Art-Flo serves as one of the premiere screen printers in the Chicago area. With 50 years of experience in the screen printing industry we know the exact techniques and processes to give you the best possible quality print, but still at very affordable price. Whether it's for thousands of shirts for something more corporate or it's just 50 shirts for your family reunion. We treat each job with the same precedence and importance.

PRINTING TECHNIQUES

Spot Color Plastisol
Our Spot Color Printing provides a simple and cost effective way to print designs and logos on garments. Some of the hottest retail looks on the market today are printed using a series of spot colors, unique locations and high-impact designs. With having all these great capabities with this process, this still is the most common type of printing for basic designs and logos.

CMYK Process
Photographic reproduction on white or light garments or bags is done using CYMK, or four color process screen printing. Don't be fooled by the name, this process uses between 5-6 screens.

Simulated Process
Photographic reproduction on colored or dark garments is done using simulated process screen printing. This is the most difficult and costly type of screen printing and uses anywhere between 6-12 screens.

Discharge
Discharge Inks are designed for 100 % cotton fabrics. Discharge is a process of dyeing the garment. Using Discharge inks is most effective when going for a soft feeling print most popular for a high fashion look design. Discharge ink is not able to be Pantone matched perfectly please allow 15% variation in color because it is a dye.

Waterbase / Eco-Friendly Printing
An environmentally friendly option for tee shirt printing, our Eco-Friendly printing process uses water-based inks. Free of most environmentally damaging chemicals such as PVC's, phthalate, heavy metals, azo compounds, nonylphenol and formaldehyde. Water based ink ingredients are non-toxic and lead free. They also print up super soft which is a huge benefit for oversized designs.

Large Format / All Over Printing
Art-Flo can print up to 24 x 30 per position. This is especially popular with the fashion industry.

Foil
Foil can really add value and make any garment shine. We only use the highest end foil and apply clear adhesive for a smooth flawless look.

Specialty Inks
Specialty inks are designed to enhance graphics by using the inks to achieve the special effect. We have cool things such as glitter, high density, puff, clear gel, glow in the dark and neons just to name a few.

DIGITAL PRINTING

What is digital printing?
The state-of-the-art purely digital machines use ink jet technology that prints on many different garment types in high-quality color directly from a computer. This ink jet printing is the BEST solution to date for cost-effective short-run apparel graphics applications when traditional screen printing is too expensive. Also the digital printing is able to be done on light and dark colored garments.

For custom t-shirt orders less than 36pcs and full color jobs less than 144pcs, digital printing technology is faster and less expensive than traditional screen printing. Because there is minimal set-up, tear-down, clean-up, screens, squeegees, or color separations, digital printing is typically turned around in a lot less time. The printing also uses water-based ink which is 100% eco-friendly and is cured at a lower temperature than screen printing inks so you can decorate tricky fabrics.

SCREEN PRINTING 101

What is screen printing?
It is a method of printmaking where ink is forced through a fine mesh (or "silk") screen onto the printing surface. The ink is then cured with heat.

What is a specialty ink?
A specialty ink is something out of the ordinary. We have cool things such as glitter, foil, high density and neons just to name a few.

Can you match PMS colors for screen-printing?
We do our best to match the PMS color. Please understand it cannot be guaranteed to be exact on a textile, PMS colors are designed for paper ink to be placed on white stock.

What is your turn around time?
Our standard time turn around time for screen printed t-shirts is 7-10 working busines days once the art is approved. Rush times can be provided, but an up charge may occur.

What types of files do you accept?
Vector art built in Adobe illustrator is the best to send us, but we have a wide range of file types we can use. You can visit our Art Information Page for a comprehensive list.

What is the largest print area?
For standard screen printing we can print to a maximum of 16" wide by 20" tall. We can also go up to 24" X 30 for our over size printing. Keep in mind for larger prints that are beyond the standard print sizes extra charges will apply.

How large should my logo be?
This is art and it is all very subjective. For full fronts & full backs of t-shirts 9" to 12" in width is standard. For left chest emblems 3.5" in width is also standard, but all of this can vary to the actual size of the logo depending on the height and the surface area of the print. If you do not specify a certain size we will use our expertise to size it accordingly for your job.

What are your quantity price breaks?
24-47
48-71
72-143
144-299
300-599
600-1,199
1,200-2,999
3,000-5,999
6,000-11,999

What is your approval process & can I see a sample before it prints.
We will provide you with a virtual proof via email before your order is processed if requested. We do not provide actual printed samples prior to production unless arranged in advance with your sales representative.