October 18, 2025

Beyond Basic Tees: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Water-Based Inks and Discharge Printing for Custom-made 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 constant stress: the push for softer, more breathable prints that people actually take pleasure in using, and the need to produce at scale without compromising the environment or the bottom line. That stress has actually formed how I choose inks, pretreatments, and fabrics for customized apparel jobs. Over the years, I've discovered that water based inks and discharge printing are not simply buzzwords, they are useful tools that produce lovely results and real comfort, especially for T t-shirt printing that requires to stand up to daily wear.

If you run a brand name, handle bulk t t-shirt orders, or just desire your individualized t-shirts to feel like a favorite from the first wash, it's worth understanding how these ink systems work, where they shine, and where they require care. The right choice can make the difference in between a t-shirt that gets used when and one that ends up being the go-to.

What water based ink really is

Water based inks suspend pigments in water rather than in plasticizers and solvents. Unlike plastisol, which sits on top of the material and remedies into a movie, water based inks absorb into the fibers. That single particular discusses the majority of the advantages and trade-offs. Prints feel soft since you're touching the cotton, not a layer of cured PVC. Colors tend to look more matte and integrated. On light garments, the hand is often identical from the shirt itself. For custom t shirts designed for convenience, this is the path to the "retail feel" customers ask for.

There are 2 main families: basic water based and discharge. Standard water based ink works best on white or really light t-shirts. It can cover mid-tones with the best base, but once you move into darker materials, you either need a much heavier print or you change to release. Discharge printing uses an activator that lifts the color from the material during curing, basically whitening the t-shirt's color in the printed locations, then replaces it with your pigment. The end outcome is the softest possible print on dark cotton, often with impressive detail.

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

Eco friendly inks are not a marketing motto if you unpack the chemistry and the workflow. Water based inks usually include less unpredictable natural compounds than solvent-heavy options and prevent PVC completely. Many are compliant with strict requirements like Oeko-Tex or fulfill retail screening routines that ban certain phthalates and heavy metals. If you offer custom-made apparel into business health cares, schools, or health-conscious brands, those certificates smooth procurement and keep you ahead of compliance.

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

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

Most people do not purchase a graphic tee due to the fact that they love the ink. They purchase it because the garment looks excellent, feels good, and keeps that character after repeated cleaning. Water based inks, including discharge, provide you that broken-in comfort from the first day. On an one hundred percent ring-spun cotton blank, a water based print is breathable and versatile. You will not hear the crackle you in some cases get from heavy plastisol when you extend throughout the chest.

I keep a rack of comparison shirts in the studio. One from a surf brand, 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 somewhat, and the t-shirts kept moving. A plastisol sample with the same art looks glossier and still pops more under harsh light, which some streetwear clients choose, but the wearer feedback corresponds: water based feels like a premium garment.

Color, coverage, and how expectations shape results

Color precision with water based inks refers control, humidity, and the fabric's own dye. On white or heather light shirts, basic water based ink can hit tight Pantones with a determined ink mix and a tidy mesh. On darker cotton, discharge includes variables. Various dye lots discharge differently, even within the same brand name and color. Black 3001 blanks from one batch may raise to a warm charcoal, while the next batch clears to a cooler grey. The pigment you include steers the last color, but you're still working with a background that is shifting as the color is removed.

That's not a defect, it belongs to the medium. Many designers embrace the slightly classic character of discharge, where reds land earthy and blues feel deep instead of neon. If your brand name needs laser-precise color recreation for corporate logo designs, either order test prints on the precise batch you plan to use or think about a water based underbase or hybrid method where required. For wholesale t t-shirts that will be distributed nationally, put swatch approvals into your process so there are not a 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 beautifully. 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 lifts the cotton part. That suggests your color fills the cotton while the polyester and rayon stay as-is, typically yielding a heathered or speckled print that looks deliberate if you style for it. If your goal is flat, vivid color on a poly mix, standard plastisol or a specialized low-cure system may be smarter.

On all over print jobs, such as a seam-to-seam tonal pattern behind a chest graphic, think about cut-and-sew with water based prints on panels before assembly. Garment printing all over on ended up tees presents seams, folds, and inconsistent pressure that show up as blank micro-gaps. If you must print on finished garments, anticipate little spaces along joints, which some clients like as part of the garment's character.

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

Water based inks behave in a different way on press. They dry quicker in the screen, which is useful design your own shirt on fabric however can lock a mesh if you pause too long. Running a greater mesh for information, state 230 to 305, keeps the deposit thin and crisp. Establish with a misting bottle or a dedicated screen rewetting option at hand, and keep the print space humidity in a constant range, approximately 45 to 55 percent, to prevent premature drying. Manual press operators will see how quickly a standard water based ink clears the screen compared to a heavy plastisol. Car presses, with flood bars and consistent rate, decrease clogging.

Curing is where lots of beginners miss the mark. Water based inks require both heat and time for the water to evaporate, then for the binders to cross-link. A dryer tunnel with sufficient airflow makes the difference. You desire even heat throughout the belt and sufficient dwell to reach the producer's treatment temperature level throughout the ink layer, not just at the surface. Shirts leaving the tunnel ought to be dry to the touch without any cool areas. For discharge, the chain reaction takes place during this cure, and you will smell the activator. Good ventilation is non-negotiable.

Durability and wash testing

Durability depends on appropriate cure and fiber engagement. A well-cured water based print on cotton can outlast the t-shirt. I measure durability by standardized wash tests, 10 to 20 cycles at warm, tumble dry medium, then visual examination for fading and splitting. Water based prints show progressive softening and a mild fade in the very same method denim relaxes. Plastisol's failure mode is various, usually breaking if the ink layer is too thick or under-cured. For individualized t-shirts that need to look good at a household reunion and still be in rotation next summer season, water based holds up when produced correctly.

Cost, throughput, and when to pick which method

Costs differ regionally, however the economics fall under familiar patterns. Water based ink itself is frequently comparable to plastisol at the gallon level, however you invest more in shop environment and drying capacity. On press, water based can be a little slower at setup because you pay closer attention to fit together, squeegee durometer, and off-contact. As soon as tuned, vehicles run at similar speeds. Where it really pays off remains in viewed worth. A soft print on a mid-tier blank frequently feels premium without leaping to the highest-cost t-shirt. Brands can price accordingly.

For bulk t shirt orders above a few hundred pieces where the art matches the medium, discharge on 100 percent cotton is a workhorse. For print as needed that needs overnight turn-around and art modifications continuously, direct-to-garment or DTF may be better operationally, though both have their own environmental and feel compromises. When you handle wholesale t shirts with multiple colorways and must keep inventory flexible, a versatile water based scheme on light garments is effective, because you avoid the weight and tightness that collect with several underbases in plastisol.

Design options that highlight 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. Basic 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. Consider how the t-shirt color glances through. A charcoal heather with a discharge cream graphic appear like it grew there.

Type weight matters. Really thin knockouts inside heavy flood areas can fill out with discharge, particularly on high-absorbency cotton. If you require razor negative area, different the art to print unfavorable 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 record fiber interaction and dye lift.

When you must say no to discharge

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

If a customer requires metallics, puff, or specialty textures, plastisol or hybrid systems still own that space. Water based metallics exist, however the particles typically sink, and the result is more satin than true metal. For high-opacity neons on dark shirts that need to 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 count on a partner, set up a workflow that removes guesswork. A basic method keeps surprises at bay and assists you struck due dates for launches and events.

  • Decide on fabric first, then ink: choose 100 percent ringspun cotton for discharge, or light, high-quality cotton for standard water based. Avoid high poly unless the heathered result is desired.
  • Request test prints on the precise blanks: one t-shirt per colorway is usually enough 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 pictures of previous work you like.
  • Align on care labels and handling: suggest cold wash and low heat dry for clients, then verify your cure times so wash toughness matches the tag guidance.
  • Confirm ecological requirements: ask your printer about ink certifications, 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 restrictions: quick art modifications, small batch sizes, and the need for a broad color range. Direct-to-garment has ended up being the default, but water based screen printing can fit POD if you organize brochure strategy. For styles that are high volume even at small daily quantities, pre-burning screens and keeping a little stock of popular sizes lets you deliver same day with water based prints that feel much better than many DTG outputs. It works finest when you keep art to one or two colors and choose light garments.

If your POD design depends 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. Clients who appreciate touch will notice.

Pricing, margins, and communicating value

When clients ask why a water based or discharge print costs more than a fundamental plastisol job, I describe what they are purchasing. They get the soft hand that retail consumers correspond with quality, improved breathability, and compliance for delicate buyers. On a per-shirt basis, the distinction for a standard three-color front hit may be modest, frequently a small uplift that can be neutralized by choosing a somewhat more economical blank. If the program is for wholesale t shirts entering into shops or e-commerce at premium cost points, the enhancement in viewed value more than covers the change.

For individualized t-shirts, such as charity runs or college clubs, options matter. Deal a base price 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 customers optimize for expense, others for feel. Meeting both lets you serve a broader market without diluting your craft.

Care directions that consumers really follow

Care labels typically read like legal disclaimers. Keep it easy and realistic so the t-shirt makes it through reality. Water based and discharge prints prefer cooler washes and lower clothes dryer heat, however they will withstand regular laundering if appropriately treated. I suggest phrasing care ideas in human terms on item pages: wash cold with similar colors, tumble dry low, avoid material softeners if you want colors to remain crisp. The last note matters since some conditioners can transfer movies on fibers, dulling the visual contrast of great lines.

I have actually evaluated these directions in-house: two similar t-shirts, one washed 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 good. That tolerance originates from correct treatment, not from babying the garment.

All over print concepts that do not fight the limitations

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

A brief anecdote from a hectic season

One spring we ran a series for a regional music festival. The customer desired soft black tees with a sunburst print that seemed like it resided in the material. We sampled on 3 blacks from two mills. Batch one lifted cleanly with discharge, batch two stayed stubbornly dark in the mid-rays of the artwork. We logged dye lot numbers, rotated the ink mix by adding a touch more white pigment to compensate, and changed dwell time by 10 to 15 seconds to complete the reaction. The outcome: constant tees across 2,400 systems, each with a soft, breathable print that offered out by day two.

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

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Most problems I see trace back to process, not the ink family. Under-curing is the very first offender. Water based ink that feels dry can still be under-cured if the core of the best fabrics for DTG printing print never ever hit the required temperature for the right duration. Utilize a donut probe or an ingrained thermochromic strip to measure true ink movie temperature, not simply dryer setpoints. Screen lockup is the second. Keep a constant pace on press, flood between prints, and control store humidity.

A third mistake is disregarding material variability. If you switch blanks mid-run due to the fact that a size runs out stock, you might see shifts in color. Construct contingency into your buying. For brand names preparing ahead, picking a standard blank and locking it with your provider lowers surprises.

Final assistance for choosing your path

If your top priority is soft, breathable customized garments that clients keep using, water based inks deserve the knowing curve. Use standard water based on light garments for clean information and matte color. Move to release on one hundred percent cotton when you desire the softest prints on dark t-shirts. Accept and prepare for slight color difference with discharge, particularly across color lots. For bulk t shirt orders, build in a single round of physical tasting on the real blanks you will use, then record your settings and hold back a recommendation shirt for quality control.

If you operate a print as needed catalog, 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 results and neon stunners in plastisol or hybrid systems where they belong.

Custom t shirts are evaluated in the hands, not simply on screens. When a consumer rubs their thumb across a print and feels absolutely nothing however fiber, you have actually won. That's the moment water based and discharge provide, and why they are worthy of a place in any severe store 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.