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How to Print Bandanas

 

No doubt that printing loads of bandanas will be part of our “new normal”.  Here are some tips for success…

1) Iron or Steam

Buy a commercial iron and/or steamer and treat every piece prior to printing to flatten wrinkles in the fabric.  It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s not as bad as you might think and it will dramatically speed production and reduce misprints.  Remember, press-time is more expensive than prep-time.

2) Proper Ink Selection

Soft-hand inks all the way.  People will be wearing these things on their faces… Let them breathe!!!

3) Proper Bandana Selection

Bandanas made from cotton fiber and reactive-dye will allow for use of soft-hand discharge inks.  This is the best way to print light colored inks on dark-colored bandanas.

4) Oversized Platens

Typical bandanas measure 18″ – 22″ across.  Assuming a 0.5″ margin on all sides, the max print area will range from 17″ – 21″ across.  Guaranteed, your customer will typically want to use every inch of the printable area, so get your self a set of oversized printing platens to accommodate.

5) Charge Accordingly

Bandana printing is a slower, more labor-intensive process than typical t-shirt printing.  Calculate your production costs, educate your customers, and charge accordingly.

 

 

Comments

    1. you can use any kind of ink you want, but transfers are the easiest thing I’ve seen yet. The very easiest thing is to have the bandana company print them…

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