Water-Based & Discharge Printing in the Bay Area
Water-based and discharge inks soak into the fabric instead of sitting on top of it, so the print feels like part of the shirt — soft, breathable, and almost printless. It’s the finish behind most premium retail tees, and the reason a great garment prints feel like nothing at all.
Water-based vs. discharge — what’s the difference?
Water-based ink is a thin, soft ink that dyes the fibers directly. It’s gorgeous on light garments, but on dark shirts it struggles to show up because there’s nothing to lighten the fabric first.
Discharge solves that: it’s a water-based ink that removes (discharges) the garment’s dye during curing and replaces it with your color — printing a soft, light design directly onto a dark shirt. A discharge base can also be printed first, then over-printed, to keep other inks soft and vibrant on darks.
When to choose it
Choose water-based or discharge when the feel of the shirt matters as much as the look — fashion tees, premium merch, and anything you want to wear all day. It works best on 100% cotton; results vary by dye and blend, so we test and confirm before a full run.
- Ultra-soft, printless hand
- Breathable — great for summer and all-day wear
- Vintage, broken-in look straight off the press
- Best on 100% cotton garments
- Premium and retail-style fashion tees
- Soft-hand prints you barely feel
- Vintage and washed-out looks
- Large, soft prints on dark cotton (discharge)
- Art & quote. Send your design and garment; we confirm the ink and quote it.
- Test & proof. We test discharge on your specific garment and approve a proof.
- Print & cure. We print the soft ink and cure it fully to lock in color and hand.
- Ship. Folded, counted, and shipped — free on orders over $200.
A print you feel with your eyes, not your fingers.
We match ink to fabric carefully — water-based and discharge live and die by the garment — so you get that buttery, broken-in hand without blotchy coverage or surprises.
- A real proof before we burn a screen
- Ink and garment matched for soft coverage
- Cured and wash-tested for the right hand
- Satisfaction guaranteed — 15+ years of printing
Water-Based & Discharge Printing, answered.
Why does discharge printing feel so soft?
Because it replaces the garment’s dye with your color instead of layering ink on top. There’s no ink film sitting on the surface, so the design feels like part of the fabric.
Does discharge work on any color shirt?
It works best on dischargeable 100% cotton in most colors, but results depend on the garment’s dye — some colors discharge to a warmer or cooler tone. We test your specific shirt before the run so there are no surprises.
Can you print bright colors with water-based ink?
On light garments, yes. On darks, we use a discharge base or discharge inks to get soft, vibrant color. For the very brightest neons on dark shirts, plastisol may be a better fit — we’ll advise.
Is there a minimum order?
These are screen-printing techniques, so they follow our 36-piece screen-printing minimum. Because a test is involved, send us your garment details with your quote.
Puff Print
A raising agent lifts the ink off the shirt for a soft, 3D, spongy finish — the retail-favorite look that begs to be touched.
High-Density Printing
Ink built up in sharp, glossy, raised layers with crisp vertical edges — including clear high-density gloss and raised heat-transfer versions.
Sublimation Printing
Dye turned to gas bonds permanently into polyester for edge-to-edge, all-over color that never cracks, peels, or fades.
Process & Halftone Printing
Photo-realistic artwork screen-printed with halftone dots — simulated process on darks and 4-color CMYK on whites.
Metallic & Foil Printing
Mirror-bright metallic foil bonded to an adhesive print — gold, silver, and holographic shine, as a direct print or a ready-to-press transfer.
Glow-in-the-Dark Ink
Phosphorescent ink that charges under light and glows green in the dark — a hidden second design that only shows at night.
Glitter Ink
Real metallic flakes suspended in the ink give a sparkling, textured finish that catches the light from every angle.
Fluorescent & Neon Ink
Electric neon inks that pop in daylight and glow bright under UV blacklight — the go-to for parties, runs, and club nights.
Color-Changing Inks
Inks that transform with heat (thermochromic) or water (hydrochromic) — a print that reveals a hidden design when it warms up or gets wet.
Silicone Ink Printing
Stretchy, ultra-soft silicone ink that flexes with the fabric and resists cracking — a premium, tagless-soft finish built for performance wear.
Printing on Polyester
Special low-cure inks and blockers stop dye migration so prints stay bright and true on polyester, tri-blends, and performance fabrics.
Ready to make something great?
Get a fast, no-obligation quote — most within one business day. As few as one, no setup fees.