Screen Printing Ink Colors

🔬 About Pantone Matching

We use the Pantone Matching System (PMS) to ensure consistent, accurate colors across all orders.

• Exact Pantone matches — We mix inks to match your specified PMS codes

• Free proofs — Review colors before we print

• Custom colors available — Need a specific shade? Just ask

• Specialty inks — Metallics, neons, puff, glow-in-dark on request

⚪ What's an Underbase?

On dark and heather garments, we first print a thin layer of white ink — the underbase — then print your colors on top of it. Without it, ink sinks into the dark fabric and your colors come out dull and muddy.

• No extra charge — The underbase is part of doing dark garments right. We don't count it as one of your ink colors.

• Heathers count as dark — Sport Grey, Athletic Heather, and most heathered fabrics get an underbase too, even though they look lighter.

• We handle it automatically — You don't need to set anything up, and your free proof shows exactly how the final print will look.

🎯 Why Your Print May Look Different Than a Previous Order

If a past order from another printer looks different from ours, the underbase is usually why. Here's the same red ink on a black shirt, with and without one:

Some shops print without an underbase, or use a lighter halftone underbase — those prints come out softer and more muted. Ours will look brighter and bolder by comparison. That's not a color mismatch; it's the underbase doing its job.

Want the softer, vintage look on purpose? Just ask — we can print distressed or tonal styles too, and we'll note it on your proof.