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 2 things in constant tension: the push for softer, more breathable prints that people actually delight in wearing, and the requirement to produce at scale without jeopardizing the environment or the bottom line. That stress has shaped how I choose inks, pretreatments, and fabrics for custom garments projects. Throughout the years, I have actually discovered that water based inks and discharge printing are not just buzzwords, they are useful tools that produce beautiful results and genuine comfort, particularly for T t-shirt printing that requires to withstand daily wear.

If you run a brand name, manage bulk t shirt orders, or merely desire your personalized 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 need care. The ideal choice can make the distinction in between a t-shirt that gets worn once and one that becomes the go-to.

What water based ink in fact 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 soak up into the fibers. That single particular discusses the majority of the advantages and compromises. Prints feel soft due to the fact that you're touching the cotton, not a layer of treated PVC. Colors tend to look more matte and incorporated. On light garments, the hand is frequently indistinguishable from the shirt itself. For customized t shirts developed for convenience, this is the path to the "retail feel" customers ask for.

There are two primary families: basic water based and discharge. Standard water based ink works best on white or really light shirts. It can cover mid-tones with the right base, but once you move into darker fabrics, you either require a heavier print or you change to discharge. Discharge printing utilizes an activator that raises the dye from the material throughout treating, essentially whitening the shirt's color in the printed areas, then replaces it with your pigment. The end outcome is the softest possible print on dark cotton, typically with exceptional detail.

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

Eco friendly inks are not a marketing motto if you unload the chemistry and the workflow. Water based inks usually consist of fewer volatile natural substances than solvent-heavy options and avoid PVC altogether. Numerous are compliant with rigorous standards like Oeko-Tex or satisfy retail testing programs that ban certain phthalates and heavy metals. If you sell custom clothing into corporate health cares, schools, or health-conscious brands, those certificates smooth procurement and keep you ahead of compliance.

That stated, "eco friendly" is a system idea. Ink is one part. You likewise need to look at shop practices: filtering on your washout cubicle, recover chemistry, energy usage on your clothes dryer, and even fabric sourcing. Discharge needs an activator, normally 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 captured. 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 "preferred tee" factor

Most people do not buy a graphic tee because they enjoy the ink. They buy it since the garment looks good, feels excellent, and keeps that character after repeated cleaning. Water based inks, including discharge, offer you that broken-in convenience 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 often get from heavy plastisol when you stretch across the chest.

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

Color, coverage, and how expectations form results

Color precision with water based inks refers control, humidity, and the material's own dye. On white or heather light shirts, standard 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 differently, even within the same brand 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 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. Many designers embrace the slightly 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 business logos, either order test prints on the precise batch you plan 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 process so there are no surprises at scale.

Fabric matters more than the majority of people think

A water based print is a partnership in between ink and fiber. Ringspun cotton takes ink perfectly. Carded open end cotton is scratchier and beverages ink unevenly. Blends complicate things. A 50/50 poly-cotton or a triblend with rayon can work with water based, but discharge only lifts the cotton portion. That suggests your color saturates the cotton while the polyester and rayon remain as-is, often yielding a heathered or speckled print that looks bulk order embroidery intentional if you style for it. If your goal is flat, vibrant color on a poly blend, traditional plastisol or a specialized low-cure system might 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 completed tees presents joints, folds, and irregular pressure that appear as blank micro-gaps. If you need to print on finished garments, expect little 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 in a different way on press. They dry faster in the screen, which works on fabric but can lock a mesh if you pause too long. Running a greater mesh for information, say 230 to 305, keeps the deposit thin and crisp. Set up with a misting bottle or a dedicated screen rewetting option 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 see how rapidly a basic water based ink clears the screen compared to a heavy plastisol. Car presses, with flood bars and consistent pace, decrease 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 enough airflow makes the distinction. You want even heat across the belt and sufficient dwell to reach the producer's cure temperature level throughout the ink layer, not simply at the surface area. T-shirts leaving the tunnel must be dry to the touch with no cool spots. For discharge, the chemical reaction takes place throughout this treatment, and you will smell the activator. Good ventilation is non-negotiable.

Durability and wash testing

Durability depends on correct cure and fiber engagement. A well-cured water based print on cotton can last longer than the shirt. I measure sturdiness by standardized wash tests, 10 to 20 cycles at warm, tumble dry medium, then visual examination for fading and splitting. Water based prints show gradual softening and a mild fade in the exact same way denim unwinds. Plastisol's failure mode is different, generally cracking if the ink layer is too thick or under-cured. For personalized shirts that need to look good at a family reunion and still remain in rotation next summertime, 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 comparable to plastisol at the gallon level, however 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, automobiles perform at similar speeds. Where it actually settles remains in viewed worth. A soft print on a mid-tier blank typically feels premium without jumping to the highest-cost shirt. Brands can price accordingly.

For bulk t shirt orders above a few hundred pieces where the art matches the medium, discharge on one hundred percent cotton is a workhorse. For print as needed that requires over night turnaround and art modifications continuously, direct-to-garment or DTF might be better operationally, though both have their own ecological and feel compromises. When you handle wholesale t shirts with numerous colorways and must keep inventory flexible, a flexible water based scheme on light garments is efficient, given that you prevent the weight and stiffness that collect with numerous underbases in plastisol.

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

Design preparation begins with the material color and ends with treating. On light shirts, lean into detail: thin lines, halftones, hand-drawn textures. Standard 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. Consider how the 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 out with discharge, particularly on high-absorbency cotton. If you require razor negative space, separate the art to print negative shapes as positive strokes with a clear schedule for squeegee pressure and flashes. Ask your printer for a proof on the real garment rather than trusting a digital mockup. A mockup can not record fiber interaction and color lift.

When you need to state no to discharge

There are times I recommend versus discharge. Polyester-rich garments are leading of the list. The activator can cause dye migration, particularly with sublimated or cationic-dyed efficiency t-shirts, leading to 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 delicate to small odor throughout treating, discharge days in the store are noticeable. Well-managed airflow alleviates this, but 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, however the particles often sink, and the impact is more satin than real metal. For high-opacity neons on dark t-shirts that must be billboard-bright, you might 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 count on a partner, established a workflow that gets rid of guesswork. A basic method keeps surprises at bay and helps you hit due dates for launches and events.

  • Decide on fabric initially, then ink: pick one hundred percent ringspun cotton for discharge, or light, premium cotton for standard water based. Avoid high poly unless the heathered effect is desired.
  • Request test prints on the specific blanks: one shirt per colorway is normally enough to lock approvals, especially for bulk t t-shirt orders where consistency matters.
  • Clarify color expectations in context: offer Pantone targets for light garments and explain acceptable 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 clients, then validate your treatment times so wash durability matches the tag guidance.
  • Confirm ecological standards: ask your printer about ink certifications, ventilation, and waste capture, especially 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 gamut. Direct-to-garment has actually 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 small stock of popular sizes lets you deliver very same day with water based prints that feel much better than numerous DTG outputs. It works finest 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. Customers who care about touch will notice.

Pricing, margins, and interacting value

When clients 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 clients correspond with quality, enhanced breathability, and compliance for delicate purchasers. On a per-shirt basis, the distinction for a standard three-color front hit might be modest, often a little uplift that can be neutralized by choosing a slightly more affordable blank. If the program is for wholesale t shirts going into stores or e-commerce at exceptional price points, the enhancement in perceived value more than covers the change.

For individualized shirts, such as charity runs or college clubs, alternatives matter. Deal 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 expense, others for feel. Satisfying both lets you serve a broader market without diluting your craft.

Care guidelines that consumers actually follow

Care labels frequently check out like legal disclaimers. Keep it basic and practical so the shirt makes it through reality. Water based and discharge prints choose cooler washes and lower dryer heat, however they will sustain normal laundering if appropriately cured. I recommend phrasing care suggestions in human terms on product pages: wash cold with comparable colors, topple dry low, prevent material softeners if you desire colors to stay crisp. The last note matters because some conditioners can deposit movies on fibers, dulling the visual contrast of great lines.

I have actually checked these directions in-house: 2 identical t-shirts, one washed cold and dried low, the other washed warm and dried high. After 15 cycles, the warm/high tee showed slightly quicker fading of mid-tones, yet still looked excellent. That tolerance comes from correct cure, not from babying the garment.

All over print concepts that do not combat the limitations

All over print catches attention, but printing flood coats on assembled garments with water based inks can be unforgiving. Rather of battling seams, 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 restricted runs can validate cut-and-sew for 100 to 300 pieces if the style requires it. The ended up garments check out as custom-made from a distance, which is the goal.

A quick anecdote from a busy season

One spring we ran a series for a local music festival. The client wanted soft black tees with a sunburst print that felt like it resided in the fabric. We sampled on three blacks from two mills. Batch one lifted easily with discharge, batch 2 stayed stubbornly dark in the mid-rays of the artwork. We logged dye lot numbers, pivoted the ink mix by including a touch more white pigment to compensate, and changed dwell time by 10 to 15 seconds to complete the response. The result: constant tees across 2,400 units, each with a soft, breathable print that sold 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 prevent them

Most problems I see trace back to procedure, not the ink family. Under-curing is the very first culprit. Water based ink that feels dry can still be under-cured if the core of the print never struck the required temperature for the ideal duration. Utilize a donut probe or an embedded thermochromic strip to measure real ink film temperature, not just dryer setpoints. Screen lockup is the second. Keep a constant rate on press, flood in between prints, and control store humidity.

A third mistake is overlooking material irregularity. If you change blanks mid-run because a size runs out stock, you may see shifts in color. Develop contingency into your acquiring. For brands planning ahead, choosing a standard blank and locking it with your provider lowers surprises.

Final assistance for choosing your path

If your concern is soft, breathable customized apparel that consumers keep using, water based inks are worth the learning curve. Use basic water based on light garments for tidy detail and matte color. Transfer to discharge on one hundred percent cotton when you desire the softest prints on dark shirts. Accept and prepare for minor color variation with discharge, specifically across color lots. For bulk t shirt orders, integrate in a single round of physical tasting on the real blanks you will use, then record your settings and keep back a referral t-shirt for quality control.

If you run a print as needed brochure, carve out 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 effects 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 location in any severe 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.