October 18, 2025

Beyond Standard Tees: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Water-Based Inks and Discharge Printing for Customized 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 two things in continuous stress: the push for softer, more breathable prints that people in fact enjoy wearing, and the requirement to produce at scale without jeopardizing the environment or the bottom line. That stress has actually formed how I select inks, pretreatments, and fabrics for custom-made clothing tasks. Throughout the years, I've learned that water based inks and discharge printing are not just buzzwords, they are useful tools that produce stunning outcomes and genuine comfort, specifically for T shirt printing that needs to stand up to everyday wear.

If you run a brand name, handle bulk t shirt orders, or simply desire your customized t-shirts to feel like a favorite from the first wash, it deserves understanding how these ink systems work, where they shine, and where they require care. The ideal option can make the difference between a shirt that gets used when and one that ends up being the go-to.

What water based ink in fact is

Water based inks suspend pigments in water rather than in plasticizers and solvents. Unlike plastisol, which sits on top of the fabric and treatments into a movie, water based inks absorb into the fibers. That single characteristic explains most of the advantages and trade-offs. Prints feel soft since you're touching the cotton, not a personalized tees layer of treated PVC. Colors tend to look more matte and integrated. On light garments, the hand is frequently identical from the t-shirt itself. For custom-made t shirts developed for comfort, this is the course to the "retail feel" customers ask for.

There are two main households: standard water based and discharge. Standard water based ink works best on white or very light t-shirts. It can cover mid-tones with the best base, but once you move into darker fabrics, you either need a much heavier print or you change to release. Release printing utilizes an activator that raises the dye from the fabric throughout curing, basically whitening the t-shirt's color in the printed areas, 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 limits

Eco friendly inks are not a marketing motto if you unload the chemistry and the workflow. Water based inks generally include fewer unstable natural compounds than solvent-heavy options and avoid PVC entirely. Numerous are compliant with rigorous standards like Oeko-Tex or fulfill retail screening routines that ban certain phthalates and heavy metals. If you offer customized clothing into business health cares, schools, or health-conscious brands, those certificates smooth procurement and keep you ahead of compliance.

That stated, "eco friendly" is a system concept. Ink is one part. You likewise require to look at shop practices: purification on your washout cubicle, reclaim chemistry, energy usage on your dryer, and even material sourcing. Discharge requires an activator, usually based upon zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate or comparable compounds, which has its own handling and ventilation needs. In a well-run store, direct exposure is managed and waste is recorded. If you're using print on demand with a partner, ask how they manage discharge effluent and whether they have air exchange and treating controls called in. Genuine sustainability conceals in the details.

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

Most people do not buy a graphic tee due to the fact that they enjoy the ink. They buy it due to the fact that the garment looks excellent, feels excellent, and keeps Contract screen printing that character after repeated cleaning. Water based inks, including discharge, give you that broken-in convenience from day one. 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 get from heavy plastisol when you stretch throughout the chest.

I keep a shelf of contrast shirts in the studio. One from a surf brand name, 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 slightly, and the shirts kept moving. A plastisol sample with the same art looks glossier and still pops more under harsh light, which some streetwear clients choose, but the user feedback corresponds: water based seems like a premium garment.

Color, coverage, and how expectations shape results

Color accuracy with water based inks refers control, humidity, and the material's own dye. On white or heather light t-shirts, standard water based ink can hit tight Pantones with a measured ink mix and a clean mesh. On darker cotton, discharge adds variables. Various dye lots discharge in a different way, even within the very same brand and color. Black 3001 blanks from one batch may raise to a warm charcoal, while the next batch clears to a cooler grey. The pigment you include guides the last color, however you're still working with a background that is moving as the color is removed.

That's not a defect, it becomes part of the medium. Lots of designers embrace the somewhat classic character of discharge, where reds land earthy and blues feel deep instead of neon. If your brand name demands laser-precise color reproduction for business logo designs, either order test prints on the exact batch you plan to utilize or think about a water based underbase or hybrid method where needed. For wholesale t t-shirts that will be dispersed nationally, put swatch approvals into your procedure so there are not a surprises at scale.

Fabric matters more than the majority of people think

A water based print is a collaboration in between ink and fiber. Ringspun cotton takes ink magnificently. Carded open end cotton is scratchier and beverages ink unevenly. Blends make complex things. A 50/50 poly-cotton or a triblend with rayon can deal with water based, but discharge just raises the cotton part. That means your color saturates the cotton while the polyester and rayon stay as-is, often yielding a heathered or speckled print that looks intentional if you design for it. If your goal is flat, brilliant 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, think about cut-and-sew with water based prints on panels before assembly. Garment printing all over on completed tees presents joints, folds, and inconsistent pressure that appear as blank micro-gaps. If you should print on ended up garments, anticipate little spaces along joints, which some customers 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 much faster in the screen, which works on fabric but can lock a mesh if you stop briefly too long. Running a greater mesh for information, state 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 constant range, roughly 45 to 55 percent, to prevent premature drying. Manual press operators will observe how quickly a standard water based ink clears the screen compared to a heavy plastisol. Automobile presses, with flood bars and constant pace, lower clogging.

Curing is where many newbies miss the mark. 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 maker's remedy temperature level throughout the ink layer, not simply at the surface. T-shirts leaving the tunnel must be dry to the touch with no cool spots. For discharge, the chemical reaction takes place during this cure, and you will smell the activator. Excellent ventilation is non-negotiable.

Durability and wash testing

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

Cost, throughput, and when to choose which method

Costs vary regionally, however the economics fall under familiar patterns. Water based ink itself is typically similar to plastisol at the gallon level, however you invest more in shop 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. When tuned, autos run at comparable speeds. Where it actually settles is in viewed value. 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 shirt orders above a few hundred pieces where the art suits the medium, discharge on one hundred percent cotton is a workhorse. For print on demand that needs overnight turnaround and art changes continuously, direct-to-garment or DTF may be better operationally, though both have their own environmental and feel compromises. When you take on wholesale t t-shirts with multiple colorways and should keep stock flexible, a flexible water based scheme on light garments is efficient, since you prevent the weight and stiffness that accumulate with multiple underbases in plastisol.

Design choices that highlight the very best in water based and discharge

Design preparation starts with the material color and ends with treating. On light shirts, lean into detail: thin lines, halftones, hand-drawn textures. Basic 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 looks through. A charcoal heather with a discharge cream graphic appear like it grew there.

Type weight matters. Extremely thin knockouts inside heavy flood locations can complete with discharge, specifically on high-absorbency cotton. If you need razor negative space, separate the art to print negative shapes as favorable strokes with a clear schedule for squeegee pressure and flashes. Ask your printer for an evidence on the real garment rather than relying on a digital mockup. A mockup can not catch fiber interplay and color lift.

When you need to state no to discharge

There are times I recommend 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, 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 delicate to small odor during treating, discharge days in the store are visible. Well-managed airflow mitigates this, however it becomes part of the process.

If a client requires metallics, puff, or specialized textures, plastisol or hybrid systems still own that space. Water based metallics exist, but the particles often sink, and the result is more satin than real metal. For high-opacity neons on dark t-shirts that must be billboard-bright, you might 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 count on a partner, established a workflow that gets rid of guesswork. An easy technique keeps surprises at bay and helps you hit deadlines for launches and events.

  • Decide on fabric initially, then ink: pick one hundred percent ringspun cotton for discharge, or light, high-quality cotton for basic water based. Prevent high poly unless the heathered effect is desired.
  • Request test prints on the specific blanks: one shirt per colorway is normally enough to lock approvals, especially for bulk t t-shirt orders where consistency matters.
  • Clarify color expectations in context: supply Pantone targets for light garments and describe acceptable varieties for dark discharge prints, with photos of prior work you like.
  • Align on care labels and handling: suggest cold wash and low heat dry for clients, then validate your cure times so clean toughness matches the tag guidance.
  • Confirm ecological requirements: ask your printer about ink certifications, 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 constraints: fast art changes, small batch sizes, and the need for a broad color range. Direct-to-garment has ended up being the default, however water based screen printing can fit POD if you arrange brochure method. For designs that are high volume even at little daily quantities, pre-burning screens and keeping a little stock of popular sizes lets you ship same day with water based prints that feel better than many DTG outputs. It works best when you keep art to a couple of colors and choose light garments.

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

Pricing, margins, and interacting value

When customers ask why a water based or discharge print costs more than a fundamental plastisol job, I discuss what they are buying. They get the soft hand that retail consumers relate with quality, improved breathability, and compliance for sensitive purchasers. On a per-shirt basis, the distinction for a standard three-color front hit may be modest, typically a small uplift that can be reduced the effects of by choosing a slightly more affordable blank. If the program is for wholesale t shirts going into shops or e-commerce at exceptional cost points, the enhancement in perceived worth more than covers the change.

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

Care directions that consumers actually follow

Care labels often read like legal disclaimers. Keep it simple and practical so the shirt makes it through real life. Water based and discharge prints choose cooler washes and lower dryer heat, however they will withstand regular laundering if appropriately treated. I suggest phrasing care ideas in human terms on product pages: wash cold with comparable colors, tumble dry low, avoid fabric conditioners if you desire colors to stay crisp. The last note matters due to the fact that some softeners can transfer films on fibers, dulling the visual contrast of fine lines.

I've tested these directions in-house: 2 similar shirts, one washed cold and dried low, the other washed warm and dried high. After 15 cycles, the warm/high tee revealed a little quicker fading of mid-tones, yet still looked great. That tolerance comes from correct remedy, not from babying the garment.

All over print concepts that do not battle the limitations

All over print captures attention, however printing flood coats on assembled garments with water based inks can be unforgiving. Rather of combating joints, style for them. Usage tone-on-tone patterns that fade naturally at joints, or use a ghosted grid that looks deliberate when it breaks at hems. Alternatively, run panel printing and stitch. Brands that sell limited runs can justify cut-and-sew for 100 to 300 pieces if the design warrants it. The completed garments read as custom-made 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 felt like it resided in the fabric. We sampled on three blacks from 2 mills. Batch one raised easily with discharge, batch 2 stayed stubbornly dark in the mid-rays of the artwork. We logged color lot numbers, pivoted the ink mix by adding a touch more white pigment to compensate, and changed dwell time by 10 to 15 seconds to complete the reaction. The outcome: constant tees throughout 2,400 systems, each with a soft, breathable print that offered out by day two.

That task taught the crew to deal with discharge like cooking, not chemistry on a chalkboard. The recipe matters, but so does tasting and adjusting.

Common risks and how to avoid them

Most problems I see trace back to process, not the ink household. Under-curing is the very first perpetrator. Water based ink that feels dry can still be under-cured if the core of the print never ever struck the needed temp for the best duration. Use a donut probe or an embedded thermochromic strip to measure true ink film temperature level, not simply dryer setpoints. Screen lockup is the 2nd. Keep a consistent rate on press, flood in between prints, and control store humidity.

A 3rd mistake is overlooking fabric irregularity. If you switch blanks mid-run because a size runs out stock, you might see shifts in color. Build contingency into your acquiring. For brands planning ahead, choosing a basic blank and locking it with your provider decreases surprises.

Final guidance for selecting your path

If your concern is soft, breathable custom-made apparel that clients keep wearing, water based inks are worth the knowing curve. Usage standard water based on light garments for tidy information and matte color. Transfer to release on one hundred percent cotton when you want the softest prints on dark shirts. Accept and plan for slight color variation with discharge, particularly throughout dye lots. For bulk t t-shirt orders, integrate in a single round of physical tasting on the real blanks you will utilize, then document your settings and hold back a referral shirt for quality control.

If you operate a print on demand brochure, take a water based pill of finest 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 evaluated in the hands, not simply on screens. When a client rubs their thumb across a print and feels nothing but fiber, you've won. That's the moment water based and discharge provide, and why they deserve a place in any serious shop or brand'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.