Screen Print T-Shirt Manufacturer (Water-Based & Plastisol)

Screen print is the most-versatile t-shirt decoration technique — works on cotton (where sublimation doesn't), supports any opacity from sheer overlay to thick coverage, achieves vintage 'wash-fade' aesthetics that other techniques can't replicate. Different ink systems produce dramatically different end-product feel. Ink system options for screen print t-shirts: Plastisol: most common, opaque coverage, durable. Feel: noticeably plastic on fabric (you can see/feel the print). Most commodity-tier screen printing uses plastisol. Avoids for premium streetwear positioning. Water-based: ink absorbs into fabric, soft hand-feel almost imperceptible. Premium streetwear standard. Vintage-aesthetic adoption (looks like 80s/90s authentic prints). Requires more skilled press operation. Discharge: chemically removes dye from fabric (creates white print on dark fabric without adding ink). Ultimate soft hand-feel. Premium streetwear and heritage positioning. Limited to specific dye/fabric combinations. Specialty (puff, glow-in-dark, reflective, metallic): niche applications with specific aesthetic effects. Higher per-unit cost. Our screen-print department runs 6-color manual presses for small runs (50-200 pieces) and 12-color automatic presses for production runs (500+ pieces). Pantone color matching standard with on-press color approval before bulk production. Fabric considerations for screen printing: 100% cotton works for all ink systems. Cotton-poly blends work for plastisol and some water-based. Pure polyester requires special inks (typically sublimation or specialty heat-transfer instead of screen print). Real production cost for screen-printed t-shirts at 100-piece MOQ: 2-color plastisol $4-5 FOB, 4-color water-based $5-6.50 FOB, discharge print $6-7.50 FOB. Premium ink systems carry premium pricing reflective of skilled operator labor. MOQ 50 pieces per design/colorway. Sample turnaround 7 business days. Tech-pack with vector artwork + ink system specification to info@mughalapparel.com.