September 2, 2022 | Apparel Care,Screen Printing

How Long Does Screen Printing Last on Your T-Shirt?

How Long Does Screen Printing Last on Your T-Shirt?, screen printing and embroidery blog

You’ve probably seen plenty of screen printed t-shirts in your life, and you may have even owned a few at some point.

Those bright, graphic t-shirts are so popular because they’re such a great way to make an impact with clothing.

Screen printing is also a very affordable way to give your clothing that unique style you’re after.

However, how long does screen printing last on your t-shirt?

How many washes can it withstand before the image begins to fade?

There are many factors to consider when choosing which garments you want to screen print. Luckily, we’re here to give you all the information you need!

As a screen printing company in St. Louis, we have created a guide to help you keep your custom-printed t-shirts bright and beautiful for as long as possible!

How Long Does Screen Printing Last on a T-Shirt?

Put simply, screen printing typically lasts the shirt’s lifespan, but factors such as t-shirt material, how you wash and dry your t-shirt, and the ink used during the screen printing process determines how long it lasts and how quickly it fades.

The type of fabric determines the lifespan of a t-shirt that has been screen printed it’s made from and the quality of the print itself.

The number of washes the shirt can withstand also depends on the type of ink that you’re using for the print.

A heavy fabric t-shirt can last even longer before the print begins to fade, as these types of shirts are often able to withstand 80 washes or more.

How to Care for Your Screen Printed Shirts

If you want your screen printed t-shirts to last as long as possible, there are a few things you can do to help them out.

First, you should always wash your t-shirt inside out to avoid excess wear on the image.

You should also only use cold water when washing your t-shirt, as this will also help to prevent fading and excessive wear on the print.

You can also use a mild detergent and a mild fabric softener, as both of these products are gentler on the fibers and won’t cause early fading.

If you’re looking to extend the life of your shirts even further, you can also try to avoid using an iron when you’re ironing your t-shirts. Using an iron can cause extra pressure and friction on the image, which can accelerate fading and damage the fibers. If you have to use an iron, place a cloth between the iron and your t-shirt to protect the image.

Factors That Determine How Long Screen Printing Lasts

Several different factors will determine how long your screen printed t-shirts last.

The type of fabric you’re printing on, the quality of the ink, and the amount of pressure used when printing all play a role in determining how long a shirt can last.

The type of fabric that you’re printing on is a very important factor when determining how long screen printing lasts.

Fabrics like cotton and polyester can be extremely durable and have the ability to withstand a high number of washes without showing signs of fading.

Silk fabrics, on the other hand, have a much smaller threshold of washes before the image begins to deteriorate.

The quality of the ink used in the screen print that you’re creating is another important factor.

Cheap, low-quality inks may begin to fade much sooner than quality ink that’s designed to last a long time.

If you want your shirts to last as long as possible, you should always use quality inks.

The amount of pressure used when printing can also affect how long the print lasts. If you’re using too much pressure when printing your shirts, you can damage the fibers and cause the image to fade much sooner.

If your shirts are to last as long as possible, use very little pressure when printing.

3 Common Mistakes that Shorten the Life of Your Screen Printed Shirts

There are a few common mistakes that you should avoid when printing shirts to help them last as long as possible.

Screen Printing Care Mistake #1: Over-ironing your apparel

The first mistake that you should avoid is ironing your shirts too often. Like we mentioned earlier, ironing can cause extra wear and tear on the image, shortening its lifespan. You should iron your shirts only when absolutely necessary.

Screen Printing Care Mistake #2: Over-washing in hot water

Another common mistake that can shorten the lifespan of your shirts is washing them in too hot of water too often. You should always wash your shirts inside out and use cold water to help prevent fading. You should also avoid washing your shirts too often. You should only wash your shirts after they’ve become visibly dirty.

Screen Printing Care Mistake #3: Putting your shirts in a dryer for too long or too often

Finally, you should also avoid putting your shirts in the dryer. Blending fabrics like cotton and polyester can cause shrinkage, making shirts shrink to a smaller size. If you want the screen printing on your shirts to last as long as possible, you should air dry them as often as you can.

Obviously, that cannot always be the case and sometimes you will simply have to put your t-shirt and sweatshirt with screen printing in the dryer, but if you truly want to maximize the lifespan of your custom-printed t-shirts, you should air dry them as often as possible.

Important Tips to Make Screen Printing Last Longer

There are a few key tips that you can follow to help your shirts last as long as possible. The first tip is to make sure that you’re choosing the proper type of fabric for your shirts. The best fabrics for t-shirts are cotton and polyester blends. Fabrics like silk are very soft and comfortable, but they don’t last as long when being printed on. The second tip is to use high-quality inks when printing your shirts. As we mentioned above, using cheap, low-quality inks can cause fading much sooner than using quality inks. If you want your shirts to last as long as possible, you should always use quality inks.

Getting the most of of your custom screen-printed clothing

Screen printing is a very popular method of decorating apparel. It’s a great way to make your t-shirts stand out and give them a unique look.

Like all clothing, the quality of materials used to create your custom t-shirt screen print and the type of care your provide it will ultimately decide how long it survives.

The best thing you can do is speak to a local screen-printing company and get the answers from them!

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