods include:
Screen printing or silk screening
Direct to garment printing
Stamp printing
Thermal transfer printing
Sublimation transfer printing
Screen printing works by using a silkscreen with an exposed design. Ink is swiped across the screen with a squeegee tool, and this action sends the ink design through the screen and onto the T-shirt.
When graphics are printed onto a T-shirt using screen-printing techniques, the colors are sometimes allowed to dry between color applications, and subsequent colors are printed with another screen after the T-shirt is realigned on the press.
Traditionally, screen printing has been called silk-screen printing because originally, silk was the primary material used in the process. The mesh portion of the screen was made of silk. In modern times, synthetic threads are commonly used in the silk-screening process, with polyester being one of the most popular choices. Nylon and stainless steel are also used in some screen-printing applications.
If you want to try screen printing at home, you can do it with a little bit of practice and some basic materials. To get started with screen printing, you may need:
A screen, usually made of polyester
Photo emulsion
A 150W light bulb
A screen-printing squeegee
Fabric paint
Two pieces of glass
To print T-shirts at home, you can try the screen-printing method described above. To print a lot of shirts, you may consider using a screen-printing company.
While the exact steps and process varies by company, in general, you can expect to provide the T-shirt company with your desired design, either electronically or in person. You can choose other options, and the screen-printing company typically sends you a mock-up of what the finished design will look like; Then, after you approve it, they produce it according to your specifications.
If you'd rather not go the screen-printing route, you can customize T-shirts in other ways.
Heat transfers, which involve using a printing machine and heat press machine to transfer designs to fabric
Embroidery, which involves intricate stitching using thread and special needles
Direct to garment (DTG) digital printing, a process that uses a special inkjet printer with special ink to print designs onto the fabric directly
Engraved roller printing, a process that involves dye being applied to fabric that’s passed through rollers engraved with designs in a printing machine
When you design a T-shirt, there are a lot of factors to consider. Most of the time, screen-printing companies will ask you to submit a high-resolution file of the design you want printed. Sometimes, the company has in-house graphic designers who can create a design for you based on your specifications or ideas.
Here are a few suggestions for optimizing your T-shirt design:
Ensure any text is readable, and you can do this by selecting the right fabric and paint color combination
Consider creating a contrast between your chosen T-shirt color and the screen-printing ink
Make sure the type size is big enough to read from a distance
