Tips and Tricks for Screen Printing Hoodies

If you want to create great looking screen-printed designs on hooded sweatshirts, you should know that paying attention to a few variables which are specific to hoodies will be the best way to get great results.

In this article, we'd like to share some tips which make it easier for you to please your screen printing shop clients, whether they are ordering just a few hoodies or larger runs.

Pay Attention to Thickness
If you want good results, you should alter your off-contact to twice what you'd typically do. These settings usually work very well for sweatshirts. As well, we recommend utilizing an effective pallet adhesive, as fleece is prone to moving around and this will ensure that the image doesn't shift or throw off your registration which will result in blurry prints. Also, you should think about the different features of hooded sweatshirts when you are designing the art for hoodies. For example, make sure that the design doesn't lie too far down on the sweatshirt. If it does, the pocket might be in the way.

---

Other Things to Consider
Hoodies are generally quite a bit thicker than t-shirts. A lot of people choose flashing in order to get good results and also keep a close eye on speed in order to minimize the risk of burning. You will also want to keep an eye on shrinkage when putting the hoodies through a conveyor dryer. A good tip is to lower the temperature and cure for a longer period of time or to use a fast curing underbase ink. Also, if the hoodie in question has a zip, you will need to create a jig which allows the zip to fit into place, so that there is a good sweep that is very clean. In addition, think about strings on hoodies. Make sure that they never get in the way. If you're using an underbase, you shouldn't need to flash before the drying process. Otherwise, you may need to.

Are You Printing the Backs of Hoodies?
If you're going to be printing the backs of hooded sweatshirts, you'll need to consider the fact that the hood may get in the way of the design while it's down! While some customers don't mind when a bit of the design is obscured, others prefer that the graphic be visible when the hood is down. For example, if you'll be printing numbers and names on the reverse of a hoodie, you may want to consider moving the design downwards, so that it's easy to see, whether the hoodie is up or down. You may always talk to the client beforehand and see what he or she wants. Just take this into considering and then choose the right orientation for your design.

Refine Your Printing Processes Today
Messing up a t-shirt can cost you a few dollars, but having a hoodie order give you problems could cost you quite a bit more. Hopefully, these tips will help you to create the sorts of screen-printed hoodies which earn glowing reviews. It's pretty easy to alter and refine screen printing processes so that they are perfect for hoodies. With this in mind, why not do so today? The better your results, the better the reputation of your screen printing shop!

James Perry reporting for American Screen Printing Association. Mr. Perry is the owner of T-Shirt Printing Toronto, a provider of screen printing, direct to garment printing, embroidery, vinyl printing, signs, banners & flyers. He is an ASPA member and has been screen printing custom hoodies for many years.