Pulling a bright, multi-color design across a screen printing press by hand
Screen Printing

Custom Screen Printing in the Bay Area

Screen printing pushes thick, durable ink through a mesh stencil straight into the fabric. It’s the most cost-effective way to print bold designs in volume — and the reason a good band tee still looks great after a hundred washes.

What is screen printing?

A separate screen (stencil) is burned for each color in your design, then ink is pressed through it onto the garment and cured with heat. Because the setup work happens once per color, the more shirts you print, the cheaper each one gets — which makes screen printing the go-to for teams, events, and any larger run.

The trade-off: every color adds a screen, so screen printing shines on bold, 1–4 color artwork rather than photo-realistic images. For full-color photos, DTF or DTG is usually the better fit.

Water-based vs. plastisol ink

Plastisol is the classic, vibrant, forgiving ink that sits on top of the fabric and holds bright colors on any garment color. Water-based (and discharge) inks soak into the fibers for an ultra-soft, almost printless feel that’s popular on premium retail tees. We’ll recommend the right ink for your art, fabric, and budget.

Best for
  • Team and company shirts in bulk
  • Bold 1–4 color logos and designs
  • Event, fundraiser, and merch runs
  • Anything that needs to survive years of washing
How it works
  1. Art & quote. Send your design; we separate colors, confirm the print method, and quote it.
  2. Proof & screens. You approve a proof, then we burn a screen for each color.
  3. Print & cure. We print each color in register and heat-cure the ink to lock it in.
  4. Ship. Folded, counted, and shipped — free over $200, 1–2 days across the Bay Area.
A happy TeeRabbit customer wearing a custom tee
Our promise

Accuracy, quality, and delivery — guaranteed.

Whether it’s ten shirts or ten thousand, ordering custom apparel shouldn’t be a burden. We sweat the details so you don’t have to.

  • A real proof to approve before we print
  • Free art & file check on every order
  • Quality-checked garments, every run
  • Satisfaction guaranteed — 15+ years in Fremont
FAQCommon questions

Screen Printing, answered.

Is there a minimum order for screen printing?

Screen printing has a 36-piece minimum. Because a screen is set up once per color, the per-shirt price keeps dropping as your quantity grows. For smaller orders, DTF (no minimum) or DTG (6-piece minimum) is usually the better value.

How many colors can you print?

Most designs run 1–6 colors. Each color is a separate screen, so simpler artwork prints cheaper. If your design is full-color or photographic, we’ll suggest DTF or DTG instead.

How long does screen printing take?

Standard turnaround is 7–10 business days after you approve your proof. Rush options are available — just tell us your deadline in your quote.

Will the print crack or fade?

Properly cured screen prints last for years. Water-based and discharge inks feel softest; plastisol is the most vibrant and durable on dark garments.

Ready to make something great?

Get a fast, no-obligation quote — most within one business hour. As few as one, no setup fees.