Ultimate Guide To Screen Printing in Christchurch, New Zealand

Screen Printing is one of the most common ways to brand your apparel in Christchurch, New Zealand.

And it’s no surprise; for large print runs of simple designs, it can be extremely cost-effective.

But what is screen printing and is it right for your branded apparel? One of our screen printing experts, Anna, talks us through everything you need to know about this printing practice.

We are proud to supply Selwyn Sounds with their screen printed gear

What exactly is screen printing?

In the simplest terms, screen printing is essentially a way of using stencils to paint designs onto garments.

We make the screens from silk, with little perforated holes where we want colour to go, just like a paper stencil!

Each layer of colour requires its own stencil. We drag the ink across the stencil, wipe away the excess and remove the screen to leave the colour.

For multicoloured-designs, the inks are simply layered on top of each other, one at a time.

How long do the screen prints last?

Screen printing should last years if used and washed normally. 

You should almost always wash garments in a cold wash and never put them in a hot dryer. This extends the life of your garments, as well as the print work.

What designs work best for screen printing?

While a lot of amazing designs can be achieved with screen printing, it’s most cost effective for printing designs with few colours.

Every colour requires the set up of a screen, which requires another set up fee.

Flat colours are best, but gradients can be achieved with the right colourways. 

If you can easily count the number of colours on your design, especially if you have fewer than 3 colours and a large run to do, screen printing might be the best garment printing option for your needs.

Simple designs are best for screen printing in Christchurch

What garments can I get screen printed?

Almost all of our cotton garments can be screen printed, including t-shirtshoodies and button-up shirts.

However, some garments are simply harder than others to print onto, due to their composition and coating. But don't worry, we have other printing techniques that will be perfect for your chosen items!

If you’re looking at branding a specific garment of ours that you’re unsure about, please just get in touch and one of the team will be able to help you figure out the best printing style for your needs.

What is the minimum number for one design?

As great screen printing is quite a personalised process to get up and running (and therefore has set up costs) it’s most cost effective to do runs of 20 or more.

However, if you have your heart set on screen printing, we will consider design runs of 10 or more.

If you have a more complex design with multiple colours, consider Supacolour for your branding instead.

What design file do I need for screen printing?

In order to make the stencils (screens) for your design, we require vector files from Adobe Illustrator.

Your graphic designer should know exactly what file is needed; AI, EPS or any vector file.

All files should have a resolution of 300dpi to achieve a great print quality.

All fonts need to be converted to outlines/curves or the original font files attached and emailed.

We have a graphic designer who can work with your files if needed (get in touch to ask about our graphic design fees).

If all this sounds like a foreign language, get in touch. We’re more than happy to help.

Our tshirt designers in Christchurch are always happy to help

Can I have a mixture of colours for the same design?

Absolutely! As long as the design and the size doesn’t change, we can use the same stencil or screen.

All we need to do is clean the screen for printing with a new colour. Our team will be happy to discuss how much the screen cleaning fee is for your specific job.

How long does it take?

As most of our larger clients opt for screen printing, there can be a lead time of 2 weeks or more, especially when heading towards Christmas.

If you need your branded apparel urgently, please reach out to our team. We might be able to squeeze you in, or recommend another printing technique that will get your apparel to you quicker.

How do I order my screen printing?

All screen printing work needs to be organised with us via email. Please send an email to support@dori.co.nz, with your design and requirements, and our team will be in touch!