DESIGN / ILLUSTRATION / custom printed apparel

Foundation Press

At Foundation Press We meticulously craft custom printed apparel in Santa Barbara, California. We source the finest blank apparel, print with the best water based discharge and plastisol inks available, and use soy bean based chemicals. Our clients often tell us our shirts become the only ones they want to wear. We work hard to keep our finger on the pulse of the apparel industry to offer premium options that most other shops don’t or aren’t even aware of. We partner with our clients to produce apparel and other printed goods that add real value to their brand.

Our reputation is built on these simple principles:

On time every time
Quality that will excite you
Competitive pricing

Get a Quote

F O U N D A T I O N P R E S S L O V E S Y O U

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F O U N D A T I O N P R E S S L O V E S Y O U . . : : : . .

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

Tell us what style and color you like, or let us guide you to our favorite and best selling items. There are lots of options and we want to be sure we find the feel and fit that you will absolutely love! Sometimes the design we will be printing is suggesting a pairing with a certain style garment.
- Minimum order is 24 pieces total in any size breakdown you like. Print size, location, color, garment style number, and ink type must be the same for at least these 24 pieces. Send us your proposed quantity breakdown by size or ask us to help with this step if you are unsure.
It all starts with a good design.
Send Vector based files when possible. Send high resolution, (400dpi) unflattened files when files are raster based.
If these terms are already confusing you keep reading and we’ll give you some helpful guidelines to streamline the process and:
. . : : : AVOID ART FEES! : : : . .
— ILLUSTRATOR / VECTOR ARTWORK —
- Make art to size.
- Save in .AI or .EPS, or editable PDF format, legacy format (CS5) preferred to avoid compatibility issues. PLEASE CREATE OUTLINES OF ALL TYPOGRAPHIC ELEMENTS!
- Convert all STROKES to Outlines.
- Files with each color on it’s own Layer is strongly preferred.
- Include any/all imported or placed images and graphic files.
- Avoid using Clipping Masks. Use the Pathfinder tool instead.
— PHOTOSHOP / RASTER ARTWORK —
- Make art to size.
- Save in .PSD or editable PSD format. Files with each color on it’s own Layer is strongly preferred. Legacy format (CS5) preferred to avoid compatibility issues.
- File resolution should be at least 300dpi, (400dpi preferred) and not to exceed 600dpi.
. . : : : MORE TECHNICAL SPECS TO HELP US HELP YOU! : : : . .
- Specify a Pantone number for your ink color if you like, otherwise we will select the closest Pantone approximation according the files you send.
- Ink colors almost always shift when printed especially on colored shirts. Some colors work better than others on dark shirts, some won’t work at all without an underbase. Values, hues, and saturations alway vary somewhat from digital mockup to final printed results. Any shift is typically subtle. If we feel it’s unexpectedly significant we may contact you to advise a solution. We keep a close eye on these sorts of details and don’t take them lightly. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
- Typography and Line Weight: For positive reading type, keep fonts at a 8pt minimum. For knocked-out text, keep fonts at a 12pt minimum (16pt for Metallic ink). Final results will vary depending on chosen typeface.
- For positive reading lines, keep strokes at a 1pt minimum (2pt for Metallic ink). For knocked-out lines, keep strokes at a 2pt minimum.
- Please proof-read any and all copy. Foundation Press is not responsible for mistakes in spelling.

Our prints

CRAFTING YOUR ORDER

A custom quote is required for each job since there are so many variables to consider. Once we have the basic info of your job we’ll get you exact pricing.
Certain costs however are fixed:
- Screen setup (including films) - $40 / color
- Design time - $175 / hour
- Setup is waived on all orders 1-5 colors
- 6-8 color job setup is 50% waived OR require a 48 piece minimum
Minimum order is 24 pieces total in any size breakdown you like. Print size, location, color, garment style number, and ink type must be the same for at least these 24 pieces.
We welcome picky clients. If you know exactly what you want then we know how to make you happy. However, when it comes to the size and placement of your print, it’s often best to let us help. You may provide us with exact size and placement specifications and we’ll nail it with laser alignment precision, or better yet, sit back and trust the professionals to make your job look awesome.
When determining what shirt is right for your project, material is the first essential element to consider. Once a client determines what kind of material they’d like to go with we are happy to recommend brands that we love.
- Basic Cotton: All cotton fabrics are soft and breathable. Cotton isn’t clingy so it will have more of a looser fit. Basic Cotton is durable and inexpensive, these are our go-to garments when ordering in bulk.
- Ring spun Cotton: A higher quality more fashion forward option that is highly durable and has a softer more luxurious-feel compared to Basic Cotton.
- Cotton/Polyester Blends (50/50): Blending the softness and breathability of cotton with the flexibility and durability of polyester Moisture-wicking, lightweight and generally softer than 100% Cotton.
- Tri-Blends (50/25/25): Super soft, loose weave with a lightweight feel and moisture-wicking properties. Tri-Blends have the durability of polyester, the comfort of cotton, and the drape of rayon. We recommend thinner, softer ink deposits for this fabric giving the print a softer vintage look and feel.
- Eco-friendly Fabrics: For our clients looking to go with an environmentally friendly clothing option. Each eco-friendly fabric has a different hand feel and can be made with a variety of materials including bamboo, rayon and recycled polyester.
There are so many options available to you when it comes to choosing a garment and dozens of brands to choose from. We have our go-to brands we use when ordering in bulk and our favorite boutique brands that we recommend when a client has specific requests or needs.
Plastisol ink and Water Based ink are the two main types of ink that are used in screen printing. They’re recognizably different in nature, both very effective and with their own advantages. It all depends on what your need is…
Plastisol Ink:
The most common type of screen printing ink. It has been the industry standard for garment printing for almost to a century. It’s vibrant, opaque, and durable. Plastisol is our go-to ink at Foundation Press because it’s great to work with and versatile. With different additives and techniques we achieve a wide array of textures and styles with this ink It’s is extremely opaque and can retain a bright image for many years.
Water Based Discharge Ink:
Discharge ink is a type of water based ink. It’s a special type of water based ink that has a discharge agent mixed into it. It removes any dye on the fabric and replaces it with the pigment in the ink yielding a very custom, supremely soft result. So unlike Plastisol, discharge ink essentially re-dyes the fabric instead of sitting on top of the fabric. The end result is a super soft print that almost can’t be felt. Discharge ink is more labor intensive to print since proper humidity, longer cure times, and weight based color mixing are all variable that must be closely managed. As a result, it’s priced a bit higher and a method we recommend only when the job really calls for it!