# screen print winter hats?



## ironhead (Dec 28, 2005)

How do you screen print a one color logo on winter hats like the one in the link? 1500 Yupoong Knit Cap: ClothingWarehouse.com offers Embroidery and Screen Printing services. Give us a call today.: Adult-Mens-Womens-Ladies Acrylic-Knit-Machine-Washable-Beanies
Is there special inks to use or any tricks for making a platen that will work?

Thanks


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## neato (Mar 21, 2006)

Have you ever seen one screen printed? Seems like their usually embroidered.


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## ironhead (Dec 28, 2005)

neato said:


> Have you ever seen one screen printed? Seems like their usually embroidered.


I can't recall ever seeing them screenprinted but my customer is interested in some that are screen printed.
I could probably talk them into embroidery but that would mean the I have to outsource the job. 
I was sort of hoping not to outsource but if it's that unusual to screen print them then I probably should.


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## neato (Mar 21, 2006)

I just don't think the material on those would lend well to screen printing. I could be wrong though. I'd be interested to find out.


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## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

We experimented a little with winter caps and vinyl, and the main problem is that these hats are just plain too stretchy for normal printing methods. From what I gather, embroidery works will on them because you have a backer within the hat that keeps that portion in shape. Could be wrong, tho...


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## absolutescreen (Feb 21, 2007)

I'm working on a similar project with the same hat. I have seen screen printed winter hats before. The way i plan on going about it is using some wilflex fashion soft base and some international coatings stretch additive. Using a small youth platten the hat stretches the hat out a little but the hat will be stretched when its on your head. Ill post my results


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## palmtree68 (Dec 23, 2007)

I have thought about this process also. My son bought a similar hat from the local Volcom store. It is screen printed and has held up good to all of his abuses.


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## ironhead (Dec 28, 2005)

Palmtree, what kind of image is on your sons hat. Is it words or a picture? I just wonder how it looks when the hat is stretched out.

Absolute, yeah.. please let us know how they come out. What kind of image are you going to be using?
I've also been wondering about stretching the hat just a little bit while printing, because it would be stretched on someones head anyways.
I think you have to be particular with the image you choose because it might stretch and look oblong.


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## palmtree68 (Dec 23, 2007)

There is a sewn on picture that is surrounded by cursive wording that is screen printed on the hat. The letters are only about 1/8 of an inch tall.


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## 4oclockteetime (Dec 30, 2007)

I was screening a bunch of tees with my logo on the back one afternoon. When I was done, i still had some ink in the screen and saw an old winter cap sitting on my shelf so I grabbed it, threw it on the platen and inked it. It came out fine and stretches just fine. I have been thinking of doing the same as Absolutescreen is planning on doing. I too have some caps that are screened. I also have one in which I think the material was screened all over first and then the hat was stitched together. If I get to it over the next week or so, I will post a pic.


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## 4oclockteetime (Dec 30, 2007)

Oh, and the cap that I have that is screened, is made up of a really tightly nit material... Thought this may be an important point.


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## absolutescreen (Feb 21, 2007)

Finally did it some things i did / figured out along the way.

the easiest way to print i found was to just put the hat on the platen not try to put it on like a garment.

now that ive done them i wish i used more stretch additive

i had ZERO luck trying to print flash print just one print stoke then a dry stoke .

Ink i used was wilflex quik white

then i mixed in some fashion soft base

and Stretch additive 

86 mesh (i figured the flashing wouldnt work so i wanted to get a lot of ink through the first time)

All in all im happy with it I explained to the customer that it wasnt going to be smooth like a t-shirt and they expected that so its screened on the hats the detail i think held up let me know what you think


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## neato (Mar 21, 2006)

Hey that looks pretty good!

Where did you buy the hat blanks?


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## absolutescreen (Feb 21, 2007)

got them from broderbros its the yupoong thats mentioned on the first post


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## ironhead (Dec 28, 2005)

They look good. It looks similar to the type of image I would be using, my image has even a little less detail so that's a good thing.

You say you just put the hat on top of the platen. Didn't it move even after you printed the second time? I mean, the hat will still be double layered and it seems like one of the layers will still want to lift, no matter how much adhesive you use on the pallet. Did that just make sense?


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## absolutescreen (Feb 21, 2007)

I think i know what your getting at.

Yeah i just put it down on the platen with no adhesive. The first one I did with adhesive and it makes a huge mess of the hat it gets all gunked up in the ribs. I couldnt print it a second time even when i did use adhesive and put the hat on the platen like a shirt it just didnt work and it stretched the hat out what seems like permanently. 

I think the reason why you cant print it a second time is because unlike a garment the hat has to layers doubled up so they can move independently if you get what im trying to say. 

My advice is use the biggest mesh you can and slobber that ink through and make it count the first time


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## wilrado (Jul 19, 2008)

absolutescreen said:


> Finally did it some things i did / figured out along the way.
> 
> the easiest way to print i found was to just put the hat on the platen not try to put it on like a garment.
> 
> ...


Hello im interested in this i have a customer who wants some, can you repost the pictures pls,


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