Sunsets that fade smoothly, skulls with real bone texture, a race car with flames and tire smoke. Detailed, full colour designs are where a print shop shows what it can do. The secret behind prints like these is a technique called halftone. Here is what halftone printing is, why it makes your shirts look better and feel softer, and how to get your detailed design printed in Saskatoon.
What is halftone printing?
Halftone builds an image out of tiny dots of different sizes. Where the colour is strong, the dots are big and close together. Where the colour fades, the dots get smaller and smaller until they disappear into the shirt. From a normal distance your eye blends the dots into smooth colour, the same way a newspaper photo or a magazine works.
Why we print detailed designs with halftones
| Benefit | What it means on your shirt |
|---|---|
| Smooth fades | Sunsets, smoke and shadows blend instead of showing hard bands |
| Softer feel | Less ink where you do not need it, so the print is lighter and more flexible |
| Breathes better | The fabric shows through the dots, so a big print does not feel like a plastic patch |
| Natural edges | Designs fade into the shirt instead of ending in a hard box |
Good to know: on dark shirts we print a white base under the colour, so bright colours stay bright on black, navy and other dark garments.
Every detail, printed like the art
This pool team hoodie shows how much detail full colour printing can hold: cracked bone texture, glossy 8 balls with highlights, a wooden cue and red splatter. Every bit of it prints exactly like the artwork.
Full colour on any garment
Race teams, sports teams, bands and businesses often want the same detailed design on different garments. These matching tanks and tees for a local race team carry a full colour car, flames, smoke and a flag, all printed the same way.
Does full colour cost more?
No. With our DTF printing, a design with 20 colours, gradients or a photo costs the same as a one colour logo. You pay for the garment and the print size, not the number of colours. Full colour tees start at $20.
How to get your detailed design printed
- Send the highest quality file you have. A large PNG with a transparent background is best. Read JPEG vs PNG and why colours look different on a printed shirt.
- Pick your garments. Tees, tanks, hoodies and more, all in one order.
- Approve your free mockup before anything prints.
- Pick up in Saskatoon in 2 to 5 business days, or we ship across Canada.
Want a big print on the back too? See full colour back prints for custom merch.
Bring us the hard one
Full colour tees from $20, no minimums, free mockup, printed right here in Saskatoon.
Upload my designGet a free quoteFrequently asked questions
What is halftone printing on a t-shirt?
Halftone uses tiny dots of different sizes to create smooth fades and shading. Big dots look like solid colour, small dots fade into the shirt.
Can you print a full colour design or a photo on a shirt?
Yes. We print full colour designs, gradients and photos on tees, tanks and hoodies in Saskatoon.
Does a full colour design cost more than one colour?
No. The price is the same no matter how many colours are in your design.
Will a big full colour print feel heavy?
Halftones use less ink in the faded areas, so large prints stay lighter, softer and more breathable.
Do bright colours show up on black shirts?
Yes. We print a white base under the colours so they stay bright on dark garments.
