October 18, 2025

Beyond Fundamental Tees: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Water-Based Inks and Discharge Printing for Custom T‑Shirts

Prints R Us is a custom apparel studio
Prints R Us is based in Jacksonville Florida
Prints R Us is located at 2826 Art Museum Dr Jacksonville FL 32207 United States
Prints R Us is in the country United States
Prints R Us provides premium screen printing
Prints R Us provides DTG printing
Prints R Us provides embroidery services
Prints R Us offers custom t shirts
Prints R Us produces promotional items
Prints R Us creates polos hats and hoodies
Prints R Us emphasizes craftsmanship
Prints R Us emphasizes fast turnaround
Prints R Us uses high quality materials
Prints R Us produces vibrant prints
Prints R Us has phone number 9047521515
Prints R Us has website https://printsrus.com/
Prints R Us has opening hours Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Prints R Us has Google Maps listing https://maps.app.goo.gl/hVuq8aVZERVs9NMg8
Prints R Us has Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/theprintsrus
Prints R Us has Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/theprintsrus
Prints R Us has logo https://printsrus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Print-R-Us-Logo.png
Prints R Us specializes in t shirt printing
Prints R Us specializes in custom t shirts
Prints R Us specializes in embroidery near me
Prints R Us was awarded Best Custom Printing Studio Jacksonville 2024
Prints R Us won Jacksonville Small Business Excellence Award 2023
Prints R Us was recognized for Outstanding Apparel Design Innovation 2022


Prints R Us

Prints R Us is a Jacksonville, FL–based custom apparel studio offering premium screen printing, DTG printing, and embroidery services. Whether you need one custom tee or a large bulk order for a business, event, or sports team, they bring designs to life with high-quality materials, vibrant prints, and attention to detail. From polos and hats to hoodies and promotional items, Prints R Us combines craftsmanship and fast turnaround to make your ideas wearable.

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2826 Art Museum Dr, Jacksonville, 32207, US
Business Hours:
  • Monday–Friday: 09:00–17:00
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: Closed
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People Also Ask about Prints R Us

What does Prints R Us do?

Prints R Us is a custom apparel studio in Jacksonville, Florida, specializing in premium screen printing, DTG printing, and embroidery services. They create high-quality custom t-shirts, polos, hats, hoodies, and promotional items with vibrant prints and lasting craftsmanship. Their focus on quality materials and fast turnaround makes them a trusted choice for businesses, events, and individuals seeking personalized apparel.

Where is Prints R Us located?

Prints R Us is conveniently located at 2826 Art Museum Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32207, United States. The studio serves customers throughout Jacksonville and the wider Florida area, offering both local service and nationwide delivery for custom clothing and branded merchandise.

What services does Prints R Us provide?

The company offers a wide range of custom apparel printing and design services, including screen printing, direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, embroidery, and promotional product creation. Whether customers need personalized t-shirts, branded uniforms, or embroidered polos, Prints R Us delivers professional results with attention to detail.

Which industries does Prints R Us serve?

Prints R Us works with diverse industries such as schools, small businesses, corporate offices, sports teams, and event organizers. Their services are ideal for branded apparel, team uniforms, promotional giveaways, and fashion-forward custom designs, making them a versatile partner for both personal and business needs.

Why choose Prints R Us for custom t-shirts and embroidery?

Customers choose Prints R Us for their reputation in craftsmanship, vibrant printing, and reliable turnaround times. With awards for apparel design innovation and excellence in small business, the studio has proven expertise in delivering high-quality custom apparel that meets both creative and professional standards.

Does Prints R Us use high-quality materials?

Yes, Prints R Us emphasizes using premium fabrics and durable materials to ensure long-lasting results. Their prints are designed to remain vibrant even after multiple washes, while embroidery work is completed with precision for a polished, professional look.

What awards has Prints R Us won?

Prints R Us has earned multiple recognitions, including Best Custom Printing Studio Jacksonville 2024, the Jacksonville Small Business Excellence Award 2023, and an award for Outstanding Apparel Design Innovation 2022. These accolades highlight their commitment to creativity, quality, and customer satisfaction.

How can I contact Prints R Us?

You can reach Prints R Us by phone at (904)-752-1515 or visit their website at printsrus.com. They are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, and you can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates, new designs, and customer showcases.

Walk into any print shop that takes its craft seriously, and you will see two things in consistent stress: the push for softer, more breathable prints that people actually enjoy using, and the need to produce at scale without compromising the environment or the bottom line. That stress has actually formed how I select inks, pretreatments, and materials for custom clothing photo t shirts projects. For many years, I've learned that water based inks and discharge printing are not simply buzzwords, they are useful tools that produce beautiful outcomes and real convenience, especially for T shirt printing that requires to stand up to daily wear.

If you run a brand name, handle bulk t shirt orders, or just want your tailored t-shirts to seem like a preferred from the very first wash, it deserves understanding how these ink systems work, where they shine, and where they require care. The best choice can make the distinction between a t-shirt that gets worn as soon as and one that becomes the go-to.

What water based ink actually is

Water based inks suspend pigments in water instead of in plasticizers and solvents. Unlike plastisol, which sits on top of the material and treatments into a film, water based inks absorb into the fibers. That single particular describes most of the benefits and trade-offs. Prints feel soft because you're touching the cotton, not a layer of treated PVC. Colors tend to look more matte and integrated. On light garments, the hand is often indistinguishable from the shirt itself. For custom t shirts created for comfort, this is the course to the "retail feel" clients ask for.

There are 2 primary families: standard water based and discharge. Standard water based ink works best on white or extremely light t-shirts. It can cover mid-tones with the best base, once you move into darker materials, you either need a heavier print or you switch to release. Release printing utilizes an activator that raises the dye from the material throughout treating, basically whitening the shirt's color in the printed areas, then changes it with your pigment. The end result is the softest possible print on dark cotton, frequently with outstanding detail.

Why the eco friendly label matters, and where it has limits

Eco friendly inks are not a marketing motto if you unload the chemistry and the workflow. Water based inks normally include less unstable organic substances than solvent-heavy alternatives and avoid PVC completely. Numerous are certified with strict requirements like Oeko-Tex or satisfy retail testing programs that prohibit certain phthalates and heavy metals. If you offer custom-made garments into corporate wellness programs, schools, or health-conscious brands, those certificates smooth procurement and keep you ahead of compliance.

That said, "eco friendly" is a system idea. Ink is one part. You likewise require to look at shop practices: purification on your washout cubicle, reclaim chemistry, energy usage on your clothes dryer, and even fabric sourcing. Discharge needs an activator, generally based on zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate or comparable compounds, which has its own handling and ventilation requirements. In a well-run shop, direct exposure is managed and waste is recorded. If you're using print as needed with a partner, ask how they handle discharge effluent and whether they have air exchange and curing controls called in. Genuine sustainability conceals in the details.

Hand feel, breathability, and the "favorite tee" factor

Most individuals do not buy a graphic tee due to the fact that they like the ink. They buy it since the garment looks good, feels good, and keeps that character after repeated cleaning. Water based inks, including discharge, give you that broken-in convenience from day one. On an one hundred percent ring-spun cotton blank, a water based print is breathable and flexible. You will not hear the crackle you in some cases obtain from heavy plastisol when you extend throughout the chest.

I keep a shelf of contrast t-shirts in the studio. One from a browse brand, one from a brewery, both printed with discharge on midweight cotton. After 30 to 40 home washes, the prints softened even more, the colors mellowed slightly, and the shirts kept moving. A plastisol sample with the very same art looks glossier and still pops more under harsh light, which some streetwear customers choose, but the wearer feedback is consistent: water based seems like a premium garment.

Color, coverage, and how expectations form results

Color accuracy with water based inks refers control, humidity, and the material's own color. On white or heather light shirts, basic water based ink can strike tight Pantones with a measured ink mix and a tidy mesh. On darker cotton, discharge includes variables. Various dye lots discharge in a different way, even within the very same brand name and color. Black 3001 blanks from one batch might lift to a warm charcoal, while the next batch clears to a cooler grey. The pigment you include steers the final color, but you're still dealing with a background that is shifting as the dye is removed.

That's not a defect, it becomes part of the medium. Lots of designers embrace the somewhat classic character of discharge, where reds land earthy and blues feel deep rather than neon. If your brand name needs laser-precise color reproduction for corporate logo designs, either order test prints on the exact batch you prepare to use or think about a water based underbase or hybrid technique where required. For wholesale t t-shirts that will be distributed nationally, put swatch approvals into your procedure so there are no surprises at scale.

Fabric matters more than most people think

A water based print is a partnership in between ink and fiber. Ringspun cotton takes ink magnificently. Carded open end cotton is scratchier and drinks ink unevenly. Blends complicate things. A 50/50 poly-cotton or a triblend with rayon can work with water based, however discharge only raises the cotton part. That implies your color fills the cotton while the polyester and rayon remain as-is, often yielding a heathered or speckled print that looks intentional if you style for it. If your objective is flat, brilliant color on a poly blend, standard plastisol or a specialized low-cure system may be smarter.

On all over print tasks, such as a seam-to-seam tonal pattern behind a chest graphic, consider cut-and-sew with water based prints on panels before assembly. Garment printing all over on completed tees introduces joints, folds, and inconsistent pressure that appear as blank micro-gaps. If you need to print on ended up garments, anticipate small voids along seams, which some customers like as part of the garment's character.

The production reality: screens, mesh, humidity, and dryers

Water based inks act differently on press. They dry much faster in the screen, which works on material but can lock a mesh if you pause too long. Running a higher mesh for information, say 230 to 305, keeps the deposit thin and crisp. Set up with a misting bottle or a dedicated screen rewetting service at hand, and keep the print space humidity in a stable variety, roughly 45 to 55 percent, to prevent early drying. Manual press operators will discover how rapidly a standard water based ink clears the screen compared to a heavy plastisol. Auto presses, with flood bars and consistent speed, minimize clogging.

Curing is where numerous novices fizzle. Water based inks need both heat and time for the water to vaporize, then for the binders to cross-link. A clothes dryer tunnel with sufficient airflow makes the difference. You want even heat across the belt and sufficient dwell to reach the producer's remedy temperature throughout the ink layer, not just at the surface area. Shirts exiting the tunnel needs to be dry to the touch with no cool areas. For discharge, the chain reaction occurs during this cure, and you will smell the activator. Excellent ventilation is non-negotiable.

Durability and wash testing

Durability depends upon proper treatment and fiber engagement. A well-cured water based print on cotton can last longer than the t-shirt. I measure durability by standardized wash tests, 10 to 20 cycles at warm, topple dry medium, then visual examination for fading and breaking. Water based prints reveal progressive softening and a mild fade in the exact same way jeans relaxes. Plastisol's failure mode is various, generally cracking if the ink layer is too thick or under-cured. For personalized t-shirts that require to look good at a family reunion and still be in rotation next summer, water based holds up when produced correctly.

Cost, throughput, and when to pick which method

Costs differ regionally, however the economics fall into familiar patterns. Water based ink itself is frequently similar to plastisol at the gallon level, but you invest more in store environment and drying capacity. On press, water based can be slightly slower at setup since you pay closer attention to mesh, squeegee durometer, and off-contact. Once tuned, automobiles perform at comparable speeds. Where it really settles remains in viewed value. A soft print on a mid-tier blank frequently feels premium without leaping to the highest-cost t-shirt. Brand names can price accordingly.

For bulk t shirt orders above a few hundred pieces where the art fits the medium, discharge on one hundred percent cotton is a workhorse. For print on demand that needs over night turnaround and art modifications constantly, direct-to-garment or DTF may be better operationally, though both have their own environmental and feel trade-offs. When you take on wholesale t shirts with multiple colorways and should keep inventory flexible, a versatile water based combination on light garments is efficient, since you avoid the weight and tightness that collect with numerous underbases in plastisol.

Design choices that draw out the best in water based and discharge

Design preparation begins with the fabric color and ends with curing. On light shirts, lean into detail: thin lines, halftones, hand-drawn textures. Basic water based ink prints those with a special that plastisol tends to overpower. On dark cotton, discharge shines with mid-tone richness and soft edges. Think about how the shirt color glimpses through. A charcoal heather with a discharge cream graphic appear like it grew there.

Type weight matters. Really thin knockouts inside heavy flood locations can complete with discharge, especially on high-absorbency cotton. If you require razor unfavorable space, separate the art to print negative shapes as favorable strokes with a clear schedule for squeegee pressure and flashes. Ask your printer for a proof on the actual garment instead of relying on a digital mockup. A mockup can not catch fiber interaction and color lift.

When you must say no to discharge

There are times I recommend Halftone printing against discharge. Polyester-rich garments are top of the list. The activator can trigger dye migration, particularly with sublimated or cationic-dyed efficiency shirts, leading to ghosting or brownish casts. Some garment dyes, specifically reactive black blends, resist lifting, leaving a shadowed print that looks undercured even when it isn't. If a customer is delicate to minor odor throughout curing, discharge days in the store are obvious. Well-managed air flow reduces this, however it belongs to the process.

If a customer needs metallics, puff, or specialty textures, plastisol or hybrid systems still own that space. Water based metallics exist, but the particles often sink, and the effect is more satin than true metal. For high-opacity neons on dark shirts that must be billboard-bright, you may require a water based underbase tuned for opacity or a switch to plastisol.

Practical workflow for brand names and creators

Whether you run your own presses or depend on a partner, established a workflow that gets rid of uncertainty. A basic approach keeps surprises at bay and helps you hit deadlines for launches and events.

  • Decide on material first, then ink: choose one hundred percent ringspun cotton for discharge, or light, premium cotton for standard water based. Prevent high poly unless the heathered result is desired.
  • Request test prints on the precise blanks: one t-shirt per colorway is normally sufficient to lock approvals, especially for bulk t shirt orders where consistency matters.
  • Clarify color expectations in context: offer Pantone targets for light garments and describe acceptable ranges for dark discharge prints, with photos of prior work you like.
  • Align on care labels and handling: recommend cold wash and low heat dry for consumers, then validate your cure times so wash resilience matches the tag guidance.
  • Confirm environmental standards: ask your printer about ink accreditations, ventilation, and waste capture, particularly if your brand messaging leans into eco friendly inks.

How water based fits with print on demand

Print on demand has its own restraints: fast art changes, small batch sizes, and the requirement for a broad color gamut. Direct-to-garment has become the default, but water based screen printing can fit POD if you organize catalog strategy. For styles that are high volume even at little everyday amounts, pre-burning screens and keeping a little stock of popular sizes lets you deliver exact same day with water based prints that feel much better than numerous DTG outputs. It works best when you keep art to one or two colors and choose light garments.

If your POD model counts on all over print sublimation for polyester garments, water based screen printing is not a replacement, it is a parallel offering. Use it where cotton convenience and breathability are the selling points. Consumers who appreciate touch will notice.

Pricing, margins, and interacting value

When customers ask why a water based or discharge print costs more than a fundamental plastisol task, I explain what they are purchasing. They get the soft hand that retail customers relate with quality, enhanced breathability, and compliance for sensitive purchasers. On a per-shirt basis, the difference for a standard three-color front hit may be modest, often a little uplift that can be reduced the effects of by picking a slightly more affordable blank. If the program is for wholesale t shirts going into stores or e-commerce at exceptional rate points, the improvement in viewed value more than covers the change.

For customized shirts, such as charity runs or college clubs, options matter. Offer a base cost with plastisol on midweight cotton, then a "comfort upgrade" that consists of a ringspun blank with water based ink. You will see a clear split: some clients optimize for expense, others for feel. Satisfying both lets you serve a broader market without diluting your craft.

Care instructions that customers in fact follow

Care labels frequently check out like legal disclaimers. Keep it simple and reasonable so the shirt survives real life. Water based and discharge prints prefer cooler washes and lower dryer heat, however they will withstand normal laundering if properly cured. I suggest phrasing care suggestions in human terms on product pages: wash cold with similar colors, topple dry low, prevent fabric conditioners if you want colors to stay crisp. The last note matters since some conditioners can deposit films on fibers, dulling the visual contrast of fine lines.

I've checked these instructions in-house: 2 identical t-shirts, one cleaned cold and dried low, the other washed warm and dried high. After 15 cycles, the warm/high tee showed somewhat faster fading of mid-tones, yet still looked great. That tolerance originates from right cure, not from babying the garment.

All over print ideas that do not combat the limitations

All over print catches attention, however printing flood coats on assembled garments with water based inks can be unforgiving. Rather of combating seams, style for them. Usage tone-on-tone patterns that fade naturally at joints, or use a ghosted grid that looks intentional when it breaks at hems. Alternatively, run panel printing and sew. Brands that offer restricted runs can justify cut-and-sew for 100 to 300 pieces if the style necessitates it. The completed garments check out as custom from a distance, which is the goal.

A quick anecdote from a busy season

One spring we ran a series for a regional music festival. The customer wanted soft black tees with a sunburst print that felt like it lived in the material. We tested on three blacks from two mills. Batch one raised cleanly with discharge, batch 2 remained stubbornly dark in the mid-rays of the art work. We logged color lot numbers, rotated the ink mix by adding a touch more white pigment to compensate, and adjusted dwell time by 10 to 15 seconds to finish the reaction. The result: consistent tees throughout 2,400 systems, each with a soft, breathable print that sold out by day two.

That task taught the team to treat discharge like cooking, not chemistry on a chalkboard. The recipe matters, however so does tasting and adjusting.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Most problems I see trace back to process, not the ink household. Under-curing is the first offender. Water based ink that feels dry can still be under-cured if the core of the print never ever hit the needed temp for the right period. Utilize a donut probe or an embedded thermochromic strip to determine true ink movie temperature level, not just dryer setpoints. Screen lockup is the second. Keep a consistent pace on press, flood between prints, and control shop humidity.

A third risk is ignoring fabric irregularity. If you switch blanks mid-run since a size runs out stock, you may see shifts in color. Develop contingency into your purchasing. For brands preparing ahead, picking a basic blank and locking it with your supplier minimizes surprises.

Final guidance for choosing your path

If your top priority is soft, breathable custom clothing that customers keep wearing, water based inks deserve the knowing curve. Use standard water based on light garments for clean information and matte color. Move to release on 100 percent cotton when you want the softest prints on dark t-shirts. Accept and prepare for slight color variation with discharge, particularly across color lots. For bulk t shirt orders, integrate in a single round of physical tasting on the actual blanks you will use, then record your settings and keep back a referral t-shirt for quality control.

same day t-shirt printing

If you operate a print on demand brochure, take a water based capsule of best sellers on light shirts. Market the distinction: eco friendly inks, breathable feel, and retail-quality hand. Keep your specialty impacts and neon stunners in plastisol or hybrid systems where they belong.

Custom t t-shirts are judged in the hands, not simply on screens. When a client rubs their thumb across a print and feels nothing however fiber, you have actually won. That's the minute water based and discharge provide, and why they are worthy of a place in any major shop or brand name's toolkit.

Business Name: Prints R Us
Address: 2826 Art Museum Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32207, United States
Phone: (904)-752-1515

I am a dynamic innovator with a broad knowledge base in entrepreneurship. My conviction in entrepreneurship spurs my desire to innovate disruptive organizations. In my business career, I have cultivated a profile as being a daring thinker. Aside from creating my own businesses, I also enjoy counseling young startup founders. I believe in empowering the next generation of startup founders to pursue their own aspirations. I am easily seeking out disruptive opportunities and working together with similarly-driven creators. Redefining what's possible is my purpose. Aside from engaged in my enterprise, I enjoy immersing myself in dynamic environments. I am also focused on health and wellness.