T-Shirt Printing Maplewood, MO
T-Shirt Printing Maplewood, MO. When you have a group trip, work event, or fundraising endeavor to organize, custom screen printed t-shirts are a fun and effective tool. Whether your goal is to fundraise for a nonprofit, appear professional with uniform apparel, or celebrate someone’s special day, you can count on Maplewood, MO t-shirt printing orders. 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 expert printers and designers who serve the Maplewood, MO area. You know that with STL Shirt Co., you are receiving great care from the top professionals.
STL Shirt Co. is the best Maplewood, MO area screen printing shop. We have been meeting your screen printing and embroidery needs for nearly half a century. For Maplewood, MO t-shirt printing you will love, come to STL Shirt Co. To begin your order or find out more about our services, call us at 636-926-2777 or send us a text at 636-299-0162 today.
The T-Shirt Printing Process
STEP ONE – Make your order.
You’ve determined you want to have some t-shirt printing done for some upcoming event, club, sports team, or some other use. You place the order and that is where the Maplewood, MO t-shirt printing journey begins. When you place your shirt order, you will have to decide on the:
- Shirt brand, style, material, and color
- Ink type and color(s)
- What design will be printed
“But I’m not a graphic designer,” you exclaim. Not to worry! STL Shirt Co. can give you counsel and help during the entire t-shirt printing process. Use our professional printers and designers. For assistance in creating the perfect logo or design work with our professional design team. Our experienced staff can advise you on the best shirt or combination of colors to use for your order.
STEP TWO – We create the screen
After you have created your design, we get to work on preparing the screen that will be used to get your design printed on your shirts. First, we print the design on a transparent sheet of film. Based on your unique parameters, our t-shirt printing experts will select the best mesh screen to use in printing your shirts. The screen is coated with a substance called emulsion, which is sensitive to light. That film we printed your design on is placed on the screen and we expose the screen to light. The design on the film blocks the light from reaching the coated screen in the shape of your design, and the rest of the emulsion hardens in the light. This produces the stencil.
For designs with more than one color ink, 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 usually 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. That’s plastisol for you. Plastisol is ideal for screen printing because it withstands washes, moves with the fabric material of your shirt, and shows up vibrantly on any color t-shirt.
Next, we mount the prepared screens to a printing press, with each shirt pulled taut and placed on a plate below. We work deliberately to make sure everything is registered and lined up precisely so to make sure the design is printed in the right position on your t-shirt. We apply ink onto the screen and use a squeegee across the entire screen to smooth and press the ink onto the shirt. This process is repeated for every single t-shirt in your order, and if your design has multiple colors, we repeat it for each color on every shirt. It takes skill to get the ink just right so it shows up nicely and retains the sharp lines from your original design. Lucky for you, our t-shirt printing team has mad skills.
STEP FOUR – The ink cures.
Now your awesome design is on your shirts! We aren’t quite done, though. The ink goes on as a thick liquid, but in order to stay on the shirt, it has to be cured. This means we have to turn the liquid ink into a solid so it stays on your t-shirts. To do this we have to apply heat to the ink. 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. We know what we’re doing, though, so you know your prints will come out great.
STEP FIVE – You get your shirts!
Once the ink is cured, it means that your t-shirts are officially printed! We fold them up neatly and pass the finished product off to you. We will package them up and have your shirts or other printed items ready in just a few days. If you need it, ask us about shipping your order to you. If you find your self in a tight spot and need your t-shirts ready in a week or less, we even offer rush printing services.
T-Shirt Printing Orders
In our humble opinion, Maplewood, MO t-shirt printing is a magical force limited only by your own imagination. What can we say — we’re passionate about what we do. Now that you know all about the t-shirt printing process and what we can do, we bet you can’t wait to place an order. If you like the idea of t-shirt printing but don’t have a specific need for it, think about some of the opportunities and occasions for which t-shirt printing is ideal.
Try Maplewood, MO t-shirt printing for…
- Athletic teams
- Sports fans
- School groups and organizations
- Fundraising
- Volunteers
- Bachelor & bachelorette parties
- Corporate events
- Class reunions
- Family vacations
- Company picnics
- Birthdays
- Clubs
- Non profit and small business merchandise
- Work shirts
- Union events and organizations
…And so much more! There are a million different occasions that t-shirt printing and other screen printing can make even better. You would be hard-pressed to come up with a reason that we haven’t printed shirts. Whatever the reason you need Maplewood, MO t-shirt printing services, we are here for you.
Choosing a Partner for Maplewood, MO T-Shirt Printing
Custom screen printed t-shirts are fun, effective, and personalized. However, not all t-shirt printing is equal. With printed apparel or any screen printed products, the difference between what an established and respected printing shop can do and what school children ironing on decals in their basement can do is immense. We are rooting for aspiring garment decorators and certainly have nothing against out-of-the-basement operations (many great screen printing shops began there!). Still, as the customer, you will experience a obvious difference in the quality, customer service, and abilities available to you when you choose an established and well-regarded t-shirt printing company for the Maplewood, MO area like STL Shirt Co.
To top it all off, we are a union screen printing shop. Going to a union shop for your Maplewood, MO t-shirt printing means that the people printing your t-shirts have had extensive training and have proven their skill in what they do. Not only that, but shopping at a union shop for anything, including t-shirt printing, is a way for you to support excellent labor conditions and support the local and US economy. The next time you have a Maplewood, MO t-shirt printing order, make the choice to support a union print shop.
Screen Printing Services
Embroidery
Basic Polo
With Embroidery
STL Shirt Co.: A Top T-Shirt Printing Company for Maplewood, MO
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 surfaces is an excellent and useful method for creating 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. You deserve and expect top quality and great customer service when you order t-shirts. With STL Shirt Co., that is what you get.
STL Shirt Co. has been providing quality t-shirt printing and other screen printing services for people in the Maplewood, MO area and beyond for almost fifty years. With a staff of union-member screen printing experts, a exceptional turnaround time, and professional design services, we have the best t-shirt printing services around. The next time you need t-shirt printing in Maplewood, MO, STL Shirt Co. will deliver. Reach us today at 636-926-2777, text us at 636-299-0162, or request a quote online to place your t-shirt printing order today.