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Best Fabrics for Screen Printing

Want your design to look bold, clean, and last? This guide walks you through which materials work best for screen printing—and which ones to avoid.

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Why Fabric Matters for Screen Print

Screen printing presses ink through a mesh stencil, one color at a time. Smooth, stable fabrics create cleaner lines and better registration. Rough or stretchy fabrics can distort your design or cause colors to misalign.

Cotton

100% cotton is the gold standard. It absorbs ink evenly and gives your design sharp, vibrant color. Great for tees, tanks, and long sleeves. Light-colored cottons are especially screen-print friendly.

Blends

Blended shirts (like 50/50 or triblends) are softer but can sometimes resist ink or show faded results. We recommend testing or sticking to known styles that screen print well.

Polyester

Polyester is trickier. It doesn’t absorb ink like cotton, so plastisol ink sits on top and may need additives or underbases to bond well. Avoid ultra-thin or high-stretch performance fabrics unless designed for printing.

Fleece & Hoodies

Most fleece hoodies, crewnecks, and joggers screen print great—especially if they’re cotton-heavy. Just avoid printing over seams or ribbing, which can cause uneven prints.

Stretch & Problem Fabrics

Stretchy, textured, or water-resistant materials can cause serious issues with ink adhesion or registration. Stick to smoother, stable fabrics unless you’re using a specialty print method.

What We Recommend

Stick to 100% cotton for best results. Blends and fleece can also work well when selected carefully. We’ve flagged screen-print-friendly products in our catalog to help you choose confidently.

Next Steps

Designing for Screen Printing · Logo Requirements · How to Order · Screen Printing Pricing

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