Much contemporary embroidery is stitched with a computerized embroidery machine using patterns "digitized" with embroidery software. In machine embroidery, different types of "fills" add texture and design to the finished work. Machine embroidery is used to add logos and monograms to business shirts or jackets, gifts, and team apparel as well as to decorate household linens, draperies, and decorator fabrics that mimic the elaborate hand embroidery of the past.  We recommend embroidery over screen printing for your polo shirts, hats, bags and jackets, and screen printing over embroidery for t-shirts.

Plastisol Transfers are basically screen printed designs that are printed on a special heat transfer (release) paper instead of screen printing the design directly to a garment. Once the design is screen printed onto the paper, the printed designs can be transferred to the garment using a heat press.

Printed thermal transfer is a process where your artwork is printed using special inks or dyes onto a transfer material that is either fused to the garment using heat (thermal transfer), or acts as a carrier to dye the garment (dye sublimation).   The advantages of a thermal method include full color capability without the per color setup cost associated with screen printing, flexibility to print without minimum order quantity, and quick turnaround availability. Disadvantages include short life span compared to screen printed garments, cost ineffectiveness on large runs, and inability to print on dark colored garments due to limitations in the printing process.

 

Tie-dye is a process of resist dyeing textiles or clothing which is made from knit or woven fabric, usually cotton; typically using bright colors. It is a modern version of traditional dyeing methods used in many cultures throughout the world. "Tie-dye" can also describe the resulting pattern or an item which features this pattern. Tie-dyeing became fashionable in the West in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of hippie style. It was popularized in the United States by musicians such as John Sebastian, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead and Joe Cocker.  Tie-dyeing is accomplished by folding the material into a pattern, and binding it with string or rubber bands. Dye is then applied to only parts of the material. The ties prevent the entire material from being dyed. Designs are formed by applying different colors of dyes to different sections of the wet fabric. A wet t-shirt is much easier to use rather than just dyeing on a dry t-shirt. Once complete, the material is rinsed, and the dye is set. Although many different kinds of dyes may be used, most tie-dyers now dye with Procion MX fiber reactive dyes.  This class of dyes works at warm room temperatures. The molecules permanently bind with cellulose based fibers (cotton, rayon, hemp, linen), as well as silk, when the pH is raised. Soda ash (sodium carbonate) is generally used to raise the pH and is either added directly to the dye, or in a solution of water in which garments are soaked before dying. They do not fade with washing, but sunlight will cause the colors to fade over time.

We adapted digital tee printing as one of our printing options for 2 reasons: it allows us to meet the demand of our customers who are seeking single tee orders, and it allows us to fill orders for customers who are looking to print many colors on relatively small runs of tees (12–60). At Boulevard Screen & Sign, we have experimented with every digital tee printing process currently available and have found one that meets an acceptable quality standard for us to be willing to recommend it. We take your image (high-res bitmap or vector) and digitally print it onto sheeted ink. We then take the finished art printed on the sheeted ink and heat cure it to a tee blank. This process allows for better color vibrancy, durability, and allows the garment to be stretched without causing gaps in color.