Custom Screen Printing in Canada

Screen printing (also called silk screening) is the most popular method for printing custom designs on apparel, especially for bulk orders. This versatile printing technique uses a mesh screen to transfer ink onto fabric through stencilled designs, creating vibrant, durable prints that can withstand hundreds of washes.

At T-Shirt Elephant, we've been perfecting our screen printing process since 2012, making us Canada's largest online custom apparel company. Our state-of-the-art equipment and experienced team of 75+ professionals ensure every order meets our exacting quality standards.

How Screen Printing Works

The screen printing process begins with creating a mesh screen for each colour in your design. These screens act like stencils — ink passes through the open areas of the mesh onto your garment, while blocked areas prevent ink from reaching the fabric. This method allows for precise colour placement and consistent results across large production runs.

Each screen is made from fine polyester mesh stretched tightly over an aluminum frame. The mesh count (threads per inch) varies depending on the detail level and ink type being used. Fine detail work requires higher mesh counts, while bold designs use lower mesh counts for better ink coverage.

Screen Printing Inks

We offer several ink types to achieve different effects on your custom apparel:

Plastisol Inks

Plastisol ink is our most popular choice for custom t-shirts and hoodies. These PVC-based inks sit on top of the fabric, creating vibrant colours with excellent opacity. Plastisol inks are perfect for cotton garments and provide superior durability and colour vibrancy.

Water-Based Inks

Water-based inks absorb into the fabric fibres, creating a softer feel than plastisol. These eco-friendly inks are ideal for vintage looks and light-coloured garments. Water-based printing works exceptionally well on premium t-shirts and organic cotton apparel.

Discharge Inks

Discharge printing removes the garment's dye and replaces it with new colour, creating incredibly soft prints that feel like part of the fabric. This technique works best on 100% cotton garments and creates unique vintage effects.

Design Considerations

Screen printing works best with vector-based designs that have distinct colour separations. Each colour in your design requires its own screen, so simpler designs with fewer colours are more cost-effective for large runs. However, we also offer simulated process printing for complex, photorealistic designs.

Our design team can help optimise your artwork for screen printing, ensuring the best possible results on your chosen garments. We work with everything from simple one-colour logos to complex multi-colour designs.

Quality Control

Every screen-printed order goes through rigorous quality control. We check ink coverage, colour accuracy, registration (alignment), and print durability. Our team inspects each garment before packaging to ensure it meets our high standards.

Screen printing has been the backbone of the custom apparel industry for decades, and for good reason. It combines exceptional durability, vibrant colours, and cost-effectiveness for bulk orders, making it the preferred choice for custom t-shirts in Toronto, Vancouver, and across Canada.

Screen printing works exceptionally well on a wide variety of fabrics and garment types. Here are our top recommendations for the best screen printing results:

Fabric Types

• 100% Cotton: The gold standard for screen printing. Excellent ink adhesion and durability. Popular choices include the Gildan 5000 and Bella Canvas 3001.
• Cotton Blends: 50/50 cotton-polyester blends offer softness and durability with good print quality.
• 100% Polyester: Works well with plastisol inks, though special low-temperature inks may be required.
• Tri-blends: Cotton-polyester-rayon blends provide a premium feel and excellent print results.

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