Plastisol Printing

Of the two main types of ink used for

textile printing

 (waterbase and plastisol), plastisol ink is the most commonly used for many reasons. When printed on dark or boldy-colored garments (royal blue, red, kelly green, etc.), plastisol inks maintain a high level of opacity (meaning you can’t see through them) not easily matched by other types of ink, including waterbase. On lighter garments (white, sea foam, etc.), plastisol is extremely opaque and can remain vibrant for many years, if treated with care.

Even though plastisol ink is used most frequently on corporate and promotional shirts as opposed to fashion garments, some of our fashion customers actually prefer it. For those that prefer a softer a print outside of waterbase printing, we offer

fashion base

 

additives

 to our plastisol inks that make the finished print especially

soft

 to the touch.

Pros: Vibrant, opaque,

affordable

, and a preferred method when printing on dark and boldly-colored

fabric

Cons: Thick print (could be a pro), cannot be combined with a foil print

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Waterbase Printing

Waterbased printing is fast becoming the production method of choice for many

fashion brands

. Waterbased inks provide something plastisol inks cannot — a soft, light print layer (known commonly as "

soft hand

") that blends in perfectly with the garment itself. Unlike plastisol prints, waterbased prints can be even ironed without melting.

The colors used in waterbased printing are often last longer than those used in similar plastisol prints. When properly cured, a shirt or other item with a waterbased print will remain true to its "as new" appearance through countless trips through the washing machine, even most likely outlasting the fabric on which it is printed.

Because waterbased ink seeps into the fabric of the printed shirt instead of laying on top (as with

plastisol printing

), it allows the skin of the garment-wearer to "breathe" more easily, increasing the overall comfort of the garment.

Pros: Extremely soft to touch, works well when combined with foil printing
Cons: More expensive than plastisol, doesn’t reach acceptable opacity on dark and boldly-colored garments

	Plush Base Plush base is specially-formulated ink used to simulate chenille , velvet , flock , suede  and other luxurious fashion textures .
	Natural Suede Base Natural suede can produce suede and velvet finishes or can be colored to create leather  and felt effects  — it’s tough and washable .
	Fashion Soft Base Fashion soft base is a low-viscosity  plastisol base used to create ultra-soft finishes that simulate waterbase inks and discharge. Effective for printing over seams .
	Nova Base When mixed with glitter flakes , nova base penetrates the fabric, leaving the flake exposed and dry. Use nova base when printing over an ink underlay to produce gloss-embossed   effects on fabric .
	Bubble Stretch Base Create an opaque , textured , and highly-stretchable ink surface with bubble stretch base. When cured, a semi-gloss finish  is embellished with tiny pits and craters. Bubble stretch ink can be used with or without high density graphics .
	Cork Base Cork base creates an elevated cork texture  that’s smooth to the touch but extremely durable  and stretchable. Cork base can produce high or low elevated textured surfaces .
	Frost Base Frost-like specialty fabric finishes  using frost base will create a multiple range of unique and subtle images and textures. Frost ink can be used on its own or with pigment concentrate  or equalizers .
	High-Density Clear High-density clear can be used on its own or as a high-gloss overprint  to any ink. Add pigment concentrate to create glossy colors.
	Ice Base High-density or conventional flat ink that produces shiny, wax-like textured surfaces with straight edges. Excellent as a foil adhesive . Use alone or with ink/pigment concentrate additions.
	Sculpture Base Sculpture base is perfect for creating high-density, stacked effects . The ink is smooth and creates the effect of sculptured clay. Add equalizers, pigment concentrate, or MX to make colors.
	Rock Base Rock base will create a tough, durable , rock-hard ink surface. To create innovative textured surfaces, blend with other textured inks, pigment concentrates or metallics . Excellent foil adhesive.
	Brittle Base / Brittle White / Brittle Clear Brittle inks  have the ability to easily fracture and crack when pressure is applied to the ink surface, exposing a worn, tough finish that resembles caked paint .

Stylus Custom Apparel has a full-service embroidery division offering complete digitizing and embroidery services. We can even supply the garments to be embroidered and give you our recommendations on the most popular brands and SKUs. We embroider and supply polo shirts, jackets, sweaters, caps, attaches, twill shirts, and anything else a needle will pierce. Contract services are also available.

As always, our embroidery services are performed with attention to detail, a fast turnaround, and techniques that are one-step ahead of the curve. We are well known for

applique

,

3D/puff embroidery

,

etching

, and

distress services

 as well as

custom-made patches

.

	Applique Applique is the process of tacking down pieces of fabric using embroidery stitches to create an attractive layered effect. It’s used often in sports uniforms and fashion outerwear such as jackets and sweatshirts.
	Distress Embroidery When washed, designs completed with distress embroidery leave off a fringed edge, making the garment appear artistically worn and vintage. This technique is commonly used on Abercrombie garments. Applique colors can be used with this style of embroidery as well.
	3D/Puff Embroidery We use foam underlining to achieve the extreme three-dimensional effect commonly known as 3D/puff embroidery. This effect is featured regularly on New Era/MLB caps is highly sought-after by our clientele. The foam underlining comes in different widths and colors to accommodate an array of products and thread colors, making the technique fairly universal. Note that to achieve this highly-technical effect, the thread count of any design is doubled.

Artwork

We offer the complete Dakota Collectibles catalog of stock designs to help our customers save on embroidery tape costs. You can find Dakota’s 15,000 stock designs on their website — let us know which one you'd like and we’ll provide it free of charge!

Can’t find a stock image that fits your needs? We proudly offer high-quality in-house digitizing for custom logos. We can create immaculate embroidery from nearly any standard art file format: JPG, GIF, BMP, PSD, PDF, EPS, and more. (Note: for screenprinting, unlike embroidery, we require high-res files, preferably AI or EPS.) Please visit our order page to download everything you need — thread color charts, line sheets, etc. — in a single, convenient zip file!

Need custom artwork? Our fully-capable art department can handle your request. We provide custom artwork at $45/hour, and can complete most projects within only one hour.

Cut-N-Sew

Our custom cut-n-sew operation brings everything in our shop together. We can create virtually any garment our customers request from scratch while maintaining our usual excellent quality and fast turn around. With custom sewing, printing, and embroidery coming together in one order, you have total control over your end product — and garment decorating options are endless.

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Low-Minimum Cut-N-Sew T-Shirts

We offer a cut-n-sew t-shirt program with a low minimum of only 48 pieces. Our fashion cut pattern combined with our 100% combed ringspun cotton make for a perfect fit and softness.

Offering cut-n-sew t-shirts allows our customers to customize the color of their garments; create seamless, no-compromise all-over prints; insert professional labeling with ease; and utilize every printing technique we have to offer to its fullest potential. Please contact us for more information.

Under construction -- please excuse our dust!

Rhinestones

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Hologram Glitter Pearls

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Nailhead Gems

Under construction -- please excuse our dust!