Advice for Customers

We want you to have the best experience possible when working with FreeThink. From the quality of product to the quality of service, we strive to give you the absolute highest quality we can achieve. With that in mind, there are some imitations that are inherent when designing products. We've put together a list of some things to keep in mind when placing an order with us. If you have questions about your order, or aren't sure if your desired product design will turn out well once produced, please do not hesitate to contact us today!

Seams and Zippers

A flat surface is required to get the best quality print when screen printing. T-shirts are consistently smooth and the same thickness, which allows us to create a perfect print. However, when the screen lays over a seam, pocket, or zipper, it creates an inconsistency because these are thicker portions of the garment. When you print over these portions of the garment it creates a gap in the print where the ink from the screen does not touch the shirt due to the ridge caused by the seam.

Ribbed Materials

Ribbed garments provide a great fit and form for the wearer, but screen printing these garments can be difficult. Screen printed garments lay on a pallet to be printed, and due to the stretchy characteristics of ribbed garments, can be nearly impossible to keep uniform throughout the process. For example, the fabric can move and the ink may not fill the entire image. We advise against printing on ribbed garments because of the unpredictable nature of the final print.

Jumbo Designs

Jumbo printing is typically not a problem on unisex or men’s garments. However, some textiles do have issues:

Tank Tops: Being low cut at both the neckline and the sleeves, printing jumbo prints on these garments can cause print defects because of the seams.
V-Necks: The neck line of the v-neck may cut into the design.
Girls Tees: Jumbo pallets are wider than most girls’ tees.

As usual, we would love to answer any questions or provide job-specific information. Contact us today for help.

Detailed Designs

With advancements in screen printing (including high mesh count screens and specialty presses) we can recreate a level of detail with t-shirts that was previously unattainable just 5-10 years ago. However, due to the way some garments are constructed they will not work well with detail. The reason is that they are not smooth like standard t-shirts. These garments include:

Ribbed Garments
Canvas Material (Aprons, Bags, etc.)
Burnout Tees
Pique Polos

Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that certain types of production may be better suited for certain sizes or levels of detail within a design. For example, embroidery is not generally well suited for designs that require lots of small detail.