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3 Tips for Finding Eco-friendly Screen Print Shirts in Los Angeles

Before checking price and quality, customers now try to find out if the shirts you sell are sustainable. The same goes for your merchandise if you’re a YouTuber or podcaster. And, the shirts you give away for branding can easily put customers off if they’re printed through environmentally harmful processes.

There’s an easy solution, though. As a company that’s strongly committed to playing a part in preserving our planet, Shirt Agency is always helping customers make the most environmentally responsible choices with their prints.

So, if you’re wondering how you can find eco-friendly screen print shirts in Los Angeles, use our tried and tested tips.

#1. Consider the inks they use

The two main types of ink used for screenprinting are are plastisol and water-based ink. Here’s a look at both and their effect on the environment:

Plastisol ink

Plastisol is favored for screenprinting because it’s relatively more cost-effective. It’s also good for printing large orders and it doesn’t clog printing equipment when it dries.

However, there are a few facts about using it that make it environmentally unfriendly.

For one, it contains polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is a form of plastic well-known for its ecological harm. Other plastics within plastisol include plasticizers and phthalates, both of which are highly harmful.

Now, sometimes there’s just no getting around using plastisol. It’s the best option for dark garments and large prints. Still, a company providing eco-friendly screen print shirts in Los Angeles will have its own ways of limiting the environmental damage.

Water-based ink

Water-based ink refers to pigments suspended in water. Since this type of ink doesn’t use any plastics, it’s a greener alternative to plastisol in most cases.

It has quality benefits as well, like how it can be ironed over without the risk of heat melting any PVC. Or how the most volatile parts dry off quickly to leave a more breathable garment.

But, as mentioned, water-based ink struggles to give the same quality prints as plastisol for large designs and dark garments.

When speaking with an eco-friendly screenprinting company, ask them how they weigh which option is more sustainable for each order.

#2. See if their packaging is also sustainable

Making the printing process environmentally responsible is definitely the highest priority for any company that offers eco-friendly screen print shirts in Los Angeles.

But other aspects of how they do things need to be aligned with conscious practices if the company is genuinely responsible.

Especially for packaging, pay attention to things like sparing use of plastic, a preference for shipping items in bulk, and heavy use of recycling.

#3. Check for an insistence on quality blanks

An environmentally conscious screenprinting company always takes care to ensure that it’s not contributing to the low-quality textiles that fill landfills every day.

This should be a key consideration for each company you think about working with, since clothes can take 200 years to decompose.

Responsible shirt printing companies avoid adding to the pollution by working only on quality prints. This makes for high-quality prints that you’re proud to sell to customers or give away to truly reflect well on your brand. And the shirts tend to last longer, increasing customer value and making them an effective tool for long-term branding.

Get quality, eco-friendly screen print shirts in Los Angeles from the Shirt Agency

Together with providing the best quality prints using only the finest inks, helping our customers play a role in creating a more sustainable world is a crucial part of our mission.

If you’re looking for print shirts that dazzle shoppers and recipients with quality while showing you care deeply about the environment, it’s time to work with the Shirt Agency.

We’re based in Los Angeles but our services are available to you wherever you are in the world. Get a quote for your screen print shirts today.