October 18, 2025

Beyond Fundamental Tees: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Water-Based Inks and Discharge Printing for Custom 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 printing shop that takes its craft seriously, and you will see 2 things in consistent tension: the push for softer, more breathable prints that individuals actually enjoy wearing, and the requirement to produce at scale without jeopardizing the environment or the bottom line. That tension has actually formed how I select inks, pretreatments, and fabrics for custom clothing tasks. Throughout the years, I've learned that water based inks and discharge printing are not simply buzzwords, they are practical tools that produce stunning outcomes and genuine convenience, especially for T shirt printing that needs to stand up to daily wear.

If you run a brand name, manage bulk t t-shirt orders, or merely desire your customized shirts to feel like a preferred from the very first wash, it deserves comprehending how these ink systems work, where they shine, and where they require care. The best option can make the distinction in between a t-shirt that gets used as soon as 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 take in into DTF vs DTG the fibers. That single characteristic describes most of the benefits and compromises. Prints feel soft since you're touching the cotton, not a layer of treated PVC. Colors tend DTG t-shirt printing to look more matte and incorporated. On light garments, the hand is frequently equivalent from the shirt itself. For customized t t-shirts developed for comfort, this is the course to the "retail feel" customers ask for.

There are two main families: basic water based and discharge. Standard water based ink works best on white or very light shirts. It can cover mid-tones with the right base, but once you move into darker fabrics, you either require a much heavier print or you switch to release. Discharge printing uses an activator that lifts the dye from the fabric throughout treating, basically whitening the shirt's dye in the printed locations, then replaces it with your pigment. Completion result is the softest possible print on dark cotton, frequently with impressive detail.

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

Eco friendly inks are not a marketing motto if you unload the chemistry and the workflow. Water based inks normally include fewer unstable natural compounds than solvent-heavy options and avoid PVC entirely. Many are compliant with stringent requirements like Oeko-Tex or meet retail screening routines that ban specific phthalates and heavy metals. If you sell custom-made clothing into business health cares, schools, or health-conscious brands, those certificates smooth procurement and keep you ahead of compliance.

That said, "eco friendly" is a system principle. Ink is one part. You also require to look at store practices: filtration on your washout booth, recover chemistry, energy usage on your dryer, and even material sourcing. Discharge needs an activator, generally based upon zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate or comparable compounds, which has its own handling and ventilation requirements. In a well-run shop, direct exposure is controlled and waste is captured. If you're utilizing print on demand with a partner, ask how they deal with discharge effluent and whether they have air exchange and treating controls dialed in. Genuine sustainability hides in the details.

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

Most individuals do not buy a graphic tee since they like the ink. They buy it because the garment looks excellent, feels excellent, and keeps that character after repeated cleaning. Water based inks, including discharge, provide you that broken-in convenience from day one. On a 100 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 shelf 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 much more, the colors mellowed a little, and the t-shirts kept moving. A plastisol sample with the very same art looks glossier and still pops more under severe light, which some streetwear clients prefer, but the wearer feedback is consistent: water based seems like a premium garment.

Color, coverage, and how expectations shape results

Color precision with water based inks is a matter of control, humidity, and the material's own color. On white or heather light shirts, standard water based Halftone printing ink can strike tight Pantones with a measured ink mix and a tidy mesh. On darker cotton, discharge adds variables. Various dye lots discharge 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 final color, however you're still working with a background that is shifting as the dye is removed.

That's not a defect, it becomes 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 name needs laser-precise color recreation for corporate logos, either order test prints on the precise batch you plan to utilize or think about a water based underbase or hybrid approach where needed. For wholesale t t-shirts that will be dispersed nationally, put example approvals into your procedure so there are no surprises at scale.

Fabric matters more than most people think

A water based print is a partnership in between ink and fiber. Ringspun cotton takes ink beautifully. Carded open end cotton is scratchier and beverages ink unevenly. Blends make complex things. A 50/50 poly-cotton Screen burning or a triblend with rayon can deal with water based, however discharge just raises the cotton part. That means your color saturates the cotton while the polyester and rayon remain as-is, often yielding a heathered or speckled print that looks deliberate if you design for it. If your objective is flat, vivid color on a poly mix, conventional plastisol or a specialized low-cure system might be smarter.

On all over print tasks, such as a seam-to-seam tonal pattern behind a chest graphic, consider cut-and-sew with water based prints on panels before assembly. Garment printing all over on finished tees introduces joints, folds, and inconsistent pressure that appear as blank micro-gaps. If you should print on completed garments, expect small voids along seams, which some clients like as part of the garment's character.

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

Water based inks behave differently on press. They dry faster in the screen, which is useful on material but can lock a mesh if you stop briefly too long. Running a greater mesh for detail, say 230 to 305, keeps the deposit thin and crisp. Set up with a misting bottle or a dedicated screen rewetting solution at hand, and keep the print space humidity in a constant range, approximately 45 to 55 percent, to avoid premature drying. Manual press operators will observe how quickly a standard water based ink clears the screen compared to a heavy plastisol. Vehicle presses, with flood bars and consistent speed, minimize clogging.

Curing is where many beginners miss the mark. Water based inks need both heat and time for the water to vaporize, then for the binders to cross-link. A clothes dryer tunnel with enough airflow makes the distinction. You want even heat across the belt and sufficient dwell to reach the producer's treatment temperature level throughout the ink layer, not just at the surface area. Shirts exiting the tunnel should be dry to the touch with no cool spots. For discharge, the chemical reaction happens during this remedy, and you will smell the activator. Great ventilation is non-negotiable.

Durability and wash testing

Durability depends on proper remedy and fiber engagement. A well-cured water based print on cotton can outlast the t-shirt. I measure sturdiness by standardized wash tests, 10 to 20 cycles at warm, topple dry medium, then visual assessment for fading and breaking. Water based prints show gradual softening and a mild fade in the exact same way jeans unwinds. Plastisol's failure mode is various, usually breaking if the ink layer is too thick or under-cured. For personalized t-shirts that require to look good at a family reunion and still be in rotation next summer season, water based holds up when produced correctly.

Cost, throughput, and when to pick which method

Costs vary regionally, however the economics fall into familiar patterns. Water based ink itself is often equivalent to plastisol at the gallon level, however you invest more in shop environment and drying capability. On press, water based can be somewhat slower at setup since you pay closer attention to mesh, squeegee durometer, and off-contact. As soon as tuned, automobiles run at similar speeds. Where it truly settles is in perceived worth. A soft print on a mid-tier blank frequently feels premium without jumping to the highest-cost t-shirt. Brands can price accordingly.

For bulk t t-shirt orders above a couple of hundred pieces where the art fits the medium, discharge on 100 percent cotton is a workhorse. For print as needed that needs over night turnaround and art modifications constantly, direct-to-garment or DTF might be better operationally, though both have their own ecological and feel trade-offs. When you take on wholesale t shirts with numerous colorways and should keep inventory flexible, a versatile water based scheme on light garments is efficient, considering that you avoid the weight and stiffness that collect with numerous underbases in plastisol.

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

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

Type weight matters. Very thin knockouts inside heavy flood locations can fill out with discharge, especially on high-absorbency cotton. If you require razor unfavorable area, separate the art to print unfavorable shapes as favorable strokes with a clear schedule for squeegee pressure and flashes. Ask your printer for an evidence on the actual garment instead of trusting a digital mockup. A mockup can not record fiber interplay and color lift.

When you need to say no to discharge

There are times I advise against discharge. Polyester-rich garments are leading of the list. The activator can trigger color migration, specifically with sublimated or cationic-dyed performance t-shirts, resulting in ghosting or brownish casts. Some garment dyes, especially reactive black blends, resist lifting, leaving a shadowed print that looks undercured even when it isn't. If a client is sensitive to minor smell during treating, discharge days in the shop are noticeable. Well-managed air flow reduces this, but it belongs to the process.

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

Practical workflow for brand names and creators

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

  • Decide on fabric first, then ink: pick 100 percent ringspun cotton for discharge, or light, top quality cotton for basic water based. Prevent high poly unless the heathered impact is desired.
  • Request test prints on the precise blanks: one shirt per colorway is usually adequate to lock approvals, especially for bulk t shirt orders where consistency matters.
  • Clarify color expectations in context: provide Pantone targets for light garments and describe acceptable varieties for dark discharge prints, with images of previous work you like.
  • Align on care labels and handling: recommend cold wash and low heat dry for consumers, then confirm your treatment times so clean resilience matches the tag guidance.
  • Confirm ecological requirements: ask your printer about ink accreditations, ventilation, and waste capture, particularly if your brand messaging leans into eco friendly inks.

How water based fits with print on demand

Print on demand has its own constraints: quick art modifications, little batch sizes, and the need for a broad color gamut. Direct-to-garment has actually ended up being the default, but water based screen printing can fit POD if you organize catalog method. For designs that are high volume even at small day-to-day quantities, pre-burning screens and keeping a little stock of popular sizes lets you deliver same day with water based prints that feel much better than lots of DTG outputs. It works finest when you keep art to a couple of colors and choose light garments.

If your POD model depends 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 convenience and breathability are the selling points. Clients who appreciate touch will notice.

Pricing, margins, and interacting value

When clients ask why a water based or discharge print costs more than a standard plastisol job, I discuss what they are purchasing. They get the soft hand that retail clients correspond with quality, improved breathability, and compliance for delicate purchasers. On a per-shirt basis, the distinction for a standard three-color front hit may be modest, frequently a little uplift that can be neutralized by choosing a somewhat more cost-effective blank. If the program is for wholesale t t-shirts entering into stores or e-commerce at premium cost points, the enhancement in perceived value more than covers the change.

For personalized shirts, such as charity runs or college clubs, choices matter. Deal a base cost with plastisol on midweight cotton, then a "convenience upgrade" that includes a ringspun blank with water based ink. You will see a clear split: some clients optimize for expense, others for feel. Fulfilling both lets you serve a larger market without diluting your craft.

Care guidelines that clients actually follow

Care labels typically check out like legal disclaimers. Keep it simple and practical so the shirt endures reality. Water based and discharge prints choose cooler washes and lower clothes dryer heat, however they will withstand typical laundering if appropriately treated. I recommend phrasing care ideas in human terms on item pages: wash cold with comparable colors, tumble dry low, avoid material softeners if you want colors to remain crisp. The last note matters due to the fact that some conditioners can deposit movies on fibers, dulling the visual contrast of great lines.

I have actually evaluated these instructions in-house: two identical t-shirts, one cleaned cold and dried low, the other washed warm and dried high. After 15 cycles, the warm/high tee revealed slightly quicker fading of mid-tones, yet still looked excellent. That tolerance comes from right remedy, not from babying the garment.

All over print concepts that do not combat the limitations

All over print catches attention, but printing flood coats on put together garments with water based inks can be unforgiving. Instead of battling joints, design for them. Usage tone-on-tone patterns that fade naturally at joints, or use a ghosted grid that looks intentional when it breaks at hems. Additionally, run panel printing and stitch. Brands that offer minimal runs can justify cut-and-sew for 100 to 300 pieces if the style warrants it. The ended up 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 celebration. The client desired soft black tees with a sunburst print that seemed like it resided in the material. We tested on 3 blacks from two mills. Batch one raised cleanly with discharge, batch 2 stayed stubbornly dark in the mid-rays of the art work. We logged color lot numbers, rotated the ink mix by adding a touch more white pigment to compensate, and adjusted dwell time by 10 to 15 seconds to finish the reaction. The outcome: constant tees across 2,400 units, each with a soft, breathable print that offered out by day two.

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

Common mistakes and how to prevent them

Most issues I see trace back to process, not the ink household. Under-curing is the very first offender. Water based ink that feels dry can still be under-cured if the core of the print never hit the required temperature for the best period. Utilize a donut probe or an embedded thermochromic strip to measure real ink film temperature, not simply clothes dryer setpoints. Screen lockup is the 2nd. Keep a consistent rate on press, flood in between prints, and control shop humidity.

A third mistake is ignoring fabric variability. If you change blanks mid-run since a size runs out stock, you might see shifts in color. Construct contingency into your buying. For brands preparing ahead, selecting a basic blank and locking it with your provider lowers surprises.

Final guidance for choosing your path

If your top priority is soft, breathable custom-made apparel that clients keep wearing, water based inks are worth the learning curve. Use standard water based on light garments for tidy information and matte color. Transfer to discharge on one hundred percent cotton when you want the softest prints on dark shirts. Accept and prepare for minor color variance with discharge, especially 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 record your settings and keep back a recommendation shirt for quality control.

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

Custom t shirts are judged in the hands, not simply on screens. When a customer rubs their thumb throughout a print and feels absolutely nothing but fiber, you've won. That's the moment water based and discharge provide, and why they should have a place in any serious store 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.