From Tie-Dye to Vinyl – High Fashion T-Shirts

Wednesday 24th of February 2010 07:15:41 PM

It is hard to trace the first T-shirt. However, 1959 marked the year that changed the t-shirt industry. The invention of a new ink – plastisol – opened the door for designs and screen-printing on t-shirts. Plastisol was resilient and had ‘give’. It gave the tee a comfortable fit.

The biggest trend in t-shirts came just after the invention of plastisol. Tie-dye processes on white cotton t-shirts was the most popular clothing item in the 1960’s. Today, the pendulum is swinging back toward screen-printing as a marketable method of creating promotional clothing.

The basis of the screen-printing process is separation of colors. Inks or plastisol pass through special screens. Each individual screen limits the amount of ink that appears on the tee. The screens also determine where the ink will go – the design pattern.

Water based inks are not as popular as they once were. Plastisol is now the ‘go to’ method for screen-printing for most promotional clothing companies. Plastisol allows the use of a broad range of vivid colors without the constant tweaks water-based inks need to reach the same intensity.

To keep up with high fashion trends many promotional clothing distributors offer special inks choices. Metallic inks, glitter inks, shimmer inks, and puff add a touch of fashion to t-shirts. One of the most sought after treatments for 2010 is a metallic foil combined with shimmery ink. Plastisol is applied to the t-shirt and the metallic inks reflect against it for a stunning effect.

Businesses have long sought screen-printing techniques for successful promotional campaigns. A simple 2-color logo t-shirt can represent a company and offer free advertising every time it is worn.

An expensive screen printing technique does automatically guarantee success. In fact, some businesses might benefit from a simple technique of t-shirt printing. The choice is dependent on the target market. A high-end target market will respond to more expensive screen-printing techniques and fashionable additions.

Related Stories: Promotional T-Shirts Make You the Go-To Brand, The Perfectly Fitting T-Shirt, Bright Colours Reflect Hopes for the Economy

Bookmark this article: