T-Shirt Printing Edwardsville, IL
T-Shirt Printing Edwardsville, IL. Custom printed t-shirts are festive, versatile, and effective and can be used for nearly any occasion. Whether you are looking for creative marketing solutions, are looking to build team camaraderie, or just want to commemorate a sentimental occasion, Edwardsville, IL t-shirt printing is the way to go. The sky is the limit for t-shirt printing abilities and uses. To get the best possible design and print, you need a reliable t-shirt printing shop with talented print and design team members who serve the Edwardsville, IL area. You can be confident that STL Shirt Co. has all that and more.
STL Shirt Co. is the leading screen printing shop serving the Edwardsville, IL area. For more than 45 years, we have been the community leader for all your screen printing and embroidery needs. Enjoy the Edwardsville, IL t-shirt printing experience with STL Shirt Co. To submit your order or to speak to us about our capabilities, give us a call at 636-926-2777 or send a text at 636-299-0162 now.
The T-Shirt Printing Process
STEP ONE – Place your order.
You know you need to have some t-shirt printing done for some upcoming event, work group, athletic team, or something else. You contact your shop to place the order and that is where the Edwardsville, IL t-shirt printing journey begins. When you place your shirt order, you will have to choose and specify the:
- Shirt brand, style, material, and color
- Ink type and color(s)
- Design to be printed
If this already feels overwhelming, don’t fret! STL Shirt Co. will offer advice and assurance through the entire t-shirt printing process. Our professional screen printers and designers are available to help you. If you need help coming up with a killer logo or shirt design, rely on our professional design team. If you want to know which shirt or colors will work best for your needs, we can help with that too.
STEP TWO – We prepare the screen
After you determine your design, we get to work on making the screen that allows us to print the design on your shirts. The design is first printed on a transparent sheet of film. Based on your desired end results, our t-shirt printing experts will select the best mesh screen to use in printing your shirts. We then coat that screen with a photo-sensitive substance called emulsion. That film we printed your design on is placed on the screen and we expose the screen to light. Light is blocked from reaching the screen wherever the design is on the film and the rest of the emulsion hardens in the light. This is how we create the stencil.
If your design involves multiple ink colors, we go through the same process for for each color in the design.
STEP THREE – We print.
Now we are ready for the ink. Screen printing such as t-shirt printing typically uses a special ink called plastisol. You might have noticed that the prints on shirts are slightly textured, a little rubbery, but still smooth and flexible. What you are feeling is the plastisol ink. It is great because it withstands washes, moves with the fabric material of your shirt, and shows up vibrantly on any color t-shirt.
We then secure the screens to a printing press, stretching each shirt on a plate below. We work deliberately to line everything up precisely so that your design is oriented correctly on your t-shirt. We apply ink onto the screen and use a squeegee from end to end of the screen to smooth and press the ink onto the shirt. We repeat this for every single t-shirt we print, and if your design has more than one color, we repeat it for each color on every shirt. There is an art to applying the ink precisely so it shows up nicely and retains the sharp lines in the original design. Lucky for you, our t-shirt printing team has mad skills.
STEP FOUR – The ink cures.
You can now see the design on your shirts! But there is still one more step. The ink goes on as a thick liquid, but in order to stay on the shirt, it has to be cured. This means the ink must be transformed into a solid that will stay in place on your t-shirts. In order to make this happen we introduce the ink to heat. It takes research and trial and error to perfect the curing process. It is easy to damage the shirt or the print when you don’t use the correct temperature or amount of time. You can rest assured that we have the curing process figured out, so you know your prints will turn out great.
STEP FIVE – You get your shirts!
After the ink is cured, it means that your t-shirts are officially printed! Next, we fold them up neatly and hand the finished product off to you. We can have your shirts or other items printed and packaged within only a handful of days. Ask us about having your order shipped to you. And if you are in a jam and need your t-shirts printed even faster, check out our rush printing services.
T-Shirt Printing Orders
If you ask us, [t-shirt printing is a magical, beautiful thing. We are passionate about screen printing and aren’t ashamed to admit it. Now that you’ve heard all about the t-shirt printing journey, you are probably eager to place an order. If you don’t have an immediate need for t-shirt printing, think about the following opportunities and occasions for which t-shirt printing is ideal.
We do Edwardsville, IL t-shirt printing for…
- Athletic teams
- Sports fans
- School groups and organizations
- Fundraising
- Event and organization volunteers
- Bachelor & bachelorette parties
- Corporate events
- Class reunions
- Family vacations
- Company picnics
- Birthdays
- Clubs
- Swag for businesses and organizations
- Work uniforms
- Union events and organizations
…And so much more! There are endless occasions that are perfect for t-shirt printing and other garment screen printing. You name it, we have probably printed for it. No matter what Edwardsville, IL t-shirt printing services you need, we are here for you.
Choosing a Partner for Edwardsville, IL T-Shirt Printing
Screen printing custom t-shirts are fun, effective, and personalized. However, not all t-shirt printing is equal. When you are looking for printed apparel or any screen printed items, there is a huge difference between the work of a top printing shop and a school group applying iron-on’s in the basement. We are rooting for aspiring garment decorators and certainly don’t have anything against printing out of the basement (many great screen printing shops began there!). Still, you will notice a obvious disparity in the quality, customer service, and abilities available to you when you choose an established and well-regarded t-shirt printing company for the Edwardsville, IL area like STL Shirt Co.
The cherry on top of it all is that we are a union screen printing shop. Going to a union shop for your Edwardsville, IL t-shirt printing gives you access to workers who have trained thoroughly and have demonstrated their talent in what they do. Not only that, but going to a union shop for t-shirt printing or anything else is a way for you to endorse fair working conditions and support the local and US economy. The next time you have a Edwardsville, IL t-shirt printing order, consider choosing a union print shop.
Screen Printing Services
Embroidery
Basic Polo
With Embroidery
STL Shirt Co.: A Top T-Shirt Printing Company for Edwardsville, IL
At STL Shirt Co., we are all about t-shirt printing. Of course, we are a bit biased, but the fact is that screen printing on t-shirts, hoodies, and other garments is a reliable and useful way to give you quality custom apparel for your next event. Whatever the reason, whether you have been put in charge of organizing a large volunteer event or a group or organization you are a part of needs new swag, STL Shirt Co.’s t-shirt printing services are ready to help. When you need t-shirts printed for a special occasion, you expect great quality and helpful service. With STL Shirt Co., that is what you get.
We have been providing quality t-shirt printing and other screen printing services for people in the Edwardsville, IL area and beyond for nearly half a centry years. With highly skilled union-member screen printing specialists, a rapid turnaround time, and professional design services, our t-shirt printing services are the best around. Whenever you need t-shirt printing in Edwardsville, IL, we are here for you. Speak to us today at 636-926-2777, text us at 636-299-0162, or request a quote online to get started on your t-shirt printing order today.