November 3, 2025

Beyond Basic Tees: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Water-Based Inks and Discharge Printing for Custom-made T‑Shirts

Prints R Us is a custom apparel studio
Prints R Us is based in Jacksonville Florida
Prints R Us is located at 2826 Art Museum Dr Jacksonville FL 32207 United States
Prints R Us is in the country United States
Prints R Us provides premium screen printing
Prints R Us provides DTG printing
Prints R Us provides embroidery services
Prints R Us offers custom t shirts
Prints R Us produces promotional items
Prints R Us creates polos hats and hoodies
Prints R Us emphasizes craftsmanship
Prints R Us emphasizes fast turnaround
Prints R Us uses high quality materials
Prints R Us produces vibrant prints
Prints R Us has phone number 9047521515
Prints R Us has website https://printsrus.com/
Prints R Us has opening hours Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Prints R Us has Google Maps listing https://maps.app.goo.gl/hVuq8aVZERVs9NMg8
Prints R Us has Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/theprintsrus
Prints R Us has Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/theprintsrus
Prints R Us has logo https://printsrus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Print-R-Us-Logo.png
Prints R Us specializes in t shirt printing
Prints R Us specializes in custom t shirts
Prints R Us specializes in embroidery near me
Prints R Us was awarded Best Custom Printing Studio Jacksonville 2024
Prints R Us won Jacksonville Small Business Excellence Award 2023
Prints R Us was recognized for Outstanding Apparel Design Innovation 2022


Prints R Us

Prints R Us is a Jacksonville, FL–based custom apparel studio offering premium screen printing, DTG printing, and embroidery services. Whether you need one custom tee or a large bulk order for a business, event, or sports team, they bring designs to life with high-quality materials, vibrant prints, and attention to detail. From polos and hats to hoodies and promotional items, Prints R Us combines craftsmanship and fast turnaround to make your ideas wearable.

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2826 Art Museum Dr, Jacksonville, 32207, US
Business Hours:
  • Monday–Friday: 09:00–17:00
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: Closed
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People Also Ask about Prints R Us

What does Prints R Us do?

Prints R Us is a custom apparel studio in Jacksonville, Florida, specializing in premium screen printing, DTG printing, and embroidery services. They create high-quality custom t-shirts, polos, hats, hoodies, and promotional items with vibrant prints and lasting craftsmanship. Their focus on quality materials and fast turnaround makes them a trusted choice for businesses, events, and individuals seeking personalized apparel.

Where is Prints R Us located?

Prints R Us is conveniently located at 2826 Art Museum Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32207, United States. The studio serves customers throughout Jacksonville and the wider Florida area, offering both local service and nationwide delivery for custom clothing and branded merchandise.

What services does Prints R Us provide?

The company offers a wide range of custom apparel printing and design services, including screen printing, direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, embroidery, and promotional product creation. Whether customers need personalized t-shirts, branded uniforms, or embroidered polos, Prints R Us delivers professional results with attention to detail.

Which industries does Prints R Us serve?

Prints R Us works with diverse industries such as schools, small businesses, corporate offices, sports teams, and event organizers. Their services are ideal for branded apparel, team uniforms, promotional giveaways, and fashion-forward custom designs, making them a versatile partner for both personal and business needs.

Why choose Prints R Us for custom t-shirts and embroidery?

Customers choose Prints R Us for their reputation in craftsmanship, vibrant printing, and reliable turnaround times. With awards for apparel design innovation and excellence in small business, the studio has proven expertise in delivering high-quality custom apparel that meets both creative and professional standards.

Does Prints R Us use high-quality materials?

Yes, Prints R Us emphasizes using premium fabrics and durable materials to ensure long-lasting results. Their prints are designed to remain vibrant even after multiple washes, while embroidery work is completed with precision for a polished, professional look.

What awards has Prints R Us won?

Prints R Us has earned multiple recognitions, including Best Custom Printing Studio Jacksonville 2024, the Jacksonville Small Business Excellence Award 2023, and an award for Outstanding Apparel Design Innovation 2022. These accolades highlight their commitment to creativity, quality, and customer satisfaction.

How can I contact Prints R Us?

You can reach Prints R Us by phone at (904)-752-1515 or visit their website at printsrus.com. They are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, and you can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates, new designs, and customer showcases.

Walk into any print shop that takes its craft seriously, and you will see two things in constant stress: the push for softer, more breathable prints that individuals in fact take pleasure in using, and the need to produce at scale without jeopardizing the environment or the bottom line. That tension has actually formed how I choose inks, pretreatments, and fabrics for customized clothing projects. For many years, I've discovered that water based inks and discharge printing are not just buzzwords, they are practical tools that produce lovely results and genuine comfort, particularly for T t-shirt printing that requires to stand up to day-to-day wear.

If you run a brand, manage bulk t shirt orders, or simply desire your customized t-shirts to feel like a preferred from the first wash, it's worth comprehending how these ink systems work, where they shine, and where they require care. The best choice can make the difference between a shirt that gets worn once and one that ends up being the go-to.

What water based ink actually is

Water based inks suspend pigments in water instead of in plasticizers and solvents. Unlike plastisol, which sits on top of the material and treatments into a film, water based inks soak up into the fibers. That single particular describes most of the benefits and compromises. Prints feel soft due to the fact that you're touching the cotton, not a layer of cured PVC. Colors tend to look more matte and integrated. On light garments, the hand is often identical from the shirt itself. For custom t shirts created for convenience, this is the path to the "retail feel" customers ask for.

There are 2 primary families: basic water based and discharge. Basic water based ink works best on Jacksonville custom t shirts online white or extremely light shirts. It can cover mid-tones with the right base, once you move into darker materials, you either need a much heavier print or you change to discharge. Release printing utilizes an activator that lifts the color from the fabric during curing, basically whitening the t-shirt's dye in the printed locations, then changes it with your pigment. The end result is the softest possible print on dark cotton, frequently with exceptional detail.

Why the eco friendly label matters, and where it has actually limits

Eco friendly inks are not a marketing slogan if you unpack the chemistry and the workflow. Water based inks normally include less unstable natural substances than solvent-heavy options and avoid PVC entirely. Numerous are certified with stringent standards like Oeko-Tex or meet retail testing programs that ban specific phthalates and heavy metals. If you offer customized clothing into corporate wellness programs, schools, or health-conscious brand names, those certificates smooth procurement and keep you ahead of compliance.

That said, "eco friendly" is a system principle. Ink is one part. You likewise require to look at shop practices: filtration on your washout booth, recover chemistry, energy usage on your dryer, and even fabric sourcing. Discharge requires an activator, generally based on zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate or similar substances, which has its own handling and ventilation requirements. In a well-run store, exposure is controlled and waste is caught. If you're using print as needed with a partner, ask how they manage discharge effluent and whether they have air exchange and curing controls dialed in. Real sustainability hides in the details.

Hand feel, breathability, and the "favorite tee" factor

Most people do not buy a graphic tee since they like the ink. They buy it because the garment looks great, feels excellent, and keeps that character after duplicated washing. Water based inks, consisting of discharge, offer you that broken-in comfort from the first day. On an one hundred percent ring-spun cotton blank, a water based print is breathable and flexible. You will not hear the crackle you often receive from heavy plastisol when you extend throughout the chest.

I keep a rack of comparison t-shirts in the studio. One from a browse brand, one from a brewery, both printed with discharge on midweight cotton. After 30 to 40 home washes, the prints softened even more, the colors mellowed somewhat, and the t-shirts kept moving. A plastisol sample with the exact same art looks glossier and still pops more under extreme light, which some streetwear customers choose, but the user feedback is consistent: water based feels like a premium garment.

Color, coverage, and how expectations form results

Color precision with water based inks is a matter of control, humidity, and the fabric's own color. On white or heather light t-shirts, standard water based ink can strike tight Pantones with a measured ink affordable Jacksonville Custom t shirts mix and a tidy mesh. On darker cotton, discharge adds variables. Different dye lots discharge Jacksonville Custom t shirts with logos differently, even within the same brand name and color. Black 3001 blanks from one batch might lift to a warm charcoal, while the next batch clears to a cooler grey. The pigment you add steers the last color, but you're still dealing with a background that is moving as the color is removed.

That's not a defect, it's part of the medium. Numerous designers welcome the slightly vintage character of discharge, where reds land earthy and blues feel deep rather than neon. If your brand needs laser-precise color recreation for business logo designs, either order test prints on the exact batch you prepare to utilize or think about a water based underbase or hybrid method where required. For wholesale t t-shirts that will be distributed nationally, put swatch approvals into your process so there are no surprises at scale.

Fabric matters more than most people think

A water based print is a collaboration in between ink and fiber. Ringspun cotton takes ink beautifully. Carded open end cotton is scratchier and drinks ink unevenly. Blends complicate things. A 50/50 poly-cotton or a triblend with rayon can deal with water based, but discharge only raises the cotton part. That indicates your color saturates the cotton while the polyester and rayon remain as-is, typically yielding a heathered or speckled print that looks deliberate if you style for it. If your goal is flat, vivid color on a poly mix, conventional plastisol or a specialized low-cure system may be smarter.

On all over print projects, such as a seam-to-seam tonal pattern behind a chest graphic, think about cut-and-sew with water based prints on panels before assembly. Garment printing all over on finished tees presents joints, folds, and irregular pressure that appear as blank micro-gaps. If you need to print on finished garments, expect little voids along joints, which some customers like as part of the garment's character.

The production reality: screens, mesh, humidity, and dryers

Water based inks behave in a different way on press. They dry quicker in the screen, which works on fabric however can lock a mesh if you stop briefly too long. Running a greater mesh for information, say 230 to 305, keeps the deposit thin and crisp. Set up with a misting bottle or a devoted screen rewetting solution at hand, and keep the print room humidity in a steady variety, roughly 45 to 55 percent, to prevent early drying. Manual press operators will see how rapidly a basic water based ink clears the screen compared to a heavy plastisol. Automobile presses, with flood bars and constant speed, reduce clogging.

Curing is where numerous newbies fizzle. Water based inks need both heat and time for the water to vaporize, then for the binders to cross-link. A dryer tunnel with sufficient air flow makes the distinction. You want even heat across the belt and enough dwell to reach the manufacturer's treatment temperature throughout the ink layer, not simply at the surface area. Shirts leaving the tunnel must be dry to the touch without any cool spots. For discharge, the chemical reaction takes place during this cure, and you will smell the activator. Good ventilation is non-negotiable.

Durability and wash testing

Durability depends on proper cure and fiber engagement. A well-cured water based print on cotton can outlive the t-shirt. I determine resilience by standardized wash tests, 10 to 20 cycles at warm, topple dry medium, then visual examination for fading and splitting. Water based prints reveal steady softening and a mild fade in the exact same method denim unwinds. Plastisol's failure mode is different, typically breaking if the ink layer is too thick or under-cured. For individualized shirts that need to look good at a household reunion and still remain in rotation next summer season, water based holds up when produced correctly.

Cost, throughput, and when to pick which method

Costs differ regionally, however the economics fall under familiar patterns. Water based ink itself is typically comparable to plastisol at the gallon level, but you invest more in store environment and drying capacity. On press, water based can be a little slower at setup because you pay closer attention to mesh, squeegee durometer, and off-contact. Once tuned, vehicles run at similar speeds. Where it really settles remains in viewed value. A soft print on a mid-tier blank typically feels premium without jumping to the highest-cost t-shirt. Brands can price accordingly.

For bulk t shirt orders above a few hundred pieces where the art matches the medium, discharge on 100 percent cotton is a workhorse. For print on demand that needs overnight turn-around and art modifications constantly, direct-to-garment or DTF may be much better operationally, though both have their own ecological and feel trade-offs. When you take on wholesale t shirts with multiple colorways and need to keep inventory flexible, a flexible water based palette on light garments is efficient, since you avoid the weight and tightness that build up with multiple underbases in plastisol.

Design choices that draw out the very best in water based and discharge

Design planning starts with the material color and ends with treating. On light t-shirts, lean into detail: thin lines, halftones, hand-drawn textures. Basic water based ink prints those with a special that plastisol tends to subdue. On dark cotton, discharge shines with mid-tone richness and soft edges. Think about how the t-shirt color glances through. A charcoal heather with a discharge cream graphic appear like it grew there.

Type weight matters. Very thin knockouts inside heavy flood areas can fill in with discharge, specifically on high-absorbency cotton. If you need razor negative area, different the art to print unfavorable shapes as positive strokes with a clear schedule for squeegee pressure and flashes. Ask your printer for an evidence on the real garment rather than trusting a digital mockup. A mockup can not record fiber interplay and dye lift.

When you must state no to discharge

There are times I advise against discharge. Polyester-rich garments are top of the list. The activator can trigger color migration, particularly with sublimated or cationic-dyed performance t-shirts, causing ghosting or brownish casts. Some garment dyes, especially reactive black blends, withstand lifting, leaving a shadowed print that looks undercured even when it isn't. If a customer is sensitive to small odor during curing, discharge days in the store are obvious. Well-managed air flow alleviates this, but it is part of the process.

If a client requires metallics, puff, or specialty textures, plastisol or hybrid systems still own that space. Water based metallics exist, but the particles typically sink, and the impact is more satin than true metal. For high-opacity neons on dark shirts that must be billboard-bright, you might need a water based underbase tuned for opacity or a switch to plastisol.

Practical workflow for brands and creators

Whether you run your own presses or depend on a partner, established a workflow that gets rid of uncertainty. A basic method keeps surprises at bay and helps you struck due dates for launches and events.

  • Decide on fabric first, then ink: select one hundred percent ringspun cotton for discharge, or light, high-quality cotton for standard water based. Avoid high poly unless the heathered impact is desired.
  • Request test prints on the specific blanks: one shirt per colorway is normally sufficient to lock approvals, especially for bulk t shirt orders where consistency matters.
  • Clarify color expectations in context: offer Pantone targets for light garments and describe acceptable varieties for dark discharge prints, with pictures of previous work you like.
  • Align on care labels and handling: suggest cold wash and low heat dry for consumers, then verify your remedy times so wash resilience matches the tag guidance.
  • Confirm environmental requirements: ask your printer about ink accreditations, ventilation, and waste capture, especially if your brand messaging leans into eco friendly inks.

How water based fits with print on demand

Print as needed has its own restrictions: quick art modifications, small batch sizes, and the requirement for a broad color range. Direct-to-garment has become the default, but water based screen printing can fit POD if you organize brochure technique. For styles that are high volume even at small daily amounts, pre-burning screens and keeping a small stock of popular sizes lets you deliver same day with water based prints that feel much better than many DTG outputs. It works best when you keep art to a couple of colors and choose light garments.

If your POD model counts on all over print sublimation for polyester garments, water based screen printing is not a replacement, it is a parallel offering. Utilize it where cotton comfort and breathability are the selling points. Customers who care about touch will notice.

Pricing, margins, and communicating value

When customers ask why a water based or discharge print costs more than a standard plastisol job, I discuss what they are buying. They get the soft hand that retail customers correspond with quality, enhanced breathability, and compliance for delicate buyers. On a per-shirt basis, the difference for a basic three-color front hit may be modest, frequently a small uplift that can be neutralized by choosing a somewhat more affordable blank. If the program is for wholesale t shirts going into boutiques or e-commerce at exceptional cost points, the enhancement in viewed value more than covers the change.

For customized t-shirts, such as charity runs or college clubs, options matter. Offer a base rate with plastisol on midweight cotton, then a "comfort upgrade" that consists of a ringspun blank with water based ink. You will see a clear split: some customers optimize for cost, others for feel. Meeting both lets you serve a larger market without diluting your craft.

Care directions that clients in fact follow

Care labels frequently check out like legal disclaimers. Keep it easy and realistic so the shirt makes it through real life. Water based and discharge prints choose cooler washes and lower clothes dryer heat, but they will endure regular laundering if properly cured. I recommend phrasing care suggestions in human terms on product pages: wash cold with comparable colors, tumble dry low, avoid material softeners if you desire colors to remain crisp. The last note matters due to the fact that some softeners can deposit movies on fibers, dulling the visual contrast of fine lines.

I've evaluated these directions in-house: two identical shirts, one cleaned cold and dried low, the other washed warm and dried high. After 15 cycles, the warm/high tee showed a little quicker fading of mid-tones, yet still looked excellent. purchase Jacksonville Custom t shirts That tolerance originates from appropriate remedy, not from babying the garment.

All over print ideas that do not combat the limitations

All over print catches attention, but printing flood coats on assembled garments with water based inks can be unforgiving. Rather of fighting joints, design for them. Use tone-on-tone patterns that fade naturally at joints, or apply a ghosted grid that looks deliberate when it breaks at hems. Additionally, run panel printing and sew. Brands that offer limited runs can validate cut-and-sew for 100 to 300 pieces if the design warrants it. The completed garments read as custom from a distance, which is the goal.

A short anecdote from a hectic season

One spring we ran a series for a local music festival. The customer wanted soft black tees with a sunburst print that seemed like it lived in the fabric. We sampled on three blacks from two mills. Batch one lifted cleanly with discharge, batch 2 remained stubbornly dark in the mid-rays of the art work. We logged color lot numbers, rotated the ink mix by including a touch more white pigment to compensate, and changed dwell time by 10 to 15 seconds to complete the reaction. The outcome: consistent tees throughout 2,400 systems, each with a soft, breathable print that offered out by day two.

That job taught the crew to treat discharge like cooking, not chemistry on a chalkboard. The recipe matters, however so does tasting and adjusting.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Most issues I see trace back to process, not the ink family. Under-curing is the very first culprit. Water based ink that feels dry can still be under-cured if the core of the print never ever hit the required temperature for the best period. Use a donut probe or an ingrained thermochromic strip to measure true ink movie temperature, not just dryer setpoints. Screen lockup is the second. Keep a constant rate on press, flood in between prints, and control store humidity.

A 3rd risk is overlooking fabric variability. If you switch blanks mid-run due to the fact that a size is out of stock, you might see shifts in color. Develop contingency into your acquiring. For brands preparing ahead, picking a basic blank and locking it with your supplier minimizes surprises.

Final assistance for picking your path

If your priority is soft, breathable customized garments that consumers keep wearing, water based inks deserve the learning curve. Usage basic water based on light garments for clean detail and matte color. Relocate to discharge on one hundred percent cotton when you desire the softest prints on dark t-shirts. Accept and prepare for slight color difference with discharge, particularly across color lots. For bulk t t-shirt orders, build in a single round of physical sampling on the real blanks you will use, then document your settings and hold back a reference t-shirt for quality control.

If you operate a print as needed catalog, carve out a water based pill of best sellers on light shirts. Market the difference: eco friendly inks, breathable feel, and retail-quality hand. Keep your specialized impacts and neon stunners in plastisol or hybrid systems where they belong.

Custom t shirts are judged in the hands, not just on screens. When a customer rubs their thumb across a print and feels absolutely nothing but fiber, you've won. That's the moment water based and discharge deliver, and why they are worthy of a location in any major shop or brand name's toolkit.

Business Name: Prints R Us
Address: 2826 Art Museum Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32207, United States
Phone: (904)-752-1515

I am a dynamic innovator with a broad knowledge base in entrepreneurship. My conviction in entrepreneurship spurs my desire to innovate disruptive organizations. In my business career, I have cultivated a profile as being a daring thinker. Aside from creating my own businesses, I also enjoy counseling young startup founders. I believe in empowering the next generation of startup founders to pursue their own aspirations. I am easily seeking out disruptive opportunities and working together with similarly-driven creators. Redefining what's possible is my purpose. Aside from engaged in my enterprise, I enjoy immersing myself in dynamic environments. I am also focused on health and wellness.