October 18, 2025

Beyond Basic Tees: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Water-Based Inks and Discharge Printing for Customized 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 continuous tension: the push for softer, more breathable prints that people really enjoy using, and the need to produce at scale without compromising the environment or the bottom line. That stress has formed how I pick inks, pretreatments, and materials for customized clothing projects. Throughout the years, I've learned that water based inks and discharge printing are not just buzzwords, they are practical tools that produce stunning results and genuine convenience, particularly for T shirt printing that requires to stand up to everyday wear.

If you run a brand name, handle bulk t t-shirt orders, or simply desire your customized shirts to seem like a preferred from the first wash, it's worth comprehending how these ink systems work, where they shine, and where they need care. The best option can make the distinction in between a t-shirt that gets used 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 treatments into a movie, water based inks soak up into the fibers. That single characteristic discusses the majority of the advantages and compromises. Prints feel soft due to the fact that you're touching the cotton, not a layer of treated PVC. Colors tend to look more matte and integrated. On light garments, the hand is often identical from the shirt itself. For customized t t-shirts created for convenience, this is the course to the "retail feel" customers ask for.

There are two main households: standard water based and discharge. Standard water based ink works best on white or extremely light shirts. It can cover mid-tones with the ideal base, but once you move into darker fabrics, you either require a heavier print or you change to discharge. Release printing utilizes an activator that raises the color from the fabric during curing, basically bleaching the shirt's dye in the printed locations, then changes it with your pigment. Completion outcome 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 unpack the chemistry and the workflow. Water based inks normally contain fewer volatile organic compounds than solvent-heavy alternatives and prevent PVC entirely. Many are certified with strict standards like Oeko-Tex or fulfill retail testing regimes that ban particular phthalates and heavy metals. If you offer customized apparel 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 principle. Ink is one part. You also need to look at store practices: filtering on your washout booth, recover chemistry, energy use on your clothes dryer, and even fabric sourcing. Discharge needs an activator, generally based upon zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate or comparable substances, which has its own embroidery shop near me handling and ventilation requirements. In a well-run store, exposure is managed 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 curing 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 purchase it due to the fact that the garment looks good, feels excellent, and keeps that character after repeated washing. Water based inks, consisting of discharge, offer you that broken-in comfort 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 stretch throughout the chest.

I keep a rack of comparison t-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 even more, the colors mellowed slightly, and the shirts kept moving. A plastisol sample with the same art looks glossier and still pops more under harsh light, which some streetwear customers choose, but the user feedback corresponds: water based feels like a premium garment.

Color, protection, and how expectations form results

Color accuracy with water based inks is a matter of control, humidity, and the material's own color. On white or heather light t-shirts, standard water based ink can hit tight Pantones with a measured ink mix and a tidy mesh. On darker cotton, discharge adds variables. Various color lots discharge differently, even within the exact same brand and color. Black 3001 blanks from one batch may lift to a warm charcoal, while the next batch clears to a cooler grey. The pigment you add guides the final color, but you're still working with a background that is moving as the color is removed.

That's not a flaw, it's part of the medium. Many 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 recreation for business logos, either order test prints on the precise batch you plan to utilize or consider a water based underbase or hybrid approach where required. 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 most people think

A water based print is a collaboration between ink and fiber. Ringspun cotton takes ink perfectly. Carded open end cotton is scratchier and beverages ink unevenly. Blends complicate things. A 50/50 poly-cotton or a triblend with rayon can work with water based, but discharge only lifts the cotton part. That indicates your color fills the cotton while the polyester and rayon remain as-is, often yielding a heathered or speckled print that looks deliberate if you design for it. If your goal is flat, vibrant color on a poly mix, traditional plastisol or a specialized low-cure system might be smarter.

On all over print jobs, such as a seam-to-seam tonal pattern behind a chest graphic, think about cut-and-sew with water based prints on panels before assembly. Garment printing all over on completed tees introduces seams, folds, and irregular pressure that appear as blank micro-gaps. If you must print on finished garments, anticipate small spaces along joints, 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 quicker in the screen, which is useful on material however can lock a mesh if you pause too long. Running a greater mesh for detail, state 230 to 305, keeps the deposit thin and crisp. Set up with a misting bottle or DTG t shirts a dedicated screen rewetting solution at hand, and keep the print room humidity in a consistent range, approximately 45 to 55 percent, to avoid early drying. Manual press operators will see how quickly a standard water based ink clears the screen compared to a heavy plastisol. Automobile presses, with flood bars and consistent pace, decrease clogging.

Curing is where lots of newbies fizzle. Water based inks require both heat and time for the water to evaporate, then for the binders to cross-link. A dryer tunnel with sufficient airflow makes the difference. You want even heat across the belt and enough dwell to reach the producer's treatment temperature level throughout the ink layer, not simply at the surface. T-shirts leaving the tunnel needs to be dry to the touch with no cool spots. For discharge, the chemical reaction occurs throughout this cure, 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 outlast the shirt. I determine sturdiness by standardized wash tests, 10 to 20 cycles at warm, tumble dry medium, then visual examination for fading and cracking. Water based prints show progressive softening and a gentle fade in the very same way denim relaxes. Plastisol's failure mode is various, normally cracking if the ink layer is too thick or under-cured. For personalized t-shirts that need to look proficient at a family reunion and still remain in rotation next summertime, water based holds up when produced correctly.

Cost, throughput, and when to pick which method

Costs differ regionally, however the economics fall into familiar patterns. Water based ink itself is often equivalent to plastisol at the gallon level, however you invest more in shop environment and drying capacity. On press, water based can be slightly slower at setup since you pay closer attention to fit together, squeegee durometer, and off-contact. Once tuned, vehicles run at similar speeds. Where it actually pays off remains in perceived value. A soft print on a mid-tier blank often feels premium without leaping to the highest-cost shirt. Brand names can price accordingly.

For bulk t t-shirt orders above a couple of hundred pieces where the art fits the medium, discharge on 100 percent cotton is a workhorse. For print on demand that requires over night turnaround and art modifications constantly, direct-to-garment or DTF may be better operationally, though both have their own environmental and feel compromises. When you handle wholesale t shirts with several colorways and should keep stock flexible, a versatile water based combination on light garments is effective, since you prevent the weight and tightness that build up with several underbases in plastisol.

Design choices that bring out the very best in water based and discharge

Design planning starts with the material color and ends with treating. On light shirts, lean into information: thin lines, halftones, hand-drawn textures. Standard 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. Think about how the t-shirt color looks 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 fill in with discharge, specifically on high-absorbency cotton. If you require razor unfavorable area, different the art to print unfavorable shapes as favorable strokes with a clear schedule for squeegee pressure and flashes. Ask your printer for an evidence on the actual garment rather than trusting a digital mockup. A mockup can not catch fiber interaction and dye lift.

When you should state no to discharge

There are times I advise versus discharge. Polyester-rich garments are leading of the list. The activator can cause dye migration, particularly with sublimated or cationic-dyed efficiency t-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 customer is sensitive to minor odor throughout treating, discharge days in the store are obvious. Well-managed air flow reduces this, but it becomes part of the process.

If a client requires metallics, puff, or specialty textures, plastisol or hybrid systems still own that area. Water based metallics exist, but the particles typically sink, and the effect is more satin than real metal. For high-opacity neons on dark shirts that must be billboard-bright, you may need a water based underbase tuned for opacity or a switch to plastisol.

Practical workflow for brand names and creators

Whether you run your own presses or count on a partner, set up a workflow that gets rid of guesswork. A simple approach keeps surprises at bay and assists you struck deadlines for launches and events.

  • Decide on fabric initially, then ink: pick one hundred percent ringspun cotton for discharge, or light, premium cotton for standard water based. Prevent high poly unless the heathered impact is desired.
  • Request test prints on the exact blanks: one shirt per colorway is usually sufficient to lock approvals, particularly for bulk t t-shirt orders where consistency matters.
  • Clarify color expectations in context: supply Pantone targets for light garments and describe acceptable varieties for dark discharge prints, with images of previous work you like.
  • Align on care labels and handling: recommend cold wash and low heat dry for customers, then confirm your treatment times so clean toughness matches the tag guidance.
  • Confirm environmental standards: ask your printer about ink certifications, 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: fast art modifications, small batch sizes, and the need for a broad color gamut. Direct-to-garment has actually become the custom hoodies and shirts default, but water based screen printing can fit POD if you arrange catalog method. For styles that are high volume even at little daily quantities, pre-burning screens and keeping a small stock of popular sizes lets you deliver same day with water based prints that feel better than many DTG outputs. It works best when you keep art to one or two colors and select light garments.

If your POD design counts 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. Customers who appreciate touch will notice.

Pricing, margins, and interacting value

When clients ask why a water based or discharge print costs more than a fundamental plastisol task, I describe what they are purchasing. They get the soft hand that retail customers equate with quality, enhanced breathability, and compliance for delicate purchasers. On a per-shirt basis, the distinction for a basic three-color front hit might be modest, often a little uplift that can be reduced the effects of by choosing a slightly more affordable blank. If the program is for wholesale t t-shirts entering into shops or e-commerce at premium rate points, the enhancement in perceived value more than covers the change.

For individualized shirts, such as charity runs or college clubs, choices matter. Offer a base price with plastisol on midweight cotton, then a "convenience upgrade" that consists of a ringspun blank with water based ink. You will see a clear split: some customers enhance for cost, others for feel. Fulfilling both lets you serve a larger market without diluting your craft.

Care directions that consumers in fact follow

Care labels frequently check out like legal disclaimers. Keep it simple and realistic so the shirt endures real life. Water based and discharge prints choose cooler washes and lower dryer heat, but they will endure typical laundering if appropriately cured. I suggest phrasing care pointers in human terms on item pages: wash cold with comparable colors, topple dry low, prevent material softeners if you desire colors to stay crisp. The last note matters since some softeners can transfer films on fibers, dulling the visual contrast of fine lines.

I've evaluated these directions in-house: two similar t-shirts, one cleaned cold and dried low, the other washed warm and dried high. After 15 cycles, the warm/high tee showed somewhat faster fading of mid-tones, yet still looked great. That tolerance originates from proper cure, 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 assembled garments with water based inks can be unforgiving. Instead of battling joints, style for them. Use tone-on-tone patterns that fade naturally at joints, or apply a ghosted grid that looks intentional when it breaks at hems. Additionally, run panel printing and sew. Brand names that sell restricted runs can validate cut-and-sew for 100 to 300 pieces if the style requires it. The finished garments read as custom from a distance, which is the goal.

A short anecdote from a busy season

One spring we ran a series for a local music festival. The customer wanted soft black tees with a sunburst print that felt like it lived in the fabric. We sampled on three blacks from 2 mills. Batch one raised easily with discharge, batch 2 remained stubbornly dark in the mid-rays of the artwork. We logged dye lot numbers, rotated the ink mix by including a touch more white pigment to compensate, and changed dwell time by 10 to 15 seconds to complete the reaction. The outcome: consistent tees across 2,400 units, each with a soft, breathable print that sold out by day two.

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

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Most issues I see trace back to procedure, not the ink household. Under-curing is the first culprit. Water based ink that feels dry can still be under-cured if the core of the print never struck the required temp for the ideal period. Use a donut probe or an embedded thermochromic strip to measure true ink film temperature level, not just clothes dryer setpoints. Screen lockup is the 2nd. Keep a constant pace on press, flood in between prints, and control shop humidity.

A 3rd mistake is neglecting fabric variability. If you switch blanks mid-run because a size runs out stock, you might see shifts in color. Build contingency into your purchasing. For brand names preparing ahead, picking a standard blank and locking it with your supplier minimizes surprises.

Final assistance for picking your path

If your priority is soft, breathable custom-made garments that consumers keep wearing, water based inks deserve the learning curve. Usage basic water based upon light garments for tidy detail and matte color. Move to release on 100 percent cotton when you want the softest prints on dark t-shirts. Accept and prepare for minor color variation with discharge, specifically throughout dye lots. For bulk t t-shirt orders, build in a single round of physical sampling on the real blanks you will use, then document your settings and hold back a recommendation t-shirt for quality control.

If you run a print as needed brochure, take a water based pill of best sellers on light 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 just on screens. When a customer rubs their thumb throughout a print and feels absolutely nothing however fiber, you have actually won. That's the minute water based and discharge provide, and why they should have a location in any major 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.