We Provide Sublimation, DTG, & Screen Printing

SCREEN PRINTING

Screen printing (silk screen), is a versatile printing technique. The ink can be water-based or plastisol, the latter being thicker, but more durable and lasting. In our shop, this process is usually used for higher quantity, relatively simple prints, with minimal detail in the design.

Here's a quick summary of how it works:

Preparation: A stencil of the design is created on a fine mesh screen coated with light-sensitive emulsion.

Exposure: The screen is exposed to light, hardening the emulsion except where the design blocks it.

Washing: Unhardened emulsion is washed away, leaving open areas for ink to pass through.

Setup: The screen is placed over the substrate (e.g., fabric), and ink is applied on top of the screen.

Printing: A squeegee is used to force ink through the stencil on the substrate, creating the design.

Drying: The printed substrate is dried to set the ink and prevent smudging, usually in a high temp conveyor dryer.

Cleanup: The screen is cleaned for reuse, removing ink and emulsion residues.

Screen printing offers vibrant, durable prints suitable for a wide range of materials, making it a popular choice for custom apparel and promotional items.

DTG PRINTING

Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing is a cutting edge method of printing designs directly onto textiles, like T-shirts, using specialized inkjet technology. This process prints full color, even photographs, in a matter of minutes, and we can print any quantity, even just one.

Here's a brief summary of the DTG process:

  1. Preparation: The garment is placed on a flat surface, typically a platen, to ensure a smooth printing surface.

  2. Pre-treatment: For best results, especially on dark-colored garments, a pre-treatment solution is applied to the fabric. This helps the ink adhere better and enhances color vibrancy. It may leave a slight discoloration until washed.

  3. Printing: The garment is loaded into a DTG printer designed for textiles. From a computer, the design is sent to the printer , which applies ink directly onto the fabric in precise layers and extremely detailed.

  4. Curing: After printing, heat is applied to the garment to set the ink permanently into the fabric fibers. This step ensures durability and wash-fastness of the printed design.

DTG printing offers high-quality, detailed prints with unlimited color options and is ideal for small-batch or single-item orders due to its digital nature. It's a popular choice for custom apparel, promotional items, and personalized gifts.

Paper PRINTING

We also have a small copy center with limited paper printing with 2 laser printers, an inkjet printer, paper cutter, laminator, stapler, scissors, etc. The lasers print up to 11x17 and the inkjet prints up to 13x19. Being the only copy center in the Fern Ridge / Veneta area, this gives people the ability to print copies, greeting cards, posters and more, without having to drive a long way to do so.

Sublimation

Sublimation printing is a method used to transfer colorful designs onto various substrates, including polyester and pretreated textiles as well as certain hard surfaces, such as tumblers, using heat and special dyes.

Here's a concise summary of the sublimation printing process:

  1. Design Preparation: A digital design is created or selected for printing. The design is typically prepared in a specific format compatible with sublimation printing.

  2. Printing onto Transfer Paper: The design is printed onto special sublimation transfer paper using sublimation ink. The design appears in reverse (mirrored) on the paper.

  3. Preparing the Substrate: The substrate, such as polyester fabric or coated surfaces like ceramics or metal, is prepared and placed in position for printing.

  4. Transfer Process: The printed transfer paper is placed face-down onto the substrate, and both are secured together using heat-resistant tape.

  5. Heat Pressing: Then it’s placed into an appropriate heat press machine. Heat and pressure are applied for a set time, causing the ink on the transfer paper to vaporize and penetrate the surface of the substrate.

  6. Cooling and Removal: After a set time, the heat press is released, and the substrate is allowed to cool. The transfer paper is then removed, leaving behind a vibrant, durable, and permanent design on the substrate.

Sublimation printing offers high-resolution, full-color prints with excellent durability and wash-fastness, particularly on polyester-based materials. It's commonly used for custom apparel, promotional items, personalized gifts, and various signage applications.