Endless Possibilities With Screen Printing Effects
Want to add a little sparkle or shine to your clothing line? You’ve come to the right place. We offer a variety of effect inks so you can wow people with your awesome apparel.
Natural Discharge
Looking for a soft ink option for your black and dark garments? Look no further! Natural Discharge is the softest option for darks. This process creates an off-white, bleached-out color with discharge agents leaving the graphic area completely void of any ink in the garment. What’s left is a unique print that’s soft to the touch. Due to the method used for this print process, some color variation should be expected in the final product.
- Only available on 100% cotton garments
- Prints well over seams and covered zippers
- Not recommended for run-off prints
- Some color variation should be expected in the final product
Fruit of the Loom created this handy chart to rate which color garments work best with this method. Check it out to see which color works best for your print project.
Foil
Super shiny, eye catching colored foil transfers make your design look perfectly polished. This effect reflects light to make your design bright and brilliant. Created by combining a printed adhesive and a heat-transferred foil leaf, it’s a great way to emphasize a multi-color design.
- Use 100% cotton garments; no garment color restrictions
- Does not print well over seams and covered zippers, not recommended for run-off prints
- Works best with bold, solid graphics
- Offered in clear, gold, silver, blue, black, multicolor and red
- Limited to one foil color per print location
- Cannot be used on halftone images or fine details
Metallic Inks
Everything’s better with a little metal. Metallic inks add a subtle shine without the reflectiveness of a foil transfer. Offered in 14 different colors, there’s a metallic ink out there for every design.
- Works on any fabric with no garment color restrictions
- Prints well over seams and covered zippers
- Not recommended for run-off prints
Retro Effect
This faux 70’s glitter transfer is a throwback to old-school band shirts. Think old heat transfer concert tees and you’ve got our Retro Effect. This effect is achieved by combining Traditional Plastisol inks with Glitter and Clear Foil to create this blast from the past with updated quality that looks great and lasts longer than the old school method.
- Works on any fabric with no garment color restrictions
- Not recommended for printing over seams, covered zippers or run-off prints
- Cannot be used with Soft Inks or other effect inks
- 8 color maximum
Glitter Printing
Multicolor metallic flakes suspended in clear Plastisol give this effect just a hint of sparkle. Available in any color in the Pantone Matching System solid color guide, glitter fanatics can add a little shine to their design.
- Works on any fabric with no garment color restrictions
- Not recommended for printing over seams, covered zippers or run-off prints
High Density Inks
A special screen setup creates a squared-off print that stands up to 1/8 inch above the surface of the fabric. This effect creates a durable, three dimensional print that adds depth and texture to your graphic.
- Use 100% cotton garments; no garment color restrictions
- Not recommended for printing over seams, covered zippers or run-off prints
- Limited to one ink per garment
- Cannot be combined with Foil or Discharge Ink because of the heat required for each process
- Cannot be used for halftone images or fine details
Super Gels
Create a slick design with Super Gels. Similar to High Density Inks, this effect is raised off the garment but has soft, rounded edges. Super Gels are the perfect effect for simulating liquid because of wet look they produce.
- Use 100% cotton garments; no garment color restrictions
- Not recommended for printing over seams, covered zippers or run-off prints
- Typically printed clear but can be tinted
Puff Inks
Another throwback ink, this effect is reminiscent of 80’s prints with fluffy, raised graphics. Puff Inks are a cost effective alternative to High Density Inks and Super Gels, and the end product is soft and squishy like a marshmallow. A puffing additive is added to Plastisol Inks to give it that Stay-Puft poof.
- Works on any garment with no color restrictions
- Not recommended for printing over seams, covered zippers or run-off prints
- Available in any color in the Pantone solid color guides
Glow-In-the-Dark
Make your apparel glow in the darkest of rooms! This special effect ink is created by an overprint being applied to the graphic and, depending on light exposure, can glow for up to 5 hours.
- Works on any garment with no color restrictions
- Not recommended for printing over seams, covered zippers or run-off prints
- Suggested for white or light-colored inks
- Can be used in one area or all over image
- Phosphorescent nature of this effect will have a slight green cast
- Cannot Pantone match
Things To Remember
Effect inks cannot be used on inside tag printing. Always keep in mind the type of fabric and garment you’re using when choosing an effect ink since certain fabrics and colors work better with most effects.
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Now that you know how to make your graphics shine, glitter and glow, check out our custom Hang Tags and Apparel Finishing options to completely customize your apparel.
If this type of flared doesn’t tickle your fancy, then check out our blog on standard inks to find out which ink works best for you.