Old name, sharp results
“Silk screen” is the original name for screen printing, from the days when screens were stretched with real silk. The mesh is synthetic now, but the idea has not changed: ink is pushed through a stencil onto fabric, one color at a time, then heat-cured so it bonds for the long haul.
What does change is how your artwork is split into screens. That step, called color separation, decides whether your print looks flat and bold, soft and vintage, or almost photographic. Here are the six styles we use.
The six separation styles
Spot color. The workhorse. Each solid color gets its own screen and its own ink. Bright, opaque, crisp edges. Perfect for logos, type and bold graphics.
Halftone. One ink color, broken into dots of different sizes, so your eye reads a gradient. Great for fades, shading and that classic band-tee texture without adding colors.
Grayscale. A full image rebuilt in tones of black or gray using halftone dots. Detailed, moody and striking on light garments.
Duotone. Two halftones of the same image in two colors, layered together. The result has the warm, aged feel of a sepia photo.
CMYK (four-color process). Cyan, magenta, yellow and black dots combine to build full-color imagery. Best on white or light garments.
Simulated process. Spot inks and halftones working together to recreate photo-real art on any garment color, including black. More screens, more setup, a big payoff for detailed artwork.
How do you know which style your art needs?
Look at what is in the file:
- Flat colors and sharp edges: spot color.
- One color with shading or fades: halftone.
- A photo on a light shirt: grayscale or CMYK.
- A photo or illustration on a dark shirt: simulated process.
- A vintage, two-tone mood: duotone.
You do not have to figure it out alone. Every order includes a free art check, and we will recommend the separation that gives your design the best result for the quantity.
Where silk screen shines
Bulk T-shirts, hoodies, crewnecks, tanks and tote bags for brands, events and teams. On bigger runs of one design, screen printing gives you the best price per piece and a print that outlasts the shirt. Want texture or shine on top? See inks and effects. Full-color photo art? Try DTG or DTF.
For the full process from file to pickup, read custom screen printing, step by step. For the fundamentals, see screen printing.
Get your art separated right
Send your design and quantity through the quick quote form. We will suggest a print style and answer within one business day.