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.

View on Google Maps
2826 Art Museum Dr, Jacksonville, 32207, US
Business Hours:
  • Monday–Friday: 09:00–17:00
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: Closed
Follow Us:

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 printing shop that takes its craft seriously, and you will see two things in consistent stress: the push for softer, more breathable prints that individuals in fact take pleasure in wearing, and the requirement to produce at scale without jeopardizing the environment or the bottom line. That stress has actually formed how I select inks, pretreatments, and fabrics for custom-made apparel jobs. For many years, I have actually learned that water based inks and discharge printing are not simply buzzwords, they are useful tools that produce gorgeous outcomes and genuine comfort, specifically for T t-shirt printing that needs to stand up to day-to-day wear.

If you run a brand name, manage bulk t shirt orders, or merely want your individualized t-shirts to feel like a preferred from the first wash, it deserves understanding how these ink systems work, where they shine, and where they require care. The right option can make the difference in between a shirt that gets worn when 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 cures into a movie, water based inks absorb into the fibers. That single particular explains most of the benefits and trade-offs. Prints feel soft because you're touching the cotton, not a layer of cured PVC. Colors tend to look more matte and incorporated. On light garments, the hand is frequently identical from the t-shirt itself. For customized t shirts created for convenience, this is the course to the "retail feel" clients ask for.

There are two main households: basic water based and discharge. Standard water based ink works best on white or very light shirts. It can cover mid-tones with the right base, but once you move into darker materials, you either require a heavier print or you change to discharge. Release printing uses an activator that lifts the dye from the fabric throughout curing, essentially whitening the shirt's color in the printed locations, then changes it with your pigment. The end result is the softest possible print on dark cotton, often with impressive 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 usually consist of less volatile organic substances than solvent-heavy options and avoid PVC entirely. Lots of are compliant with rigorous requirements like Oeko-Tex or satisfy retail testing regimes that ban specific phthalates and heavy metals. If you offer custom-made garments into business wellness programs, schools, or health-conscious brand names, those certificates smooth procurement and keep you ahead of compliance.

That said, "eco friendly" is a system principle. Ink is one part. You also need to take a look at shop practices: filtration on your washout booth, recover chemistry, energy use on your dryer, and even fabric sourcing. Discharge requires an activator, normally based upon zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate or comparable substances, which has its own handling and ventilation needs. In a well-run shop, exposure is managed and waste is caught. If you're utilizing print on demand with a partner, ask how they deal with discharge effluent and whether they have air exchange and treating controls dialed in. Real sustainability hides in the details.

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

Most people do not buy a graphic tee since they love the ink. They buy it due to the fact that the garment looks good, feels excellent, and keeps that character after duplicated washing. Water based inks, consisting of discharge, provide you that broken-in convenience from day one. On an one hundred percent ring-spun cotton blank, a water based print is breathable and versatile. You will not hear the crackle you sometimes obtain from heavy plastisol when you stretch across the chest.

I keep a shelf of comparison shirts in the studio. One from a browse brand name, one from a brewery, both printed with discharge on midweight cotton. After 30 to 40 home washes, the prints softened much 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 extreme light, which some streetwear clients choose, but the wearer feedback corresponds: water based feels like a premium garment.

Color, protection, and how expectations form results

Color precision with water based inks is a matter of control, humidity, and the material's own color. On white or heather light shirts, basic water based ink can hit tight Pantones with a measured ink mix and a clean mesh. On darker cotton, discharge adds variables. Different color lots discharge in a different way, even within the exact same brand name and color. Black 3001 blanks from one batch may lift to a warm charcoal, while the next batch clears to a cooler grey. The pigment you add guides the final color, however you're still working with a background that is moving as the color is removed.

That's not a defect, it belongs to the medium. Lots of designers welcome the slightly vintage character of discharge, where reds land earthy and blues feel deep rather than neon. If your brand needs laser-precise color recreation for corporate logo designs, either order test prints on the specific batch you prepare to utilize or think about a water based underbase or hybrid approach where needed. 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 the majority of people think

A water based print is a partnership 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 deal with water based, but discharge just raises the cotton part. That implies your color saturates the cotton while the polyester and rayon remain as-is, frequently yielding a heathered or speckled print that looks intentional if you design for it. If your objective is flat, vivid color on a poly mix, traditional plastisol or a specialized low-cure system white ink underbase might be smarter.

On all over print projects, such as a seam-to-seam tonal pattern behind a chest graphic, consider cut-and-sew with water Plastisol ink based prints on panels before assembly. Garment printing all over on ended up tees presents seams, folds, and irregular pressure that appear as blank micro-gaps. If you need to print on finished garments, anticipate little voids along on-demand apparel fulfillment seams, which some clients like as part of the garment's character.

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

Water based inks act differently on press. They dry quicker in the screen, which works on material but can lock a mesh if you stop briefly too long. Running a higher mesh for information, state 230 to 305, keeps the deposit thin and hat embroidery crisp. Establish with a misting bottle or a devoted screen rewetting solution at hand, and keep the print space humidity in a constant variety, approximately 45 to 55 percent, to prevent premature drying. Manual press operators will observe how quickly a standard water based ink clears the screen compared to a heavy plastisol. Automobile presses, with flood bars and consistent speed, reduce clogging.

Curing is where many beginners fizzle. Water based inks require both heat and time for the water to evaporate, then for the binders to cross-link. A clothes dryer tunnel with adequate airflow makes the distinction. You want even heat across the belt and enough dwell to reach the producer's treatment temperature level throughout the ink layer, not just at the surface. T-shirts leaving the tunnel needs to be dry to the touch with no cool areas. For discharge, the chain reaction occurs during this treatment, and you will smell the activator. Good ventilation is non-negotiable.

Durability and wash testing

Durability depends on proper cure and fiber engagement. A well-cured water based print on cotton can outlast the shirt. I measure durability by standardized wash tests, 10 to 20 cycles at warm, topple dry medium, then visual examination for fading and cracking. Water based prints reveal steady softening and a mild fade in the exact same way denim relaxes. Plastisol's failure mode is different, normally breaking if the ink layer is too thick or under-cured. For tailored shirts that need to look proficient at a family reunion and still be in rotation next summer, water based holds up when produced correctly.

Cost, throughput, and when to choose which method

Costs vary regionally, but the economics fall under familiar patterns. Water based ink itself is typically equivalent 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 because you pay closer attention to mesh, squeegee durometer, and off-contact. When tuned, DTG t-shirt printing autos perform at similar speeds. Where it actually pays off remains in viewed value. A soft print on a mid-tier blank typically feels premium without leaping to the highest-cost shirt. Brand names can price accordingly.

For bulk t shirt orders above a couple of hundred pieces where the art suits the medium, discharge on one hundred percent cotton is a workhorse. For print on demand that needs over night turnaround and art changes constantly, direct-to-garment or DTF may be much better operationally, though both have their own ecological and feel compromises. When you take on wholesale t shirts with numerous colorways and must keep stock flexible, a flexible water based scheme on light garments is efficient, considering that you avoid the weight and stiffness that collect with numerous underbases in plastisol.

Design choices that bring out the very best in water based and discharge

Design planning starts with the material color and ends with curing. On light t-shirts, lean into information: thin lines, halftones, hand-drawn textures. Standard water based ink prints those with a special that plastisol tends to subdue. On dark cotton, discharge shines with mid-tone richness and soft edges. Think about how the t-shirt color glimpses through. A charcoal heather with a discharge cream graphic looks like it grew there.

Type weight matters. Extremely thin knockouts inside heavy flood locations can fill in with discharge, specifically on high-absorbency cotton. If you need razor unfavorable area, different the art to print negative shapes as positive strokes with a clear schedule for squeegee pressure and flashes. Ask your printer for an evidence on the real garment rather than relying on a digital mockup. A mockup can not capture fiber interaction and color lift.

When you must say no to discharge

There are times I recommend against discharge. Polyester-rich garments are leading of the list. The activator can trigger dye migration, particularly with sublimated or cationic-dyed performance t-shirts, causing ghosting or brownish casts. Some garment dyes, particularly reactive black blends, withstand lifting, leaving a shadowed print that looks undercured even when it isn't. If a client is sensitive to minor smell throughout treating, discharge days in the shop are noticeable. Well-managed airflow alleviates this, however it belongs to the process.

If a client needs metallics, puff, or specialized textures, plastisol or hybrid systems still own that space. Water based metallics exist, but the particles typically sink, and the impact is more satin than real metal. For high-opacity neons on dark t-shirts that must be billboard-bright, you may need a water based underbase tuned for opacity or a switch to plastisol.

Practical workflow for brands and creators

Whether you run your own presses or rely on a partner, set up a workflow that removes guesswork. A basic method keeps surprises at bay and helps you hit deadlines for launches and events.

  • Decide on material initially, then ink: choose one hundred percent ringspun cotton for discharge, or light, premium cotton for basic water based. Prevent high poly unless the heathered effect is desired.
  • Request test prints on the precise blanks: one shirt per colorway is generally enough to lock approvals, especially for bulk t shirt orders where consistency matters.
  • Clarify color expectations in context: provide Pantone targets for light garments and describe appropriate varieties for dark discharge prints, with images of prior work you like.
  • Align on care labels and handling: recommend cold wash and low heat dry for customers, then validate your cure times so clean toughness matches the tag guidance.
  • Confirm ecological standards: ask your printer about ink accreditations, ventilation, and waste capture, particularly if your brand name messaging leans into eco friendly inks.

How water based fits with print on demand

Print on demand has its own restraints: fast art modifications, little batch sizes, and the requirement for a broad color range. Direct-to-garment has become the default, but water based screen printing can fit POD if you organize catalog technique. For designs that are high volume even at small day-to-day amounts, pre-burning screens and keeping a little stock of popular sizes lets you ship very same day with water based prints that feel better than lots of DTG outputs. It works best when you keep art to a couple of colors and select light garments.

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

Pricing, margins, and communicating value

When customers ask why a water based or discharge print costs more than a fundamental plastisol job, I describe what they are buying. They get the soft hand that retail customers correspond with quality, enhanced breathability, and compliance for delicate buyers. On a per-shirt basis, the difference for a standard three-color front hit might be modest, often a little uplift that can be neutralized by picking a slightly more affordable blank. If the program is for wholesale t t-shirts going into shops or e-commerce at superior cost points, the improvement in viewed value more than covers the change.

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

Care guidelines that consumers in fact follow

Care labels frequently check out like legal disclaimers. Keep it basic and reasonable so the shirt endures reality. Water based and discharge prints choose cooler washes and lower clothes dryer heat, however they will endure normal laundering if properly treated. I suggest phrasing care suggestions in human terms on item pages: wash cold with comparable colors, tumble dry low, avoid fabric softeners if you want colors to stay crisp. The last note matters because some conditioners can transfer films on fibers, dulling the visual contrast of fine lines.

I've evaluated these instructions in-house: 2 similar t-shirts, one cleaned cold and dried low, the other washed warm and dried high. After 15 cycles, the warm/high tee revealed a little faster fading of mid-tones, yet still looked great. That tolerance originates from proper remedy, not from babying the garment.

All over print concepts that do not battle the limitations

All over print catches attention, however printing flood coats on assembled garments with water based inks can be unforgiving. Rather of combating joints, style for them. Use tone-on-tone patterns that fade naturally at joints, or apply a ghosted grid that looks deliberate when it breaks at hems. Additionally, run panel printing and stitch. Brands that offer limited 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 hectic season

One spring we ran a series for a local music festival. The customer desired soft black tees with a sunburst print that felt like it lived in the material. We tested on three blacks from 2 mills. Batch one raised easily with discharge, batch two stayed stubbornly dark in the mid-rays of the artwork. We logged dye lot numbers, rotated the ink mix by including a touch more white pigment to compensate, and changed dwell time by 10 to 15 seconds to finish the response. The result: constant tees throughout 2,400 units, each with a soft, breathable print that offered out by day two.

That job taught the crew to deal with discharge like cooking, not chemistry on a blackboard. The recipe matters, but so does tasting and adjusting.

Common risks and how to avoid them

Most problems I see trace back to process, not the ink household. Under-curing is the first perpetrator. Water based ink that feels dry can still be under-cured if the core of the print never ever struck the required temperature for the ideal duration. Utilize a donut probe or an ingrained thermochromic strip to measure true ink film temperature, not simply clothes dryer setpoints. Screen lockup is the second. Keep a constant speed on press, flood in between prints, and control shop humidity.

A third mistake is disregarding fabric variability. If you change blanks mid-run since a size is out of stock, you may see shifts in color. Construct contingency into your purchasing. For brand names preparing ahead, picking a basic blank and locking it with your supplier reduces surprises.

Final guidance for choosing your path

If your top priority is soft, breathable custom-made garments that clients keep wearing, water based inks deserve the knowing curve. Usage basic water based on light garments for tidy information and matte color. Move to release on one hundred percent cotton when you desire the softest prints on dark shirts. Accept and prepare for slight color variance with discharge, specifically across color lots. For bulk t t-shirt orders, integrate in a single round of physical sampling on the actual blanks you will utilize, then document your settings and hold back a reference shirt for quality control.

If you operate a print on demand brochure, take a water based pill of finest sellers on light t-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 evaluated in the hands, not simply on screens. When a client rubs their thumb throughout a print and feels absolutely 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 severe shop or brand'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.