Color Matching Disclaimer

There aren’t many things our incredible DTG process can’t achieve! However, when choosing the colors for your artwork, it’s important to note that they may look different on a real product than what you see on your computer monitor. Even if you have calibrated your monitor to a specific color profile, there are various factors that influence the final appearance of colors on a printed product.

Because of this, we can’t guarantee color accuracy 100%. Consider the following factors:

• When printing on garments, it’s important to consider fabric material and garment color. The same color value will look a little different on when printed on 100% cotton vs. a fabric blend. Similarly, the same color value will look different when printed on a light vs. dark colored garment.
• We also print a white under base layer beneath prints on colored garments so that the colors look vibrant and stand out from the fabric. The same color value on one garment can look different when printed with vs. without a white under base. We’ve taken two photos where you can see how the same color values look different when printed on a WHITE or BLACK garment. Keep in mind that even the colors in these photos look different than on the original printed product. Referencing these photos is not a substitution for ordering color swatches on a sample product.
• Important for personalized products. The two most popular color spaces are RGB and CMYK. RGB has a wider gamut (the range of colors that can be expressed) and print files made in RGB can be saved as png files. CMYK, on the other hand, is the color space used when printing. Our printers automatically convert your submitted print files from RGB to CMYK, and this conversion changes the color gamut. That’s why we suggest you design your file within the CMYK color space, but convert the file to RGB before saving. For best possible accuracy, convert the file to sRGB color profile, sRGB IEC61966-2.1 to be exact. This way your colors will stay within the gamut. Most editing programs have this color profile as default.

 

How does fabric blend affect print quality?

DTG printing process is best suited for garments that are 100% cotton. So if you’re looking for the most opaque result, 100% cotton is your best bet. This fabric generally has a better result due to its tight weave.

Bella + Canvas 3001 100% cotton shirt

 

However, there are exceptions to this. If a cotton is too thick, it can absorb the ink and result in a more faded look (for example, the Gildan 2000 is a thicker cotton).

Gildan 2000 100% Ultra Cotton T-Shirt

 

We also offer printing on poly blends and tri-blends. Our fulfillment team has worked hard to develop a system that allowed us to print on such garments without compromising print quality. Due to the looser weave and combination of fabrics, these garments will have a faded/vintage outcome with DTG printing. This is a pretty cool effect, but may not be ideal for you if you want a more opaque outcome.

Gildan 18500 Unisex Sweatshirt

 

Bella + Canvas 3413 T-Shirt

 

What should I know about all-over printing?

All-over printing or sublimation is a printing process where your design is printed on paper with dye ink and then transferred directly onto the fabric with heat. Sublimation lets you cover all of the garment with your design instead of, for example, DTG printing that has a smaller area to work with.

Due to the peculiarities of the sublimation process, graphics may shift up to 2 inches when printed. Because of this, we don’t recommend using designs that require precise placement.

White Art Store carries two types of products that are printed using sublimation:

• Sublimated products. These products are pre-made, so your designs are transferred on a ready-made product. Sublimated products, might show white streaks and creasing that are most common near stitching (for example, the sides of a towel).
• All-over print products (also referred to as cut & sew products). In this case, your designs are printed on fabric, which then gets cut and hand-sewn into the product you ordered. These products don’t have white streaks.

 

Why does my shirt have a vinegar smell?

When unpacking a new shirt or hoodie with a direct-to-garment (DTG) print, you might notice a vinegar-like smell or an off-white residue. Don’t worry, that’s not unusual – it’s from a fixation agent applied during the printing process and it’s not permanent.

Fixation agent (sometimes known as pre-treatment) is used for all DTG prints across the industry. It helps the ink bond with the fabric, and without it, the ink would flake off the garment.

The solution is simply to wash the garment! Neither the residue nor the smell is permanent and both should go away after one wash. If the discoloration is noticeable, the quality control team will include a card explaining that it’s from the fixation agent. Here’s how it looks:

 

If you have any further questions regarding printing on a specific fabric, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team at admin@whiteartstore.com!