Waterbased Inks

We offer water based and discharge printing for customers looking for a ultra soft vintage print that looks and feels as if the print is in the t-shirt.  We use eco-friendly water based inks and quality discharge from Matsui to achieve these results.   Discharge and water based are very similar however have some key differences depending on your design and color of the garments.   In most cases water based is used on white and light colored garments and discharge is used on darker garments.

Water based Printing

Water based is a semi-opaque ink that is great for white and light colored garments however due to the semi-transparent nature of water based inks, it is not recommended for printing bright colors on dark garments – this is where discharge excels.

Discharge Printing

The best option for getting bright colors on darker garments.  Discharge by itself works similar to bleach, when printed it returns the garment to its natural cotton color which is usually an off-white color but varies depending on the garment.  Discharge can also be mixed with color pigments to achieve any color desired.  Discharge works best on 100% cotton, and only partially works on blended garments which can create a unique heather looking print.

Please note that discharge will have a slight feel to it when printed – after one wash it will completely soften up to no feel at all.

T-shirt printed with discharge + red pigment.