Glossy vs Matte shirt printing

People are surprised to learn there are many finishes that screen printing can result in.  While a thick print of plastisol inks on a t-shirt will often yield a shiny glossy print there are many factors that can change the finish of the print between different additives and printing processes.

 

Glossy Printing

Glossy prints have a smooth surface where the ink sits on top of the shirt. Light can reflect off the ink’s surface, making it look more glossy.  Laying down a heavier ink deposit will also make a print look glossy. The heavy ink deposit will not permit the shirt’s fibers to influence the surface texture of the ink. The smooth, flat surface will be shiny once cured.  The thicker the print or more swipes of ink the glossier and more opaque the print will be.  Additionally for an extra glossy print you can print a layer of clear gel ink over the print for a more uniform glossy finish, this would be considering an additional color in the print.

 

Note that athletic apparel typically has a thicker ink deposit. Garments like jerseys and polyster usually have plastisol layered on top of each other. Therefore, athletic apparel is much more shiny compared to standard t-shirts.

An additional process can be done but using a “roller-screen” to roll the print while it is cooling to give smoother print, general reserved for plastisol inks.  Similar effects can be furthered using a heat press on the print after its cured.

 

Matte Printing

Waterbased and discharge printing is an alternative to standard plastisol inks, producing a much softer vintage-looking print are matte or even flat because the ink soaks into the shirt and not on top of it.

 

 

Plastisol ink can be reduces with a number of additives such as soft-hand and reducer to give the ink a more matte finish, however these inks also reduce the opacity of the ink.  Additionally plastisol ink can be dulled with suede and puff additives, which raise the print but also give a much more matte finish as a side effect, intentional or not.

 

In the end, the ink’s surface texture will determine how shiny or dull a print is. With this new information, you’ll be able to manipulate prints to look as shiny or as dull as you prefer.