houston’s premiere water-baseD SCREEN printING shop

Retail-ready prints

Water-based screen printing uses inks that are eco-friendly and water soluble. The ink absorbs to the fibers of the garment achieving a soft hand touch. Water-based inks are considered premium and desirable for achieving a retail-ready look or vintage vibe.

Printing with water-based ink will leave you with an incredibly soft and more breathable print than plastisol ink. The ink is a mixture of water and pigments that dye the shirt’s fabric instead of laying on top. You cannot even feel the ink on a t-shirt!

Water-based inks can be combined with discharge printing on darker colored garments. The discharge essentially “bleaches” away the dark fabric dye leaving the natural cotton fibers exposed to the be printed with water-based ink on top.

Gray fabric with an outline of Texas and the word 'CORE' printed inside.
Close-up of a colorful, abstract print with intricate patterns and vivid colors, featuring swirling shapes and eye motifs, against a fabric background with a fringe-like border.
  • Mountain landscape with lake and cloudy sky

  • Green T-shirt with "Goode Co. Taqueria" printed on it

  • Illustration of a bicycle with text "Rice Bikes Est. 2011" and stars on a textured background.

  • A green T-shirt featuring a cartoon character with a rectangle body, arms, legs, and a smiling face. The text reads "BAYOU CITY SHIRTS, SHIRTS & STUFF, CUSTOM SCREEN PRINTING" in white print, with checkered design elements.

  • Illustration of a woman in a dress and wide-brimmed hat sitting side-saddle on a horse, with "Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina" written below.

  • Two t-shirts with unique line art designs featuring a figure with a hat and eyes, holding corn and fish.

  • Brown T-shirt with 'I Was Made With a Texas Soul' in yellow text

Water-based SCREEN PRINTING FAQs

What are the advantages OF water-based printing?

The prints feel great! The ink becomes part of the garment, so after one wash you can’t feel the print. The slightly muted look can have a vintage vibe, especially when printing with less bright colors. The end result is a retail-feel garment that has a much higher value, especially for those trying to make an impression with your brand.

What are the disadvantages OF water-based printing

Water-based ink only adheres to cotton fibers, so there are some limitations for the garment selections. Anything with a significant polyester or rayon content really isn’t a good option. We always recommend printing on 100% cotton fabrics. Colors tend to be more subdued than standard screen printing with plastisol ink which does produce a brighter print.

What Garments work best?

We really love the look and feel of water-based on the higher end t-shirts. AS Colour, American Apparel and Bella+Canvas are a few of our favorites. For sweatshirts, we like Independent Trading and Hanes Ultimate Cotton.

What is the order minimum for water-based printing?

We have a minimum order of 36 shirts for water-based printing since we have a lot of setup time preparing the inks and screens.

DOES IT COST MORE THAN STANDARD SCREEN PRINTING?

Due to the more involved process, this printing method does cost a little bit more per shirt. However, it’s a small additional amount to make your project really stand out!