Screen Print Care Instructions
Most custom tees are screen printed with plastisol, a PVC-based ink cured at roughly 320F so it bonds as a flexible film sitting on top of the cotton rather than soaking into it. That film stays put for the life of the shirt if you keep it cool: wash cold, dry low, and give a fresh print a full 24 hours before its first wash. Water-based and discharge inks dye into the fibers and tolerate heat a little better, but the cold-and-low rule keeps every screen-printed garment looking sharp.
- Turn the shirt inside out so the print faces in.
- Machine wash cold on a normal or gentle cycle with like colors.
- Skip the bleach and fabric softener.
- Tumble dry low or hang to dry.
- If you must iron, turn it inside out or press around the print.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Hot-cycle drying. A household dryer on high pushes past 130F and softens the plastisol, so the film cracks the next time the shirt stretches. This is the number one killer of screen prints.
- Ironing face-down on the print. A cotton-setting iron reaches about 400F, well past the 300F point where plastisol starts to melt, so the ink glosses over or lifts onto the soleplate.
- Chlorine bleach and heavy fabric softener. Bleach attacks the pigment, and softener leaves a waxy film that dulls the print over repeated washes.
- Washing a brand-new print too soon. Give freshly cured ink a full 24 hours to set before it meets water.
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FAQ
Keep it cool. Wash cold below 85F, turn the shirt inside out, and tumble on low or hang it. Cracking happens when dryer heat softens the plastisol film and the shirt then stretches, so it is heat and flexing, not water, that does the damage.
Yes. The print rides against the drum and the other garments through the whole cycle, and that abrasion is what frosts and fades a plastisol print. Flipping the shirt puts cotton on the outside and shields the ink.
Low heat only, and air drying is safer still. High dryer heat pushes plastisol past the point where it stays flexible, so the film cracks. If you do machine dry, pull the shirt while it is barely damp.
Not directly. A cotton-setting iron reaches about 400F and plastisol starts to melt near 300F, so pressing on the print will gloss or lift it. Iron inside out, or lay a cloth over the area and press around the design.
A properly cured plastisol print usually outlasts the shirt itself, often 50 or more wash cycles, as long as you stay cold and low. Heat is the only thing that really shortens its life.
Yes, over time. Liquid softener and dryer sheets leave a waxy coating that builds up on the plastisol and dulls the surface. Skip them on printed garments, or add a splash of white vinegar to the rinse instead.
Last updated June 30, 2026