Large Format Printing Columbia, MO
You have a great idea for a printed t-shirt design or sign for a business or event. The problem, though, is size. Print shops are turning you away or trying to talk you down to something smaller because your design is too large. What you need is large format printing serving the Columbia, MO area, which is a service few print shops can provide. Large format printing is a print solution that can catch the eyes of viewers, convey messages that can be understood from a distance, and easily provide information.
For your Columbia, MO large format printing needs, you need a your favorite shop screen print shop that applies craftsman, care, and attention to detail to every job: Shirt.Co For more than 40 years, Columbia, MO families and businesses have counted on us to deliver on all screen printing and embroidery requests large and small.
Shirt.Co serves the Columbia, MO area, but is physically located in St. Louis, MO. We offer rush shipping to anywhere in the continental U.S. in just a few days! Contact us now for more details and tell us about your project!
Are you ready to start your large format printing order? Contact us online, call us at (636) 926-2777, or send us a text at (636) 299-0162. Shirt.Co has your back for all your Columbia, MO large format printing needs.
Large Format Print Shop
Large format printing is a special type of screen printing that involves printing designs and printing on surfaces that are larger than a typically screen printing press is capable of printing (which is typically capped at around 14 inches). To offer large format printing options to their customers, a shop has to comply with certain space requirements and invest in special machinery and equipment, which must be custom ordered from manufacturers. STL Shirt. Co is proud to bring premium-level large format printing to the Columbia, MO area.
Uses for Large Format Printing
Large format printing can be used for anything, such as a t-shirt print that covers most of the shirt, printing on large clothing items, and a whole slue of promotional and industrial materials. Large format printing is commonly used in printing:
- Whole-shirt designs
- Window and wall displays and posters
- Store displays
- Banners
- Trade show displays
- Indoor/outdoor signage for business promotion
- Vehicle wraps
- Backdrops
- Signs and calendars
- Murals
When it comes to large format printing on t-shirts and other garments, possibilities are endless and amazing. Some types of jobs we think are perfect for large format printing use are:
- Clothing Brands and Brand Merch: A large logo or other artwork covering a wearer’s front side instantly captivates viewers, fosters brand awareness, and sends a bold message. Large prints can be artfully used in branding and wearable marketing.
- Music Industry: Que drumroll. Presenting: the band tee. A large, bold, high-contrast print is the perfect way to visually send the band or DJ’s message. Extend your art to the t-shirts that help you generate revenue and allow your fans a way to support you by designing exciting, daring large format printed shirts and other merchandise.
- Special Events: Special events are always an excellent opportunity for the use of screen printed shirts of any kind. There are always so many individuals and organizations that contribute to making any event happen. Shirts for events like races, festivals, competitions, fundraisers commemorate the date and honor everyone who made the event possible. Do both well with large format printing for your event t-shirts in Columbia, MO. Large format allows you to cleanly display all sponsor logos without cramming them together in tiny columns.
Did you know we do a lot more than just large format printing? Check out some of our other services:
How Large Format Printing is Possible
Large format printing is a beast all its own. In order to provide true large format printing options with quality results, a screen printing shop first and foremost, needs the right equipment. The major three things a screen printer needs to produce large format printing work are:
1. The Press
To screen print anything at all, you need a proper printing press. Regardless of whether a printer uses a manual or automatic press, the resulting print can only be as large as the squeegee is wide, and the squeegee size is limited by the build of the machine. The smooth, even colors on a screen printed garment are the work of the machine. For large format printing, we need - you guessed it - a machine with larger-than-average parts to allow for a larger print area.
2. The Film
If you're not familiar with how screen printing works, here's a micro-lesson of the set-up process; your design is "stenciled" onto a fine mesh screen that is in a framethat holds the mesh taut. But how does the image, pattern, or design get stenciled on the screen? First, the original design is printed on film, and the screen is coated with a photosensitive chemical called emulsion. The image on the film blocks light in certain areas and allows light to shine through in others; this allows the emulsion to harden in the shape of the design. The hardened parts block the ink from moving through and attaching to the shirt. Where you can still see the mesh is where your image lives and is where the ink will pass through the screen and then adhere to the shirt or other printing surface.
Make sense?! Don't worry if you didn't quite catch all that (your shirts will still come out looking just as great)! Because film is required to make the stencil for your design, the print is limited by the size of the film. The film comes in standard sheet sizes, but for larger designs, we have film with a larger surface area.
3. The Screens
After the film, the screen is the second ingredient to printing your design. If there was no screen, screen printing would just produce a messy, undefined blob. Maybe you're going for an abstract look, but usually it's not what you want.
The size of your stencil and, in turn, your design, is limited by how large the screen is as well as the film. Large film sheets do no good if they don't fit withn the screen's frame. Likewise, a huge frame can still only print your design as large as the print on the film. When printing in larger sizes than usual, we often use a different type of mesh that allows for clean lines and detail that looks great specifically in prints of a large size.
However, the most beautifully crafted violin will not produce the most beautiful sound ever heard if it's in the hands of a toddler. This also translates to large format printing; the right tools won't produce good screen printing work without the right operator. Quality Columbia, MO large format printing, along with any type of screen printing, requires the touch of a skilled craftsman. When you need large format printing in the Columbia, MO area, all print shops are not created equal. Some print shops carry the film, screens, and presses capable of large format printing, but they may not necessarily have experience specifically in large format printing. To produce good large format printing work, we also invest in special inks and meshes and specialized training to make sure that what we print looks good, lasts, and isn't too heavy or thick.
Large Format Printing Columbia, MO | STL Shirt. Co
Don't let other screen print shops limit you by trying to keep your ideas small. Trust Shirt.Co for all your large format printing needs in Columbia, MO. Whether you're looking for a big banner for an event or just like the look of a big, full print on a shirt, Shirt.Co brings you the best through every step of the process, from the initial design to the final product. We guarantee quality, long-lasting results from all our work.
Reach out to us to begin your large format printing now, and discover what can happen when there are truly no limits! To learn more about Shirt.Co's large format printing serving the Columbia, MO area or any of our other services, get in touch with us today. Call us at (636) 926-2777, send us a text at (636) 299-0162, or jump right in by requesting a quote.
