SILKSCREEN PRINTING
Durable, Solid-Colour Printing Built for Bulk Runs
Silkscreen printing, also called T-shirt screen printing, pushes ink through a fine mesh screen onto the garment, one colour at a time. Because each colour needs its own screen, the method rewards designs built from solid blocks of colour, and the cost per piece falls as the quantity rises. That combination makes it the usual route for staff uniforms, event tees and school shirts ordered in volume.
Silk screen printing is handled in-house at the Petaling Jaya factory by mockup artists, ink mixers and press operators. Three ink systems are available, and the choice is covered in the printing methods comparison for uniform shirts:
- Water-based printing for a soft finish that sinks into the fabric.
- Rubberised printing for opaque coverage with a slight stretch.
- Plastisol printing for bright, sharp-edged spot colour work.
Production timing from the current service page:
- Sampling: 2-3 days
- Mass production: 5-7 working days, depending on order size
Every piece is inspected for durability, colour vibrancy, contrast and resolution before it leaves the factory.
INK SELECTOR
Which Silkscreen Ink Suits Your Garment
Ink choice changes how the print feels, how opaque it looks on dark fabric and how the design ages. Esping mixes all three in-house and will recommend one after seeing the artwork and garment colour.
Water-Based Ink
Finish on the shirt
Soaks into the fibres and leaves a soft, flat finish
Best suited to
Light-coloured cotton garments and large print areas
Rubberised Ink
Finish on the shirt
Sits on the surface with a slight stretch
Best suited to
Dark garments and bold blocks of solid colour
Plastisol Ink
Finish on the shirt
Bright and opaque with sharp, clean edges
Best suited to
High-contrast spot colour artwork and fine linework
MOQ AND PRICE GUIDE
Silkscreen Printing Minimum Order and Estimated Cost
The minimum order for silkscreen printing depends on the ink, and the printing cost is charged per colour / spot. Use these figures as a starting guide. The final quotation is subject to design, size, colour and quantity.
Water-Based and Rubberised Ink
Minimum order quantity
30 pieces
Good for
Soft prints on light cotton (water-based) and bold, opaque colour on dark garments (rubberised)
Plastisol Ink
Minimum order quantity
500 pieces
Good for
Large runs that need bright, sharp-edged spot colour
Silkscreen Printing Cost
Estimated cost
RM2 to RM3
Charged
Approximately, per colour / spot
Why Choose Silkscreen Printing?
Best fit vs better alternative
Four Printing Methods, Chosen Around Your Artwork
The suitable method depends on the artwork, the garment, the quantity and how the shirts will be worn. Esping reviews all four before quoting rather than pushing every job through one process.
Silkscreen printing
Bulk order, one to four solid colours, on cotton or blends
Screen set-up spreads across a large run, so the unit cost lands at its lowest.
DTF printing
Detailed artwork, gradients or photographic images
Silkscreen separates artwork into flat colour layers, so fine gradients do not reproduce well.
DTF printing
Small quantity, or pieces personalised with different names
There is no screen set-up per colour, so short runs stay economical.
Dye-sublimation
Full-colour, all-over design on a polyester garment
The dye bonds inside polyester fibres and can cover the whole panel, seams included.
Embroidery
A stitched corporate logo on a polo, jacket or cap
Thread gives a raised, structured finish that reads as more formal than a print.
If your run falls below the 30-piece silkscreen minimum, DFT printing is usually the better fit for the same artwork. For polyester sportswear, see sublimation shirt printing, and for stitched uniform logos see embroidery.
PLAN THE ORDER BEFORE PRODUCTION
Cost Drivers in a Silkscreen Order
Ordering a silkscreen print shirt in bulk moves the quotation on five inputs. Knowing them in advance makes it easier to adjust a design to a budget rather than reworking it after the quote. Garment options are listed under ready-made products.
- Number of colours. Each colour is a separate screen and a separate pass on the press.
- Number of print positions. A front and back print is two set-ups, not one.
- Order quantity. Set-up is a fixed cost, so it spreads thinner across a larger run.
- Garment and fabric weight. A 210gsm honeycomb polo and a 160gsm microfiber tee are not priced the same.
- Artwork condition. Print-ready vector artwork moves straight to separation. Low-resolution files need redrawing first.
SILKSCREEN PRINTING
Preparing Artwork for Silkscreen
Send artwork in a high-resolution format, preferably vector (AI or EPS). Vector files scale without losing edge quality and separate cleanly into colour layers.
More detail on preparing files sits in the artwork preparation guide.
- Vector formats: AI, EPS or print-ready PDF
- Raster files: supply at final print size in high resolution
- State the target colour for each element so the ink can be mixed to it
- Confirm the print position and the finished print size on the mock-up
Portfolio
Showcase of Our Work
Explore our curated showcase of completed projects, highlighting the quality and creativity we bring to every design.
HOW IT WORKS
The Silkscreen Printing Process at Esping
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Design Setup
Your logo is prepared and a separate screen is created for each colour in the design.1 -
Layered Printing
Each screen is applied to the shirt in sequence, building the design layer by layer.2 -
Final Product
The finished shirt is cured, quality-checked and packed for delivery.3
Caring for Silkscreen Printed Shirts
Simple washing habits keep a screen print looking even after repeated wear. Passing these on with a staff uniform rollout reduces the number of shirts that need replacing early.
Testimonials
What Customers Say About Esping
Reviews published on Esping’s Google Business Profile, attributed to the reviewer who wrote them.
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Have a very good experience with Esping Corporation. Their T-shirt that I ordered recently is in good quality. Not only that, the printing was good too. They have a good knowledge and even advises me what are the things I can do and not to do in terms on printing and color wise.
retxxter
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Good place for customize printing. There is more variety choice for you with reasonable price. Even though I ordered in a small quantity, they still helpful and recommended me some ideas, especially Gan. All items (arpon, round neck T-shirt, cap, uniform & Polo- Tee) were good in quality. Will repeat order again and recommend to others. Thanks for all team good services.
Hui Xin Chong
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Good place for all your shirt printing needs. I ordered a small quantity and they are the only few vendors in the area that were willing to do the job with a fair price. Service was speedy and quality is good. Recommended local vendor. But the surrounding area is a little tight as there isn't enough parking for visitors.
Felix Mea
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Always the first one who came in my mind when ordering shirts! Fair price with a good quality, Ms. Phyllis always respond in second and efficient! Will continue order with them in the future and definitely will recommend them to friends & business partner =D
Denson Mok
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Silkscreen Printing in Malaysia
Any questions
marketing@esping.com.my
Silkscreen printing presses ink through a mesh screen onto fabric to create a design, one colour at a time. It produces solid, hard-wearing prints and is the usual choice for bulk T-shirt and uniform orders in Malaysia.
- The cost is built from the number of colours in the design, the number of print positions, the garment and fabric weight, the order quantity and the condition of the artwork. As a starting guide, silkscreen printing is approximately RM2 to RM3 per colour / spot, subject to design, size, colour and quantity. Because each colour needs its own screen, a one-colour logo on 200 shirts costs far less per piece than a four-colour design on 50. Send the artwork and quantity for a current quotation.
The artwork is separated into one layer per colour and a screen is prepared for each. Ink is pushed through each screen onto the garment in sequence, then the print is cured with heat so the ink bonds to the fabric. Esping runs all of these stages in-house at Petaling Jaya and inspects every piece before packing.
Esping accepts silkscreen orders through the quotation form at shirtmalaysia.com.my, by email to sales@shirtmalaysia.com.my, by WhatsApp on +6010-221 9861, or at the Petaling Jaya factory at 17 Jalan SS25/24, Taman Mayang. Nationwide delivery is available from Selangor.
Yes, and it depends on the ink. Silkscreen printing with water-based or rubberised ink has a minimum order of 30 pieces. Silkscreen printing with plastisol ink has a minimum order of 500 pieces. Smaller runs are better handled with DTF printing, which carries no screen set-up per colour.
It works on most apparel fabrics, including cotton, polyester and blends. Ink choice changes with the fabric and the garment colour, so confirm the specific fabric when requesting a quotation and Esping will check compatibility.
Designs with several colours can be printed, but each colour is a separate screen and a separate pass, which affects both cost and set-up time. Artwork built from solid blocks of colour reproduces best. Gradients and photographic images are better suited to DTF printing.
A sample can be produced on order confirmation, or against a sample fee. Sampling on the current service page is listed at 2 to 3 days, and it is the stage where colour, print size and placement are approved before mass production begins.
Have a Bulk Shirt Order to Price?
Send the artwork, garment and quantity. Esping will confirm whether silkscreen is the suitable method and return a quotation.