Water-Based & Discharge Screen Printing: Soft-Hand Prints on Any Shirt
Short answer: yes, we print with water-based and discharge inks as well as plastisol. Water-based ink soaks into the fabric instead of sitting on top, so the print feels like part of the shirt. Discharge ink removes the garment dye and replaces it with color, so you get bright, soft prints on dark cotton. Both are quoted on our regular screen printing price matrix, and any specialty-ink charge is shown on your quote before you approve.
Plastisol vs Water-Based vs Discharge
| Plastisol | Water-based | Discharge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel | Sits on top, slight raised hand | Soft, soaks in | Softest, no hand at all |
| Best garments | Anything, incl. poly blends | Light cotton and tri-blends | Dark 100% cotton (reactive dyed) |
| Color brightness | Brightest, most opaque | Muted, vintage | Bright on darks, slight color shift |
| Breathability | Lower on big prints | High | High |
| Best for | Workwear, hi-vis, athletics | Retail tees, vintage looks, light shirts | Retail and band tees on dark shirts |
More detail: plastisol vs water-based ink and what discharge ink is.
How Discharge Printing Works
Discharge ink carries an activator that, when it cures, bleaches the reactive dye out of cotton and deposits pigment in its place. On a black tee the result is a bright print you can barely feel. It only works on fibers dyed with reactive dyes, so 100% cotton is the target; on poly blends the polyester keeps its color and you get a faded, vintage look. Every dye lot discharges a little differently, so we test print on your exact garment and color before the run. Often we use discharge as the underbase and print water-based color on top, which gives soft, bright multicolor prints on dark shirts without a heavy plastisol base. Compare with a plastisol underbase.
Best Shirts for Water-Based and Discharge
| Garment | Water-based | Discharge |
|---|---|---|
| Ring-spun cotton retail tees | Excellent | Excellent on most colors (test first) |
| Tri-blends | Excellent, very soft | Vintage, faded look |
| Garment-dyed (e.g. Comfort Colors) | Good | Results vary by dye, test required |
| 50/50 and poly blends | Good on light colors | Not recommended |
| 100% polyester performance | Not recommended | Will not discharge |
Not sure which blank? See best blank t-shirts compared and choosing a shirt material.
When We Recommend Plastisol Instead
Hi-vis and safety shirts, polyester athletic wear, work shirts that get washed hard, exact Pantone matches, and specialty effects like puff and metallic. If you are unsure, tell us the garment and the look you want and we will recommend the ink. See also how we print crack-resistant designs and how to wash printed apparel.
Pricing
Water-based and discharge prints use the same per-piece matrix as our other screen printing: a one-color print on a light garment is $4.85 per piece at 24 and $3.79 at 48, plus $20 per screen per color. Specialty inks and test prints are listed on the quote. Full matrix on the pricing page and the screen printing cost guide.
What Customers Say
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“Great to work with and awesome availability of products. I was able to get my exact same work shirts that I use but with my logo printed through Battle Born Clothing.”
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“Robert has done a great job getting all our new merchandise logo up and ready for sale. Good guy too. Highly recommend him.”
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Free quote · Ships nationwide
Quote a Soft-Hand Print
Garment, colors, quantity, the look you want and your artwork. We reply with pricing and ink recommendations, usually within one business day.
Logo files: .ai, .eps, .pdf, .svg or a high-res .png. Prefer to talk it through? Call 775-230-0211 or email sales@battlebornclothing.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you do water-based screen printing?
Yes. We print water-based, discharge and plastisol inks, and recommend the right one for your garment and look.
What is discharge printing?
A water-based process where an activator removes the dye from cotton and replaces it with pigment, producing a bright, soft print on dark shirts with almost no feel.
Does discharge work on polyester?
No. Discharge only works on fibers dyed with reactive dyes, mainly 100% cotton. Blends give a faded vintage look, and polyester does not discharge.
Is water-based ink more eco-friendly?
Water-based inks contain no PVC or phthalates and use water as the main carrier, which is why many retail brands prefer them.
Does water-based or discharge printing cost more?
It uses the same per-piece matrix. Any specialty-ink charge or test print is listed on your quote before you approve.
Is there a minimum?
No hard minimum, but water-based and discharge are best value from about 24 pieces, since setup is the same as any screen print.
Do you ship nationwide?
Yes. We print in Yerington, Nevada and ship anywhere in the US.