November 3, 2025

Beyond Fundamental 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.

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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 printing shop that takes its craft seriously, and you will see 2 things in constant stress: the push for softer, more breathable prints that individuals actually enjoy wearing, and the need to produce at scale without compromising the environment or the bottom line. That tension has formed how I choose inks, pretreatments, and materials for custom clothing tasks. For many years, I have actually learned that water based inks and discharge printing are not simply buzzwords, they are practical tools that produce stunning outcomes and real comfort, especially for T shirt printing that needs to stand up to everyday wear.

If you run a brand, handle bulk t shirt orders, or merely desire your individualized t-shirts to seem like a preferred from the first wash, it deserves understanding how these ink systems work, where they shine, and where they need care. The best choice can make the difference in between a shirt that gets worn as soon as and one that becomes the go-to.

What water based ink actually is

Water based inks suspend pigments in water instead of in plasticizers and solvents. Unlike plastisol, which sits on top of the material and remedies into a movie, water based inks take in into the fibers. That single characteristic explains most of the advantages and compromises. Prints feel soft because 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 equivalent from the t-shirt itself. For custom-made t shirts created for comfort, this is the course to the "retail feel" clients ask for.

There are 2 main households: 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 right base, once you move into darker materials, you either need a heavier print or you switch to discharge. Release printing uses an activator that lifts the color from the material throughout treating, essentially bleaching the shirt's color in the printed areas, then changes it with your pigment. The end result is the softest possible print on dark cotton, frequently with exceptional detail.

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

Eco friendly inks are not a marketing slogan if you unload the chemistry and the workflow. Water based inks typically consist of less unpredictable natural substances than solvent-heavy options and avoid PVC entirely. Many are compliant with stringent requirements like Oeko-Tex or meet retail screening regimes that prohibit certain phthalates and heavy metals. If you offer custom clothing into business health cares, schools, or health-conscious brand names, those certificates smooth procurement and keep you ahead of compliance.

That stated, "eco friendly" is a system concept. Ink is one part. You likewise need to take a look at shop practices: purification on your washout booth, recover chemistry, energy usage on your dryer, and even material sourcing. Discharge requires an activator, normally based upon zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate or comparable substances, which has its own handling and ventilation requirements. In a well-run shop, exposure is managed and waste is captured. If you're utilizing Jacksonville Custom t shirts deals print as needed with a partner, ask how they manage discharge effluent and whether they have air exchange and treating controls dialed in. Real sustainability hides in the details.

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

Most individuals do not purchase a graphic tee because they enjoy the ink. They buy it since the garment looks good, feels good, and keeps that character after duplicated cleaning. Water based inks, including discharge, give you that broken-in convenience from the first day. On a 100 percent ring-spun cotton blank, a water based print is breathable and flexible. You will not hear the crackle you in some cases get from heavy plastisol when you extend across the chest.

I keep a shelf of contrast shirts in the studio. One from a browse brand name, 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 a little, and the shirts kept moving. A plastisol sample with the same art looks glossier and still pops more under severe light, which some streetwear customers prefer, however the user feedback is consistent: water based seems like a premium garment.

Color, protection, and how expectations form results

Color precision with water based inks refers control, humidity, and the fabric's own dye. On white or heather light t-shirts, standard water based ink can strike tight Pantones with a determined ink mix and a tidy mesh. On darker cotton, discharge includes variables. Various dye lots discharge in a different way, even within the very same brand and color. Black 3001 blanks from one batch might raise to a warm charcoal, while the next batch clears to a cooler grey. The pigment you add guides the last color, but you're still working with a background that is moving as the dye is removed.

That's not a defect, it becomes part of the medium. Lots of designers accept the slightly classic character of discharge, where reds land earthy and blues feel deep instead of neon. If your brand name demands laser-precise color reproduction for business logos, either order test prints on the exact batch you plan to utilize or consider a water based underbase or hybrid method where needed. For wholesale t shirts that will be distributed nationally, put example 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 in between ink and fiber. Ringspun cotton takes ink magnificently. Carded open end cotton is scratchier and beverages ink unevenly. Blends complicate things. A 50/50 poly-cotton or a triblend with rayon can deal with water based, but discharge only lifts the cotton portion. That indicates your color saturates the cotton while the polyester and rayon remain as-is, typically yielding a heathered or speckled print that looks intentional if you style for it. If your goal is flat, vivid color on a poly blend, standard plastisol or a specialized low-cure system might be smarter.

On all over print tasks, such as a seam-to-seam tonal pattern behind a chest graphic, consider cut-and-sew with water based prints on panels before assembly. Garment printing all over on completed tees introduces joints, folds, and irregular pressure that show up as blank micro-gaps. If you must print on finished garments, expect small voids along seams, which some customers like as part of the garment's character.

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

Water based inks behave in a different way on press. They dry faster in the screen, which is useful on material however can lock a mesh if you pause too long. Running a greater mesh for detail, say 230 to 305, keeps the deposit thin and crisp. Set up with a misting bottle or a dedicated screen rewetting service at hand, and keep the print room humidity in a constant range, roughly 45 to 55 percent, to avoid premature drying. Manual press operators will observe how rapidly a basic water based ink clears the screen compared to a heavy plastisol. Auto presses, with flood bars and constant pace, decrease clogging.

Curing is where numerous newbies miss the mark. Water based inks require both heat and time for the water to vaporize, then for the binders to cross-link. A clothes dryer tunnel with sufficient air flow makes the difference. You want even heat across the belt and sufficient dwell to reach the maker's remedy temperature level throughout the ink layer, not just at the surface. Shirts leaving the tunnel needs to be dry to the touch with no cool spots. For discharge, the chain reaction happens during this treatment, and you will smell the activator. Excellent ventilation is non-negotiable.

Durability and wash testing

Durability depends upon appropriate remedy and fiber engagement. A well-cured water based print on cotton can last longer than the shirt. I determine resilience by standardized wash tests, 10 to 20 cycles at warm, topple dry medium, then visual assessment for fading and cracking. Water based prints show gradual softening and a mild fade in the same way denim unwinds. Plastisol's failure mode is different, usually cracking if the ink layer is too thick or under-cured. For tailored t-shirts that require to look proficient 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, but the economics fall under familiar patterns. Water based ink itself is typically equivalent to plastisol at the gallon level, however you invest more in store environment and drying capacity. On press, water based can be a little slower at setup because you pay closer attention to mesh, squeegee durometer, and off-contact. As soon as tuned, automobiles run at comparable speeds. Where it really settles remains in perceived value. A soft print on a mid-tier blank frequently feels premium without jumping to the highest-cost shirt. Brands can price accordingly.

For bulk t 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 on demand that needs overnight turn-around and art modifications constantly, direct-to-garment or DTF might be better operationally, though both have their own ecological and feel compromises. When you take on wholesale t shirts with multiple colorways and must keep stock flexible, a flexible water based scheme on light garments is effective, because you prevent the weight and stiffness that collect with several underbases in plastisol.

Design options that highlight the best in water based and discharge

Design planning starts with the fabric color and ends with curing. On light shirts, lean into information: thin lines, halftones, hand-drawn textures. Basic water based ink prints those with a delicacy 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 looks like it grew there.

Type weight matters. Really thin knockouts inside heavy flood locations can complete with discharge, specifically on high-absorbency cotton. If you require razor negative space, separate the art to print unfavorable shapes as favorable strokes with a clear schedule for squeegee pressure and flashes. Ask your printer for a proof on the real garment rather than relying on a digital mockup. A mockup can not record fiber interplay and color lift.

When you must state no to discharge

There are times I encourage against discharge. Polyester-rich garments are top of the list. The activator can cause dye migration, especially with sublimated or cationic-dyed efficiency shirts, leading to ghosting or brownish casts. Some garment dyes, especially reactive black blends, withstand lifting, leaving a shadowed print that looks undercured even when it isn't. If a customer is sensitive to small smell during curing, discharge days in the shop are visible. Well-managed air flow reduces this, however it is part of the process.

If a customer requires metallics, puff, or specialized textures, plastisol or hybrid systems still own that area. Water based metallics exist, however the particles frequently sink, and the result is more satin than real metal. For high-opacity neons on dark shirts that need to be billboard-bright, you may 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 depend on a partner, set up a workflow that gets rid of guesswork. An easy method keeps surprises at bay and assists you hit due dates for launches and events.

  • Decide on fabric first, then ink: select 100 percent ringspun cotton for discharge, or light, top quality cotton for standard water based. Prevent high poly unless the heathered result is desired.
  • Request test prints on the exact blanks: one t-shirt per colorway is generally enough to lock approvals, especially for bulk t shirt orders where consistency matters.
  • Clarify color expectations in context: provide Pantone targets for light garments and describe acceptable ranges for dark discharge prints, with photos of previous work you like.
  • Align on care labels and handling: recommend cold wash and low heat dry for consumers, then confirm your cure times so clean durability matches the tag guidance.
  • Confirm environmental standards: ask your printer about ink accreditations, ventilation, and waste capture, particularly if your brand messaging leans into eco friendly inks.

How water based fits with print on demand

Print as needed has its own restraints: quick art changes, little batch sizes, and the need for a broad color gamut. Direct-to-garment has ended up being the default, but water based screen printing can fit POD if you organize brochure method. For designs that are high volume even at small everyday quantities, pre-burning screens and keeping a little stock of popular sizes lets you deliver very same day with water based prints that feel better than numerous DTG outputs. It works best when you keep art to one or two colors and select 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. Utilize it where cotton comfort and breathability are the selling points. Clients who care about touch will notice.

Pricing, margins, and interacting value

When customers ask why a water based or discharge print costs more than a basic plastisol task, I explain what they are purchasing. They get the soft hand that retail consumers equate with quality, enhanced breathability, and compliance for delicate buyers. On a per-shirt basis, the distinction for a standard three-color front hit may be modest, often a little uplift that can be neutralized by selecting a slightly more affordable blank. If the program is for wholesale t shirts going into shops or e-commerce at exceptional price points, the improvement in perceived value more than covers the change.

For individualized shirts, such as charity runs or college clubs, choices matter. Deal a base cost 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 optimize for cost, others for feel. Satisfying both lets you serve a larger market without diluting your craft.

Care instructions that clients actually follow

Care labels often check out like legal disclaimers. Keep it easy and reasonable so the shirt survives reality. Water based and discharge prints choose cooler washes and lower dryer heat, however they will sustain regular laundering if effectively treated. I recommend phrasing care ideas in human terms on item pages: wash cold with comparable colors, tumble dry low, avoid material softeners if you desire colors to remain crisp. The last note matters due to the fact that some conditioners can transfer films on fibers, dulling the visual contrast of fine lines.

I've evaluated these directions in-house: 2 similar shirts, one washed cold and dried low, the other washed warm and dried high. After 15 cycles, the warm/high tee revealed a little quicker fading of mid-tones, yet still looked excellent. That tolerance originates from right treatment, not from babying the garment.

All over print ideas that do not fight the limitations

All over print captures attention, however printing flood coats on put together garments with water based inks can be unforgiving. Instead of fighting seams, design for them. Use tone-on-tone patterns that fade naturally at joints, or use a ghosted grid that looks intentional when it breaks at hems. Additionally, run panel printing and stitch. Brands that sell restricted runs can justify cut-and-sew for 100 to 300 pieces if the style necessitates it. The finished garments check out as custom from a distance, which is the goal.

A quick anecdote from a busy season

One spring we ran a series for a local music celebration. The client wanted soft black tees with a sunburst print that felt like it resided in the fabric. We sampled on 3 blacks from 2 mills. Batch one raised cleanly 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 finish the reaction. The outcome: constant tees throughout 2,400 systems, each with a soft, breathable print that offered out by day two.

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

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Most problems I see trace back to process, not the ink household. Under-curing is the very first offender. Water based ink that feels dry can still be under-cured if the core of the print never ever struck the needed temp for the right duration. Utilize a donut probe or an ingrained thermochromic strip to determine true ink movie temperature level, not simply dryer setpoints. Screen lockup is the 2nd. Keep a constant pace on press, flood in between prints, and control store humidity.

A third pitfall is neglecting fabric variability. If you switch blanks mid-run since a size runs out stock, you may see shifts in color. Construct contingency into your purchasing. For brands preparing ahead, picking a standard blank and locking it with your provider lowers surprises.

Final assistance for selecting your path

If your top priority is soft, breathable custom-made clothing that clients keep wearing, water based inks deserve the knowing curve. Use standard water based upon light garments for tidy detail and matte color. Transfer to release on 100 percent cotton when you want the softest prints on dark t-shirts. Accept and prepare for minor color variance with discharge, particularly throughout dye lots. For bulk t shirt orders, integrate in a single round of physical tasting on the actual blanks you will use, then document your settings and keep back a recommendation shirt for quality control.

If you run a print as needed catalog, carve out a water based capsule of best sellers on light t-shirts. Market the distinction: eco friendly inks, breathable feel, and retail-quality hand. Keep your specialized effects and neon stunners in plastisol or hybrid systems where they belong.

Custom t 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've won. That's the moment water based and discharge provide, and why they should have a place in any major store 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.