All Over Screen Printing
There has been resurgence in all over screen printing. Many artists, designers, companies, schools, teams and organizations are interested in getting their t-shirts screen printed using this method. Today I want to explain some of the nuances of using this decoration method so that when you are planning your next silk screen project, you are aware of the capabilities and limitations of all over screen printing.
When you are contemplating doing design work that involves printing all over a t-shirt, the artwork and the sizing of the t-shirts in your order are two critical factors that have to be considered.
Understanding All Over Screen Printing
When setting up an all over print t-shirt job, each size shirt within the order must have its own screen or set of screens. This means that if you are running an all over print job that includes 3 colors in the design, and you have 6 sizes of shirts in the order, you need to have 18 different jumbo screens. This can make any all over screen print job a costly proposition. Consider the graphic below. In this example, I am showing you a Viking design that was made to be an all over print for an extra-large T-Shirt. You’ll notice that simple screen were used on other sized shirts, that the end result might be an “all over print” but not in the design desired by the customer. The focus of the design would be in different places on each sized shirt and in some instances, the most important and distinguishable design elements may be completely missing from the design because the t-shirt might not be large enough to accommodate it.
The solution is creating separate screens for each size T-Shirt. Most customers are not going to want to go through the expense of making separate screens, especially on a multi-color job.
Simulated All Over Screen Printing
Most customers that request all over screen printing are really looking for a specific “look” for their design. They may not necessarily care if the print truly goes “all over” yet they don’t want a 14″ x 16″ rectangular look. Having design elements that appear on the sleeves, shoulders or that wrap around the back of the T-Shirt will give the illusion of an all over print, and also the distinction that the T-Shirt is truly different.
So how do you accomplish this without multiple screens?
A lot of it is art design and placement choices. To get this simulated effect, the artist that designs the T-Shirt needs to focus on keeping their critical design elements in the center of the design, things like logos, key phrases or graphic elements can’t be used on the sleeves or shoulders because those parts of the T-Shirt are in different places on different sized T-Shirts.
By keeping non-essential design elements on those outer perimeters of the all over screen printing print, you can get the look desired and not lose focus on the key and important elements, and save money. It’s a win all around.
If you are considering all over screen printing, please give us a call at (908) 806-8337 or email us. AMBRO Manufacturing provides all over screen printing services and specializes in wide format screen printing.