November 3, 2025

Beyond Standard 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 print shop that takes its craft seriously, and you will see two things in consistent tension: the push for softer, more breathable prints that people in fact enjoy wearing, and the need to produce at scale without jeopardizing the environment or the bottom line. That tension has formed how I pick inks, pretreatments, and materials for customized garments jobs. Throughout the years, I have actually discovered that water based inks and discharge printing are not simply buzzwords, they are useful tools that produce beautiful results and genuine convenience, especially for T shirt printing that requires to stand up to daily wear.

If you run a brand, manage bulk t t-shirt orders, or merely desire your personalized t-shirts to feel like a preferred from the first wash, it deserves comprehending how these ink systems work, where they shine, and where they require care. The best option can make the distinction between a t-shirt that gets worn once and one that ends up being the go-to.

What water based ink really 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 film, water based inks take in into the fibers. That single characteristic explains the majority of the design your custom t shirts Jacksonville benefits and compromises. Prints feel soft because you're touching the cotton, not a layer of cured PVC. Colors tend to look more matte and integrated. On light garments, the hand is frequently indistinguishable from the t-shirt itself. For customized t t-shirts developed for comfort, this is the path to the "retail feel" customers ask for.

There are 2 primary households: standard water based and discharge. Standard water based ink works best on white or extremely light t-shirts. It can cover mid-tones with the best base, but once you move into darker fabrics, you either require a much heavier print or you switch to discharge. Discharge printing uses an activator that raises the dye from the material throughout treating, essentially whitening the t-shirt's dye in the printed locations, then changes it with your pigment. The end result is the softest possible print on dark cotton, often with exceptional detail.

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

Eco friendly inks are not a marketing slogan if you unload the chemistry and the workflow. Water based inks normally consist of less custom T shirt printing unpredictable natural compounds than solvent-heavy options and avoid PVC completely. Many are certified with rigorous standards like Oeko-Tex or meet retail screening programs that prohibit certain phthalates and heavy metals. If you offer customized clothing into business health cares, schools, or health-conscious brand names, those certificates smooth procurement and keep you ahead of compliance.

That said, "eco friendly" is a system idea. Ink is one part. You likewise need to take a look at store practices: purification on your washout booth, reclaim chemistry, energy use on your clothes dryer, and even fabric sourcing. high quality T shirt printing Discharge needs an activator, typically based on zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate or comparable compounds, which has its own handling and ventilation requirements. In a well-run T shirt printing options Jacksonville store, direct exposure is controlled and waste is recorded. If you're using print on demand with a partner, ask how they handle discharge effluent and whether they have air exchange and treating controls called in. Genuine sustainability hides in the details.

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

Most individuals do not purchase a graphic tee since they enjoy the ink. They buy it since the garment looks excellent, feels great, and keeps that character after repeated cleaning. Water based inks, including discharge, give you that broken-in comfort from the first day. On an one hundred percent ring-spun cotton blank, a water based print is breathable and flexible. You will not hear the crackle you sometimes receive from heavy plastisol when you extend throughout the chest.

I keep a shelf of contrast shirts in the studio. One from a surf brand, one from a brewery, both printed with discharge on midweight cotton. After 30 to 40 home washes, the prints softened a lot more, the colors mellowed slightly, and the t-shirts kept moving. A plastisol sample with the very same art looks glossier and still pops more under severe light, which some streetwear customers choose, but the wearer feedback is consistent: water based seems 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 t-shirts, standard water based ink can hit tight Pantones with a measured ink mix and a clean mesh. On darker cotton, discharge includes variables. Different dye lots discharge in a different way, even within the 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 steers the last color, but you're still dealing with a background that is moving as the color is removed.

That's not a defect, it's part of the medium. Numerous designers embrace the a little vintage character of discharge, where reds land earthy and blues feel deep rather than neon. If your brand needs laser-precise color reproduction for business logos, either order test prints on the exact batch you plan to use or think about a water based underbase or hybrid technique where required. For wholesale t shirts that will be distributed nationally, put swatch approvals into your procedure so there are no surprises at scale.

Fabric matters more than the majority of people think

A water based print is a collaboration in between ink and fiber. Ringspun cotton takes ink beautifully. Carded open end cotton is scratchier and drinks ink unevenly. Blends complicate things. A 50/50 poly-cotton or a triblend with rayon can work with water based, however discharge only lifts the cotton portion. That means your color fills the cotton while the polyester and rayon stay as-is, often yielding a heathered or speckled print that looks intentional if you style for it. If your goal is flat, vibrant color on a poly mix, traditional plastisol or a specialized low-cure system may be smarter.

On all over print projects, 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 presents joints, folds, and inconsistent pressure that appear as blank micro-gaps. If you must print on ended up 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 differently on press. They dry faster in the screen, which is useful on material but can lock a mesh if you stop briefly too long. Running a higher mesh for detail, state 230 to 305, keeps the deposit thin and crisp. Set up with a misting bottle or a devoted screen rewetting option at hand, and keep the print space humidity in a constant variety, roughly 45 to 55 percent, to avoid premature drying. Manual press operators will notice how rapidly a standard water based ink clears the screen compared to a heavy plastisol. Auto presses, with flood bars and constant pace, minimize clogging.

Curing is where lots of novices miss the mark. Water based inks require both heat and time for the water to vaporize, then for the binders to cross-link. A dryer tunnel with sufficient airflow makes the distinction. You desire even heat across the belt and sufficient dwell to reach the manufacturer's remedy temperature level throughout the ink layer, not just at the surface area. T-shirts leaving the tunnel should be dry to the touch with no cool spots. For discharge, the chemical reaction takes place during this treatment, and you will smell the activator. Great ventilation is non-negotiable.

Durability and wash testing

Durability depends on correct treatment and fiber engagement. A well-cured water based print on cotton can last longer than the t-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 reveal steady softening and a mild fade in the same method jeans relaxes. Plastisol's failure mode is different, normally cracking if the ink layer is too thick or under-cured. For personalized t-shirts that require to look good at a family reunion and still remain in rotation next summer, water based holds up when produced correctly.

Cost, throughput, and when to select which method

Costs vary regionally, but the economics fall under familiar patterns. Water based ink itself is typically comparable to plastisol at the gallon level, but you invest more in shop environment and drying capability. On press, water based can be somewhat slower at setup because you pay closer attention to fit together, squeegee durometer, and off-contact. When tuned, automobiles perform at similar speeds. Where it actually settles is in perceived value. A soft print on a mid-tier blank frequently feels premium without leaping to the highest-cost shirt. Brands can price accordingly.

For bulk t t-shirt orders above a few hundred pieces where the art fits the medium, discharge on one hundred percent cotton is a workhorse. For print as needed that needs over night turn-around and art modifications constantly, direct-to-garment or DTF might be much better operationally, though both have their own ecological and feel compromises. When you handle wholesale t shirts with several colorways and need to keep inventory versatile, a flexible water based combination on light garments is efficient, considering that you prevent the weight and stiffness that accumulate with several underbases in plastisol.

Design choices that highlight the very best in water based and discharge

Design planning begins with the fabric color and ends with treating. On light t-shirts, lean into detail: thin lines, halftones, hand-drawn textures. Basic water based ink prints those with a special that plastisol tends to subdue. 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 appear like it grew there.

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

When you must state no to discharge

There are times I advise against discharge. Polyester-rich garments are leading of the list. The activator can cause color migration, specifically with sublimated or cationic-dyed performance shirts, resulting in ghosting or brownish casts. Some garment dyes, specifically 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 during treating, discharge days in the shop are obvious. Well-managed air flow reduces this, however it becomes part of the process.

If a customer needs metallics, puff, or specialized textures, plastisol or hybrid systems still own that space. Water based metallics exist, but the particles typically sink, and the result is more satin than true metal. For high-opacity neons on dark t-shirts that should 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 rely on a partner, set up a workflow that removes uncertainty. An easy technique keeps surprises at bay and assists you struck deadlines for launches and events.

  • Decide on material first, then ink: choose 100 percent ringspun cotton for discharge, or light, premium cotton for standard water based. Avoid high poly unless the heathered impact is desired.
  • Request test prints on the specific blanks: one shirt per colorway is usually sufficient to lock approvals, especially for bulk t shirt orders where consistency matters.
  • Clarify color expectations in context: supply Pantone targets for light garments and describe appropriate varieties for dark discharge prints, with images of prior work you like.
  • Align on care labels and handling: advise cold wash and low heat dry for consumers, then verify your cure times so wash resilience matches the tag guidance.
  • Confirm environmental requirements: ask your printer about ink accreditations, ventilation, and waste capture, particularly if your brand name messaging leans into eco friendly inks.

How water based fits with print on demand

Print on demand has its own constraints: fast art modifications, small batch sizes, and the requirement for a broad color range. Direct-to-garment has ended up being the default, however water based screen printing can fit POD if you arrange brochure strategy. For styles that are high volume even at little daily 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 many DTG outputs. It works best when you keep art to a couple of colors and choose light garments.

If your POD design relies on all over print sublimation for polyester garments, water based screen printing is not a replacement, it is a parallel offering. Use it where cotton convenience and breathability are the selling points. Clients 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 standard plastisol job, I explain what they are purchasing. They get the soft hand that retail customers equate with quality, improved breathability, and compliance for delicate buyers. On a per-shirt basis, the distinction for a basic three-color front hit may be modest, often a small uplift that can be reduced the effects of by choosing a somewhat more affordable blank. If the program is for wholesale t shirts going into shops or e-commerce at superior rate points, the improvement in perceived value more than covers the change.

For individualized shirts, such as charity runs or college clubs, alternatives matter. Deal a base price with plastisol on midweight cotton, then a "convenience upgrade" that includes a ringspun blank with water based ink. You will see a clear split: some clients enhance for expense, others for feel. Meeting both lets you serve a broader market without diluting your craft.

Care directions that customers in fact follow

Care labels often check out like local T shirt printing companies legal disclaimers. Keep it easy and sensible 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 cured. I recommend phrasing care ideas in human terms on item pages: wash cold with comparable colors, topple dry low, avoid fabric softeners if you want colors to stay crisp. The last note matters due to the fact that some softeners can transfer films on fibers, dulling the visual contrast of fine lines.

I have actually tested these directions in-house: two identical t-shirts, one washed cold and dried low, the other washed warm and dried high. After 15 cycles, the warm/high tee revealed somewhat faster fading of mid-tones, yet still looked good. That tolerance comes from correct remedy, not from babying the garment.

All over print ideas that do not battle the limitations

All over print captures attention, but printing flood coats on put together garments with water based inks can be unforgiving. Rather of combating joints, style for them. Use tone-on-tone patterns that fade naturally at seams, or use a ghosted grid that looks deliberate when it breaks at hems. Alternatively, run panel printing and stitch. Brands that sell restricted runs can validate cut-and-sew for 100 to 300 pieces if the design requires it. The ended up garments read as custom from a distance, which is the goal.

A short anecdote from a hectic season

One spring we ran a series for a regional music celebration. The client wanted soft black tees with a sunburst print that seemed like it resided in the fabric. We tested on three blacks from 2 mills. Batch one raised easily with discharge, batch two stayed stubbornly dark in the mid-rays of the art work. We logged dye lot numbers, pivoted the ink mix by including a touch more white pigment to compensate, and adjusted dwell time by 10 to 15 seconds to finish the response. The outcome: constant tees throughout 2,400 systems, each with a soft, breathable print that sold out by day two.

That task taught the crew to treat discharge like cooking, not chemistry on a chalkboard. The dish matters, but so does tasting and adjusting.

Common risks and how to prevent 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 hit the needed temperature for the ideal period. Utilize a donut probe or an ingrained thermochromic strip to measure real ink film temperature level, not just dryer setpoints. Screen lockup is the second. Keep a consistent rate on press, flood between prints, and control store humidity.

A 3rd pitfall is ignoring material variability. If you change blanks mid-run since a size is out of stock, you may see shifts in color. Construct contingency into your acquiring. For brand names preparing ahead, picking a standard blank and locking it with your supplier reduces surprises.

Final guidance for picking your path

If your priority is soft, breathable custom apparel that clients keep using, water based inks are worth the learning curve. Usage standard water based upon light garments for tidy information and matte color. Transfer to discharge on 100 percent cotton when you desire the softest prints on dark t-shirts. Accept and prepare for minor color variance with discharge, particularly across color lots. For bulk t shirt orders, integrate in a single round of physical sampling on the actual blanks you will utilize, then record your settings and hold back a recommendation shirt for quality control.

If you run a print as needed brochure, take a water based capsule of finest 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 judged in the hands, not simply on screens. When a client rubs their thumb across a print and feels nothing but fiber, you've won. That's the minute water based and discharge provide, and why they are worthy of a place in any serious store or brand'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.