Screen Printing Styles – Vintage or Opaque?

When designing a custom screen printed t-shirt, an important factor in the design is the selecting the type of print that best fits the look and style you are trying to achieve. The following two options will make an huge impact on how your t-shirt will look.

Opaque. For decades, screen printers have use an opaque print for t-shirts. An opaque print means the colors are more vibrant and bold. The whites are very bright. Printing this style requires a white base and creates a thicker layer of ink printed on the shirt. You can see an illustration of opaque printing below.

Vintage. We offer a “new” vintage screen printing style that has become very popular. This effect creates an image that appears to be old and worn. The vintage print is created by making only one pass of the squeegee over the screen. In addition to creating a stylish appearance, it is leaves a thinner coat of ink which is softer to the touch. It is especially attractive on our fashion tees like Allmade, Next Level, and Bella Canvas. After all, who wants a ultra thin, super soft t-shirt with a big patch of plastic ink printed on their chest? At this time, 75 – 80% of all of our customer printed t-shirts feature a vintage print. An example of vintage printing is shown below.

You can now pass the test when you’re asked the difference between opaque and vintage printing.  To get started with your custom screen-printed apparel order, check us out at Greek Corner Screen Printing and Embroidery in Springfield, MO. We’ve been in business for over 35 years. We have over 85 – 5 Star Google Reviews online. We’ve never missed a hard customer deadline. We love giving shop tours. We offer full-service screen printing including free art service. Our experienced, friendly staff would love to work with you on your next tee shirt, bag, hoodie, short, and screen printed sportswear order for your school. Call us at 417.865.8011 or get a free quote today.