T-Shirt Printing Waterloo, IL
T-Shirt Printing Waterloo, IL. You don’t need an excuse to get great custom printed t-shirts made – you could have a company event coming up, a family vacation planned, or might just want some for fun. Whether you are looking for creative marketing solutions, are looking to build team camaraderie, or just want to commemorate a sentimental occasion, Waterloo, 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 experienced print and design team members who serve the Waterloo, IL area. You get that and more with STL Shirt Co.
STL Shirt Co. is the best Waterloo, IL area screen printing shop. We have been providing screen printing and embroidery services to people like you for close to 50 years. Enjoy the Waterloo, IL t-shirt printing experience with STL Shirt Co. To begin your order or ask us questions about our services, call 636-926-2777 or send us a text at 636-299-0162 right away.
The T-Shirt Printing Process
STEP ONE – Make your order.
You’ve decided you need to have some t-shirt printing done for some upcoming event, work group, sports team, or some other use. You place the order and the Waterloo, IL t-shirt printing process is set into motion. When you place your shirt order, you will have to determine the:
- What color, brand, style, and material the shirts will be
- Ink colors or special effects
- What design will be printed
Don’t sweat it if you are intimidated by the thought of creating a design and making all these choices! STL Shirt Co. can give you guidance and help during every step of the t-shirt printing process. Our expert screen printing artists and designers are at your disposal. If you need help coming up with a killer logo or shirt design, work with our professional design team. We can also help you select the right shirt and ink colors.
STEP TWO – We create the screen
After you have created your design, we go about making 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. Depending on the specifics of your order, our t-shirt printing team will select the best mesh screen for your order. 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 but the rest of the emulsion hardens in the light. This creates the stencil.
For designs with more than one color ink, we repeat the process above, making a screen for each color in the design.
STEP THREE – We print.
Then, it is time to add the ink. T-shirt printing and other screen printing usually uses a special ink called plastisol. Have you ever noticed how, on a printed shirt, you can feel the texture of the design, but it is still soft and flexible? What you are feeling is the plastisol ink. Plastisol is ideal for screen printing due to its ability to withstand p washes, move with the flexibility of the fabric, and display vibrantly on a shirt of any color.
The screens we made are attached to a printing press, and each shirt is placed on a plate below. We work deliberately to make sure everything is registered and lined up exactly so we know that your design will end up in the right place on your t-shirt. We add ink on top of the screen and pull a squeegee from end to end of the screen to apply and press the ink onto the shirt. This process is repeated for every single t-shirt we print. For designs with multiple colors, we repeat it for each color on every shirt. It takes skill to get the ink precisely to where it stays vibrant 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.
The ink is now on your shirts! But there is still one more step. Once the ink is applied as a viscous liquid, it must be cured. In other words, we have to turn the ink from a liquid into a solid so it becomes permanent on your t-shirts. In order to do this 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 with temperatures that are too high. You can rest assured that we have the curing process figured out, so you know your prints will come out great.
STEP FIVE – You get your shirts!
Once the ink is cured, your t-shirts are officially printed! Next, we fold the shirts up nicely and hand them off to you. We will package them up and have your shirts or other printed items ready in only a handful of days. If you need it, ask us about shipping your order to you. For those last-minute situations when you need your t-shirts printed even faster, check out our rush printing services.
T-Shirt Printing Orders
If you ask us, Waterloo, IL t-shirt printing is a magical force limited only by your own imagination. 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 like the idea of t-shirt printing but don’t have a specific need for it, think about some of the reasons and occasions for which t-shirt printing is ideal.
Try Waterloo, IL t-shirt printing for…
- Athletic teams
- Sports fans
- School clubs
- Fundraising
- Volunteers
- Bachelor & bachelorette parties
- Corporate events
- Class reunions
- Family vacations
- Company picnics
- Birthdays
- Clubs
- Swag for businesses and organizations
- Employee shirts
- Union events and organizations
The list goes on! 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. No matter what Waterloo, IL t-shirt printing services you need, you can trust STL Shirt Co..
Choosing a Partner for Waterloo, IL T-Shirt Printing
Screen printing custom t-shirts are a fun opportunity that can be effective for many different purposes. However, not all t-shirt printing is equal. When you are looking for printed apparel or any screen printed products, 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 printers and certainly don’t have anything against out-of-the-basement operations (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 work with an established and skilled t-shirt printing company for the Waterloo, IL area like STL Shirt Co.
To top it all off, we are a union screen printing shop. Going to a union shop for your Waterloo, IL t-shirt printing means that the people printing your t-shirts have had extensive training and have proven their ability in what they do. Not only that, but shopping at a union shop for anything, including t-shirt printing, allows you to endorse excellent working conditions and support the local and US economy. For your next Waterloo, IL 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 Waterloo, IL
At STL Shirt Co., we think t-shirt printing is awesome. Of course, we are a bit biased, but the objective truth is that screen printing on t-shirts, hoodies, and other garments is a reliable and efficient 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. 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.
STL Shirt Co. has been providing quality t-shirt printing and other screen printing services for people in the Waterloo, IL area and beyond for more than 45 years. With a staff of union-member screen printing specialists, a quick turnaround time, and professional design services, our t-shirt printing services are the best around. Whenever you need t-shirt printing in Waterloo, IL, STL Shirt Co. will deliver. Reach us today at 636-926-2777, text us at 636-299-0162, or request a quote online to begin your t-shirt printing order today.