Library

Technique Library: Print, Wash and Trim Decisions

A decoration decision is three decisions at once: the method, the file it needs, and the proof that will be approved. This page sets them out so a brief can be written without guessing.

Ask about a project See capabilities

A technique or a fabric is confirmed against the garment and the substrate, not by name alone.

Purpose

What decides a decoration method

The method follows the artwork and the substrate. A design with fine gradients, a design with eight spot colors and a single bold letterform each point to a different process, and each asks for a different file.

The proof follows the method. A screen proof, a transfer proof and a printed sample are not interchangeable.

Methods

One selection table

Each row below restates what the process note for that method records. The last column is a question for the buyer, not a claim about the process, and every row still has to be confirmed on the fabric that will be used.

Process notes restated, with the question each one raises

Method	Substrate noted	Colors and use noted	Hand feel or result noted	Cost or order fit noted	Question for the brief
Oval-machine screen print	Cotton-dominant	Any color; registration is described as more accurate than hand printing	Rubber-like hand; flat surface, smooth edge, thin layer	Film cost is higher; multi-color small orders are noted as uneconomical	How many colors, and what quantity per colorway?
Oval-machine digital print	Cotton-dominant	Suits many colors, including gradients	Light rubber hand with a papery touch; not breathable; long-fiber fabrics may show a little ground	No film required	Will the design sit on a long-fiber or brushed surface?
Oval-machine direct print	Cotton-dominant	Light fabric with a dark print; suits gradients	No hand feel noted; breathable; color reads lighter than hand water printing	No film required	Is the ground light enough for a dark print?
White-ink print	Cotton-dominant; a smoother, higher-count surface is noted as printing better	Any color; suits many colors and gradients	Rough hand; color described as vintage in the note	No film required; noted as expensive	Does the design depend on fine detail or on a soft hand?
Pigment digital print	Cotton-dominant	Light fabric with a dark print; suits multi-color bulk work	Slight hand feel; breathable	No film required; soft elastic fabric is noted as unsuitable for placement printing	Is the fabric soft and elastic, and is the print placement fixed?
Hand screen print	Most fabrics	Any color; gradients and multi-color registration are noted as weak	Heavier rubber hand; water-based is described as breathable and rubber-based as not	Lower cost; film required; edges noted as prone to fraying	Is the budget driving the choice, and can the artwork avoid gradients?

Checks

Checks that prevent avoidable rejection

The checks below come from failures that show on a finished garment rather than on a swatch.

They are phrased as checks because the acceptable result depends on the product.

Check	Why it matters
Approve the proof on the production fabric	The same ink behaves differently on a brushed fleece and on a smooth jersey
Give placement as a dimension from a named datum	Centered is not a measurement, and a photograph is not a datum
Inspect both faces and the edges	A face-only check does not show how an edge or the reverse has been finished
Wash or cure as specified, then re-check	Adhesion and color can change after the first wash
Keep the approved proof with the order	Without it, bulk is judged against memory

Trims

Trims and finishing that belong in the brief

A sample can fail on a detail rather than on the garment. These are the details that are easy to leave to the factory and then dispute at approval.

Item	Decision to record
Care and content label	Text, language, placement and attachment
Hang tag	Artwork, attachment point, whether it is required
Neck print or label	Artwork, size and position from the neck seam
Hardware	Finish, size, reference and pull test
Drawcord and binding	Width, color, end finish and length by size
Vents and perforation	Position, size, spacing and edge finish

Questions

Questions buyers ask before choosing

Short answers, with the decision each one depends on.

Can every method be used on every fabric?

The process notes describe cotton-dominant substrates for most methods, and a light ground for dark prints. Where a fabric falls outside that, the method has to be confirmed on the fabric that will be produced, not assumed.

What file should I send?

A vector file with separated colors where the method needs it, and a reference image where it does not. Send the artwork at final size so placement can be dimensioned.

Do I approve a digital proof or a physical one?

A physical proof on the production fabric. A screen image does not show hand feel, opacity or how an edge sits.