Water-based and discharge screen printing
A plastisol print sits on top of the shirt. A water-based print soaks into it. A discharge print removes the shirt's dye and replaces it with color. The last two are what wineries, breweries, festivals and outdoor brands in Nevada County usually want for merch. Battle Born Clothing runs all three inks in-house in Yerington, Nevada.
Which ink for which job
| Ink | Feel | Best on | Not for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastisol | Sits on top, opaque, bright | Any fabric, any color, crisp logos | People who want a vintage soft feel |
| Water-based | No hand, soaks in | Light and mid 100% cotton, garment-dyed tees | Dark shirts (needs discharge or an underbase), polyester |
| Discharge | No hand, dyed-in look | Dark 100% cotton (black, navy, pepper) | Blends, polyester, exact Pantone matches |
What it costs
Water-based and discharge are priced like plastisol: $4.34 per location at 48 pieces, $20 per screen per color. Discharge on a dark shirt replaces the white underbase, so there is no flash charge on a single-color discharge print. Multi-color discharge and water-based jobs are quoted per job. See pricing.
What to expect
- Discharge colors are slightly muted and can vary a little shirt to shirt. That is the look; it is not a defect.
- Discharge needs 100% cotton that was reactive-dyed. Most Port & Company, Comfort Colors and ring-spun cotton tees work; heathers and blends do not.
- Water-based on a light shirt is the softest print we make and holds up to hundreds of washes.
- We show you the ink choice on the digital proof and will print a test on your chosen shirt color if the job is large.
Shirts that take it well
Port & Company PC61 and PC450 in solid cotton colors, and Comfort Colors 1717 garment-dyed. Read the full comparison in water-based vs plastisol.
Questions
Is water-based ink more expensive?
Not per piece at the published rate. The difference is in what shirts and colors it works on, and multi-color water-based jobs are quoted per job.
Can you discharge-print a heather shirt?
No. Heathers are blends and the polyester will not discharge. We use plastisol with an underbase on heathers.
Will the discharge print fade?
It fades with the shirt, not faster. There is no ink layer to crack or peel.