The Sunday Cool Screen Printing Process: Start to Finish

The Sunday Cool Screen Printing Process: Start to Finish

Creating memorable and stylish t-shirts for ministries and organizations is an art form at Sunday Cool. Our passion for custom screen printing and commitment to quality ensures that your t-shirts look remarkable while also being exceptionally comfortable and long-lasting. In this article, we will walk you through the entire Sunday Cool screen printing process, from initial conversation to delivery, and show you how we bring your custom artwork to life on super soft t-shirts.

Step 1: Conversation with your Project Advisor

Your journey begins with a conversation with one of our helpful and personable Project Advisors, who help you make your t-shirt dreams a reality. Whether you're ordering custom screen printed t-shirts for a youth group event, church gathering, or any other occasion, our Project Advisors are here to guide you through the process and ensure your every need is met.

Getting to Know Your Requirements

During your conversation, our Project Advisors will gather all the necessary information about your order, including:

  • Your desired quantity of T-shirts
  • Your delivery date deadline
  • Your total budget for the project
  • Your design ideas

Understanding these essential details lets us provide you with the best options and recommendations for your custom screen-printed apparel. 

Step 2: Creating Custom Artwork

The essence of a great t-shirt lies in its artwork - a custom service we give paramount importance to. Our team of talented artists at Sunday Cool is equipped to turn any form of an idea--from a napkin sketch idea to a fully branded design--into stunning custom artwork for your organization's custom t-shirts and apparel. 

From Idea to Art

No matter the starting point, our artists will work with you to create a design that perfectly captures your vision for your t-shirts. Whether it's a dancing sloth drawn by a youth group student or a more polished design your team has created, we'll ensure it looks incredible on your custom screen-printed apparel.

Step 3: The Production Process

PrePress: Preparing Screens for Production

Once we've gathered the sizes and art details, we prepare your order for production through staging. This involves creating stencils of your artwork using a specialized screen burning machine - one screen for each color in your design. The prepared screens are then ready for the production stage.

The screen burning process involves using UV light to transfer your design onto a screen coated with a light-sensitive emulsion. This creates a stencil of your artwork, allowing ink to pass through the screen and onto the t-shirts during the screen printing process.

Final Production: Let’s make some shirts!

The production process combines our super soft water-based ink (or any other innovative ink you choose), our world-class screen printers, and brand-new screens to imprint your design onto the t-shirt's fabric. This is where the magic happens and your custom artwork comes to life on your t-shirts.

Screen Printing and Inking

Our highly skilled screen printers carefully apply the ink to each t-shirt using the prepared screens, ensuring your design is perfectly aligned and consistent across all the shirts in your order. The squeegee-dyed shirts then make their way through a dryer, achieving the perfect finish and ensuring the long-lasting vibrancy of the design.​

Step 4: Quality Control and Shipping

Quality is our priority at Sunday Cool. Post-production, each shirt is double-checked for excellence, ensuring they match the remarkable standards we've set. Shirts that don't meet our high-quality standards are reprinted to guarantee you receive only the best possible product.

Packing and Delivery

Once our quality checks are complete, your shirts are neatly packed and shipped to your doorstep. With a turnaround time of as little as 72 hours after you approve your artwork, you can rest assured that your custom screen-printed group t-shirts will arrive promptly and ready for your group's event. 

Begin Your Custom T-Shirt Journey with Sunday Cool

We're dedicated to making the process of ordering custom screen-printed t-shirts as seamless and enjoyable as possible. Our commitment to quality, remarkable customer service, and super-soft, comfortable t-shirts make us the go-to choice for churches and organizations nationwide. To begin your own custom t-shirt journey click the button below to get a quote started today.

START A QUOTE TODAY

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Understanding Comfort Colors Print Results

When it comes to printing water-based inks on Comfort Colors® garments, knowing how your artwork will appear on different dye types is key to getting the look you want.

When it comes to printing water-based inks on Comfort Colors® garments, knowing how your artwork will appear on different dye types is key to getting the look you want. Comfort Colors’ pigment and reactive dye processes affect how much ink discharges through the garment dye - meaning your design’s final vibrancy can vary from bold and bright to soft and vintage.

In this guide, we’ll break down the four main categories of print results: Reactive Dyed, 90% Vibrancy, 70% Vibrancy, and 40% Vibrancy.

Reactive Dyed Garments - Vibrant Prints

Reactive dyed garments deliver the most vibrant print results. These shirt colors release more dye when printed, allowing the water-based ink to fully discharge and produce bright, bold colors that pop right off the fabric.

Other Reactive Dyed Colors include: Red, Midnight, White, and China Blue

Pigment Dyed - 90% Vibrancy

Pigment dyed garments naturally have a soft, washed-in look, and they’ll continue to fade slightly over time for that perfect “lived-in” feel. Colors in this range print at about 90% vibrancy, meaning they still hold strong color but with a subtle vintage look.

Other 90% Pigment Dyed Colors include: Citrus


Pigment Dyed - 70% Vibrancy

These garments bring a classic vintage feel - the kind of tee that looks like it’s been your favorite for years. Prints appear softer, more muted, and intentionally weathered.

Other 70% Pigment Dyed Colors include: Neon Cantalope, Neon Lime, Bay, Mustard, Melon, Orchid, Hydrangea, Celadon, Bright Orange, Burnt Orange, Royal Caribe, Sapphire, Bright Salmon, Crunchberry, Watermelon, Seafoam, and Ice Blue

Pigment Dyed - 40% Vibrancy

This category represents the most vintage of pigment dyed results. The garment color holds onto more of its original pigment, giving your print a subtle, tonal appearance. Think soft, muted designs that look like they’ve been sun-washed over time.

Other 40% Pigment Dyed Colors include: Periwinkle, Grass, Boysenberry, Violet, Blue Jean, Flo Blue, Yam, Neon Pink, Cumin, Crimson, Blue Spruce, and Hemp

Side-by-Side: Graphite (Reactive Dyed) vs Pepper (Pigment Dyed)

Here’s where the difference really shows. Both Graphite and Pepper are dark gray Comfort Colors tees - but their dye processes create dramatically different print results.

  • Graphite (Reactive Dyed): Produces bright, and high-contrast prints with truer color accuracy.
  • Pepper (Pigment Dyed): Prints appear muted and washed-in, creating a naturally vintage look right out of the box.

This comparison is the perfect example of why knowing your garment’s dye type matters when planning your artwork as the base color and dye process can completely transform the final result.

Bringing It All Together

Understanding how your garment’s dye impacts print results helps you choose the perfect combo for your design. Whether you’re aiming for bold and bright or soft and nostalgic, our team will help ensure your Comfort Colors order prints how you envision it.

Sunday Cool Stock Inks

Water based ink is the point between here and heaven. Paired with our Super Soft Tees, the nonexistent feel of our Water based ink is magical and sure to be the talk of the town with you and your group.

Here at Sunday Cool, we inventory 66 different ink colors! These colors were curated based off of customer popularity and diversity. You can view those stock ink colors below.

During the ordering process, you can reference this page to view all of our stocked ink colors. You’ll also be served up a choice of our stock inks when you submit your Art Request Form.

But what if none of the Sunday Cool Stock Inks match my design or logo? Nothing to fear! We can Pantone Match your ink to whatever code you’re needing to a 90% accuracy. 

There are a few requirements to qualify for a Pantone Match on your project:

  • Stick to our Super Soft Signature line of apparel.
  • The garment color you choose must discharge vibrantly, not vintage. If you need help determining which of our inventory items discharge at which rates, check out our blog post entitled Waterbased Print Results.
  • Your order must include 144 units or more. 

Additionally, we charge $25/match! This means if we need to match 2 ink colors to a specific code, it’ll be a $50 charge.

But how do I know which code to send you? Great question! Your organization might have a branding guide including all relevant codes and colors that set your group apart. OR you could send in your logo and ask us! Our talented Art Staff can color match the logo and tell you the code! We work often in the Pantone and HEX libraries!

As always, if you have any questions regarding our inks & matching guides, please reach out to a Sunday Cool Concierge member using the dot icon in the corner of your screen.

Now Trending — Foam Trucker Hats

The Underrated MVP of Custom Merch

Everything you need to know before placing an order

Custom foam trucker hats are one of the most versatile, affordable, and memorable pieces of group apparel out there. Whether you're gearing up for summer camp, planning a conference giveaway, or refreshing your church's merch table, a well-designed hat can tie everything together — without breaking your budget.

But before you hit "Get A Quote," let’s break down what makes a great custom foam trucker hat, what to look for in a print partner, and why these foam-front classics are trending hard right now.

Why Choose Foam Trucker Hats?

Custom hats are everywhere. But foam trucker hats? They're in a league of their own — and for good reason.

  • They’re lightweight and breathable, making them ideal for hot climates, long events, and high-energy environments like summer camps or youth group retreats.
  • They have high visibility — literally and figuratively. A bold print on a foam front panel makes your design stand out in photos, on stage, or across the rec field.
  • They’re cost-effective. Compared to embroidery-heavy or premium headwear, foam truckers are easier on your budget.
  • They’re just plain fun. Custom foam trucker hats instantly add personality to your group, team, or brand.

What to Consider Before Ordering Custom Foam Trucker Hats

Before submitting your design, here are a few things to think through to make sure your order checks all the right boxes:

1. What’s the goal?

Are you ordering hats for a staff team? Volunteers? Conference giveaways? A mission trip?
Foam trucker hats work great for events where you want something eye-catching, useful, and easy to pack or distribute.

2. How many do you need?

Whether you're ordering a dozen for your youth leaders or a few hundred for an event, our 72-hour turnaround makes it easy to get what you need, fast. Foam truckers are especially great for bulk orders.

3. Do you already have a design?

Our most popular option is to print directly onto the foam front using full-color Digital Ink. That means more flexibility for your design and more vibrancy in the final product. Embroidery and custom patches are available to order as well.

Not sure what to print? Our team of world class artists can help turn your theme or logo into a high-impact hat graphic.

4. What’s your timeline and budget?

At Sunday Cool, our foam trucker hats ship out within 72 hours after artwork approval. No rush fees. No guesswork. Just a lickity-split turnaround.

How Sunday Cool Does Foam Trucker Hats Differently

Not all custom hats are created equal. Here's why Sunday Cool's foam trucker hats are trusted by hundreds of camps and churches.

  • Full-color printing with Digital Ink — your design prints crisp & vibrant.
  • Low minimums — order a few, or a few hundred*
  • Soft foam front with mesh backing — comfortable, breathable, and made to wear again
  • Printed in-house by real humans — not robots or drop shippers!!

We’ve printed thousands of these for churches, ministries, and events that wanted something a little more fun, a little more memorable, and a lot more wearable.

*orders start as low as 12 pcs

FAQs About Custom Foam Trucker Hats

How much do foam trucker hats cost?
Pricing depends on your quantity, but foam truckers are one of our most budget-friendly high-value promo options. Click HERE to Get a Quote today.

What kind of file do I need to upload?
A high-resolution PNG or AI file works best. But if you’re not sure, our team will check your artwork and make it print-ready.

Can I see a proof before printing?
Always. We’ll send you a digital mock-up to review and approve before anything goes to print.

What if I don’t have a design?
No problem. Just give us a theme, idea, or logo and we’ll help you create something that looks great on a foam front.

Ready to Design Your Custom Foam Trucker Hats?

When you're working with tight timelines, limited budgets, and high expectations — you need a hat partner who gets it.

At Sunday Cool, we combine fast turnaround, remarkable customer service, and those signature specialty ink prints to bring your ideas to life — on t-shirts and trucker hats alike.

Start Your Hat Order Today