Why is the number of colours in my design so important?

This is because screen printing uses screens with an image burnt into it to apply that image to the t-shirt. Each screen can only have one colour applied to it.  If more than one colour was put into the same screen, the printing inks would mix together changing the colour of the ink.

So, if your design has more than one colour, each colour will need its own screen. First, your design will be split up into the different colours, (usually by a graphic artist) this is called colour separation. Then each separation needs to be transferred to film. This is a transparency for each of the separated colours in the design, filled in with solid black. The film, with the positive image, is used to burn the image onto the silk screen.

When quoting on your t-shirt screen printing order the number of colours in your design is very important to determine the price. The more colours, the more expensive the printing will become. It’s not just the number of screens and the set-up costs for each screen and film, there is also the printing of each t-shirt that will cost more the higher the colour count is. Basically it takes longer to print 3 colour layers that to print, say, 1 colour layer.

Printing onto dark or black colours usually requires a white under-base or possibly an extra pass of white to make the printed image more vibrant and not look like it is all washed out. A white under-base is also an extra screen, as this image is different to maybe a white colour that may be also in your image. This means that sometimes printed designs need to have 2 white colours. A white under-base under all colours and a high white that also maybe in your design.

If you are not sure on the number of colours in your design, just send us your design and we will be glad  to advise you on the number of colours and what will be involved in printing your design.