Screen printing is still the toughest, most cost-effective way to put a logo on t-shirts, workwear and promotional items in bulk. At Total Print it’s a big-volume service, run in house in Johannesburg: send us your artwork and quantities and we’ll quote you, with turnaround usually inside a few working days.
What exactly is screen printing?
Screen printing is a technique that pushes ink through a fine mesh stencil, one screen per colour, directly onto fabric or flat stock. It’s also called silk screening or serigraphy, and the technique’s history runs back over a thousand years. The ink goes down in a thick, opaque layer that sits proud of the material. That’s why a screen printed logo stays vivid on a dark golf shirt where cheaper transfer methods look washed out after a month.
One screen, one colour. That’s the whole trick. A two-colour logo needs two screens, a three-colour logo needs three, and once those screens are made, every extra unit gets cheaper.
What we screen print
Apparel and fabric goods make up most of the work that comes through our Johannesburg workshop:
- T-shirts and golf shirts for staff, events and campaigns
- Workwear and overalls where the print has to survive hard wear and industrial washing
- Tote and shopper bags for expos, conferences and retail
- Caps and hoodies for teams and merchandise
This is bulk work by design: think hundreds of golf shirts for a staff rollout or an expo’s worth of branded totes, not a handful of once-off tees. If that sounds like your job, send us your artwork for a screen printing quote and we’ll take it from there.
Screen printing or digital printing: which one do you need?
Screen printing comes into its own on big runs with one to three solid colours, while digital printing suits small runs and full-colour photographic artwork. The reason is setup: each colour needs its own screen, and that cost spreads thinner as the run gets longer. That’s why we run screen printing strictly for volume orders, where nothing beats it on price per unit or durability.
Flip the specs and the answer flips too. A photographic design full of gradients, or a small run of shirts, belongs on a digital machine. We’ll tell you when that’s the better call instead of forcing your job through the wrong process.
How long does screen printing last?
A properly cured screen print typically outlasts the garment it’s printed on, holding through fifty or more washes without cracking or peeling. The ink is heat-cured into the fabric rather than sitting on the surface the way an iron-on transfer does. Wash the garment cold and inside out and the print will keep its colour for years.
That durability is the reason workwear and uniform orders almost always land on this process. It’s the cheapest print per unit and the last one standing.
Get your bulk order printed right
Tell us the garment, the quantity and how many colours are in your logo. We’ll quote you and check your artwork for free.
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Why Total Print for screen printing in Johannesburg
Sixteen years in, we’ve printed everything from an R800 run of business cards to custom projects over R800,000, so big apparel runs sit well within our stride, from a full staff uniform rollout to thousands of units for a national campaign.
The trade is well established in South Africa. Printing SA, the industry federation, has represented South African printers since 1911, and screen printing remains one of its oldest crafts. We print in house in Johannesburg, so you talk directly to the people running the machines. We deliver across Gauteng and ship nationwide for the rest of South Africa.
If your order is part of a bigger brand push, our event branding service pulls apparel, gazebos and signage into one job, and our large format printing page covers banners and posters to match.
Frequently asked questions
How much does screen printing cost in South Africa?
Price depends on three things: how many colours are in your design, how many units you’re printing, and what you’re printing on. Each colour needs its own screen, so a one-colour logo on a hundred shirts costs far less per unit than a four-colour design on twenty. Send us your artwork and quantity and we’ll price it exactly.
What’s the minimum order for screen printing?
We run screen printing for big volumes only. Screen setup means a handful of shirts costs more per unit than a proper run, so the process only makes sense at scale. For small quantities, digital printing is the smarter buy, and we’ll quote you that way instead. Tell us your numbers and we’ll recommend the process that gives you the best price.
Can you screen print full-colour photos?
Screen printing isn’t the right tool for photographic artwork. Photos and designs with gradients print better digitally, and we’ll route your job that way if it suits the artwork better. Solid colours and clean logos are where the process shines.
Ready when your artwork is
Bulk runs briefed today, printed in house in Johannesburg.
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