Screen Printing on Sportswear, Tees & Hoodies
- Est. 2005 · Sialkot, Pakistan
- MOQ 20–25 pcs per design · no limit for brands
- Free 24h digital mockup
- Sample 5–7 days, credited on bulk
- Bulk 15–25 business days · express 7–12
- DHL/FedEx/UPS 5–10 days
- 🛡️ Free remake within 3 days
How flatbed screen printing works
Screen printing transfers ink onto a garment through a fine mesh screen that is blocked out everywhere except the artwork, so ink passes through only where the design should appear. Each colour in the design needs its own screen, its own ink and its own squeegee pass; a three-colour crest is three screens registered on top of each other.
On a flatbed press the garment is loaded flat onto a platen, the screen is lowered onto it and a squeegee pulls ink across the mesh. The platen then indexes to the next station for the next colour. The printed garment goes through a dryer where heat cures the ink so it bonds to the fibres instead of sitting wet on the surface.
The sequence at ZipaSports is: artwork separated into colours, screens exposed, ink mixed to the approved Pantone reference, a strike-off printed and checked against the mockup, then the run. Because set-up is per colour rather than per piece, the process rewards longer runs with fewer colours, which is why it remains the standard method for club and event tees.
Plastisol and water-based inks
Two ink families cover almost all sportswear screen printing: plastisol and water-based. Plastisol is a PVC-based ink that sits on the fabric surface, prints opaque on dark garments over a white underbase, and cures reliably in a heated dryer. Water-based ink soaks into the fibres, leaves almost no hand-feel and suits light-coloured cotton where a soft, worn-in finish is wanted.
| Ink | Feel | Opacity on dark garments | Cure | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastisol | Ink layer you can feel; smooth, slightly raised | High, with a white underbase | Heated dryer; ink does not air-dry | Club tees, hoodies, dark garments, exact Pantone matches |
| Water-based | Almost none; ink is in the fibre | Low to moderate; needs discharge or several passes | Heated dryer, longer dwell | Light cotton tees, retail-style soft prints, event tees |
For most club, gym and event orders the choice is simple: plastisol for dark garments and bright, exact colour matches; water-based for light cotton tees where feel matters more than opacity. Tell us how the garment will be worn and washed and we recommend the ink at mockup stage.
Which garments and fabrics suit screen printing
Screen printing suits cotton and poly-cotton garments, dark colours and designs with one to three flat colours. Because the ink is opaque, it prints white on black, which sublimation cannot do, and it does not depend on polyester content, so it is the default method for cotton tees and cotton-polyester fleece hoodies.
| Garment | Usual fabric | Typical screen print | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club and supporter tees | Cotton or poly-cotton jersey | 1–2 colour crest on chest, sponsor on back | Sports teamwear |
| Gym tees and tanks | Cotton, poly-cotton or polyester | 1-colour logo, front and back | Gym tops |
| Hoodies and joggers | Cotton-polyester fleece 280–350 GSM | Chest logo, large back print, leg print | Hoodies & jackets |
| Event and fun-run tees | Cotton or poly-cotton jersey | Front logo plus sponsor block on back | How it works |
| Work tees and polos | Poly-cotton jersey; polyester or poly-cotton piqué | Company logo on chest, name on back | Work polos & tees |
It is a poor fit for all-over designs, photographic gradients and fine multi-colour crests. Those go to sublimation on polyester or DTF transfer on short runs.
Screen printing vs sublimation vs DTF
Screen printing wins on cotton, dark garments and long runs of simple logos; sublimation wins on polyester and all-over colour; DTF wins on short runs with many colours. The table below is the comparison we use when a buyer sends artwork without specifying a method.
| Factor | Screen printing | Sublimation | DTF transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric | Cotton, poly-cotton, polyester | 100% polyester, light base colours | Almost any fabric |
| Dark garments | Yes, with white underbase | No | Yes |
| Colours | One screen per colour; ideal at 1–3 | Unlimited, gradients included | Unlimited |
| Coverage | Chest, back, sleeve, leg placements | Entire garment, seam to seam | Logos and placements |
| Hand-feel | Ink layer (plastisol) or none (water-based) | None; dye is inside the fibre | Thin film |
| Durability | Very good when fully cured | No fade, crack or peel | Good; film can crack over many washes |
| Set-up | Screens per colour; suits longer runs | None per colour; any run length | None per colour; suits short runs |
For a fuller decision guide with worked examples read sublimation vs screen printing. If the garment is a polyester match jersey, the answer is almost always sublimation; if it is a cotton club tee, it is almost always screen printing.
Feel, durability and washing
A correctly cured plastisol print survives repeated washing without peeling; the main failure mode in the industry is under-curing, which shows as cracking or ink washing out within the first few washes. That is why cure is checked on the strike-off, not assumed. The cured strike-off is stretch-tested before the run: a fully cured print stretches with the fabric and returns without cracking.
Feel depends on the ink and the design. A one-colour plastisol logo is a smooth, slightly raised layer. A large solid back print in plastisol is noticeably heavier, which some buyers want for hoodies and some do not. Water-based prints are soft from the first wash because the ink is in the fibre, and they soften and fade slightly over time by design.
Care advice we print on size tags when asked: wash inside out, cool to warm wash, no bleach, do not iron directly on the print and avoid high-heat tumble drying. These are the same instructions any screen printer gives, and they matter most for large solid prints.
Preparing artwork and colours
Send vector artwork (AI, EPS, PDF or SVG) with a Pantone reference for each colour, and tell us the garment colour. Vector files separate cleanly into one screen per colour; a low-resolution JPG or PNG has to be redrawn first, which our studio does as part of the free design service.
Colour count is the main cost driver because each colour is a screen, a set-up and a pass. On dark garments a white underbase adds one more screen, so a two-colour logo on a black hoodie is a three-screen job. Fine lines, small text and halftone gradients are possible but need checking at mockup stage, because very fine detail can fill in on fleece.
Every order starts with a free digital mockup within 24 hours showing print size, placement and colours on the actual garment colour, with unlimited free revisions before approval. A physical printed sample is available in 5–7 days at sample cost, credited against the bulk order.
Ordering screen-printed garments from ZipaSports
ZipaSports screen prints in-house on its own tees, polos, hoodies and joggers in Sialkot, Pakistan, so the garment and the decoration come from one factory and one QC line. Minimum order is 20–25 pieces per design, lower quantities on request, and there is no MOQ limit for sportswear brands and companies.
Bulk production takes 15–25 business days after design approval, or 7–12 days on express at additional cost. Air freight by DHL, FedEx or UPS takes 5–10 days worldwide; sea freight takes 3–6 weeks for larger orders. Pre-shipment photos of printed pieces are available on request.
Quality Guarantee: if any garment arrives with a manufacturing defect, we remake it free of charge — the remake goes into production within 3 days of your report. A misprint, ghosting or a colour off the approved mockup beyond normal shade tolerance counts as a manufacturing defect. Send photos and your order reference on WhatsApp or email within 7 days of delivery; we confirm within 24 hours during business hours.
Pricing depends on garment, quantity, colour count and placements. Send artwork and quantities for a quote within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is screen printing better than sublimation for t-shirts?
Screen printing is better for cotton and poly-cotton tees, dark garments and simple one- to three-colour logos; sublimation is better for 100% polyester tees with all-over or multi-colour designs. Sublimation does not work on cotton or dark fabric, so the garment fabric usually decides the method.
Can you screen print on 100% polyester jerseys?
Yes, ZipaSports can screen print 100% polyester jerseys using low-bleed plastisol inks and a controlled cure, because polyester dye can migrate into the ink and tint white prints on dark jerseys. For polyester match jerseys we normally recommend sublimation instead, since it prints the crest, numbers and sponsors in one step with no ink layer.
How many colours can a screen print have?
Each colour needs its own screen, so screen printing is most efficient at one to three colours plus a white underbase on dark garments. More colours are possible, but each adds set-up; above four or five colours, or for gradients, sublimation on polyester or DTF on short runs is usually the better choice.
Does screen printing crack or peel?
A fully cured screen print does not peel and resists cracking through normal washing. Cracking or ink washing out is almost always a sign of under-curing, which is why the cured strike-off is stretch-tested before running the order and cure is checked again in final QC.
Can you print white on black hoodies?
Yes, opaque white plastisol prints cleanly on black and other dark cotton-polyester fleece, which is one of the main reasons to choose screen printing over sublimation for hoodies. Coloured logos on dark garments are printed over a white underbase so the colours stay bright.
What is the minimum order for screen-printed tees or hoodies?
Minimum order is 20–25 pieces per design, lower on request for small teams and sample runs, and there is no MOQ limit for sportswear brands and companies. Screen printing set-up is per colour, so unit cost falls as the run gets longer.
What artwork file do you need for screen printing?
A vector file (AI, EPS, PDF or SVG) with a Pantone reference for each colour is ideal. If you only have a JPG or PNG, send it anyway; our studio redraws it as part of the free design service and returns a mockup within 24 hours for approval.
How long does a screen-printed order take?
Bulk production takes 15–25 business days after you approve the digital mockup, or 7–12 days on express at additional cost. Add 5–10 days for air freight by DHL, FedEx or UPS from Sialkot, Pakistan. A physical printed sample, if you want one first, takes 5–7 days.
Do screen-printed garments come with our own labels?
Yes, screen-printed tees and hoodies can carry your woven neck label, printed size tag, hang tag and branded polybag as full private-label packaging. Neck labels are often printed rather than woven on tees for a tagless feel; see the labels, tags and packaging page for options.