Printing Methods
Printing Methods
Choosing the right printing method for your custom tea towels, tote bags or merch makes all the difference. At Expressions Tea Towels, we proudly offer two industry-leading options — screen printing and digital printing — designed to suit a wide variety of materials and styles. Whether you're creating band merch, school fundraisers, or wedding keepsakes, our eco-conscious process guarantees premium, lasting results.
Screen Printing – Tried, True and Bold
Why Choose Screen Printing?
Perfect for bold, vibrant colour designs, our screen printing method is ideal for simple logos, text, and illustrations with up to three colours. It’s a cost-effective method for medium to large print runs, delivering a soft texture and strong wash durability. This is the preferred method in the commercial screen printing industry for a reason.
- Great for logos and large A4 medium-large artwork
- Crisp prints with excellent edge detail
- Pantone Matching System (PMS) available including Jet Black or Mid Yellow
- Works beautifully on our organic cotton tea towels and other natural fabrics
All inks used are water-based, solvent-free, and approved by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) — making this one of the most eco-friendly textile embellishment technologies available.
How It Works
The screen printing process starts with creating a stencil using a photo emulsion burned onto a silk screen mesh. This mesh is stretched over a wooden frame or aluminium frame and placed onto the fabric. Using an exposure unit, we cure the emulsion and print each colour layer with precision.
Ink is pulled through the mesh count-appropriate screen using a squeegee. Higher mesh counts suit fine detail; lower mesh counts allow heavier ink deposit — key for dark garments or coarse fabric. The print is then cured using heat to lock in the design.
Important artwork requirements:
- Supply artwork in solid black vector format
- Advise specific PMS colours for spot colour screen printing
Need help with artwork or unsure about the right mesh count or materials? Contact our team →
Digital Printing – Full-Colour, No Limits
Why Choose Digital?
Got a design with intricate details, watercolours, or more than 5 colours? Our digital printing method gives you endless design freedom. It’s ideal for photo-based prints, complex designs or one-off jobs like a wedding thank you or boutique launch.
- No setup costs — perfect for small or trial print runs
- Full-colour reproduction using CMYK + White
- No artwork separations required
- Great for light or dark garment printing
Our digital method is certified to the Oeko-Tex 100 Standard — ensuring it's skin-safe and environmentally sound. The printed result has a soft, seamless feel and stunning vibrancy.
How It Works
Your digital artwork is printed directly onto our 100% organic cotton tea towels or tote bags using high-resolution technology. Unlike analogue screen printing, this process offers flexibility for last-minute changes and low minimums. It’s a contemporary method that’s both fast and effective.
Need digital printing for your next event or product launch? Start your design here →
Which Printing Method Is Best?
|
Feature |
Screen Printing |
Digital Printing |
|---|---|---|
|
Best for |
Simple, bold designs |
Photo or complex artwork |
|
Ideal for |
Band merch , logos, events |
Weddings, gifts, retail |
|
Minimum order |
Medium to large |
Low minimums |
|
Colour handling |
PMS spot colours |
Full CMYK colour range |
|
Ink type |
GOTS-certified water-based |
Oeko-Tex 100 certified eco-inks |
|
Materials used |
Cotton, variety of materials |
Cotton (light garments preferred) |
|
Feel |
Bold, layered with soft texture |
Smooth, integrated with fabric |
FAQs
Can I use silk screening for tote bags and tea towels?
Absolutely! We screen print on organic tea towels and cotton tote bags, ensuring vibrant results and long-lasting use.
What’s the difference between mesh count and silk mesh?
Mesh count refers to how tightly woven the screen is — it affects ink flow and detail. A finer silk mesh (higher count) is used for detailed designs, while coarser mesh is better for bold shapes.
Do you help with artwork setup?
Yes — our team can guide you through artwork requirements, and we offer templates and advice on the right setup for your screen printing project.
How large can my design be?
Our Max image size depends on placement, but typically up to a full tea towel (approx. 27 x 17 inches). That’s roughly 459 square inches of creative space!
Can I print on synthetic materials?
We specialise in organic fabrics, but can advise if you're considering synthetic materials for a special project.
Ready to Print?
Whether you’re after bold screen prints or detailed digital designs, we’re here to help bring your project to life — sustainably, ethically, and beautifully.
Start Creating
Digital Print Cotton Natural Tea Towel - Portrait
Digital Print Cotton Natural Tea Towel - Portrait
Screen Print Linen Cotton Blend Tea Towel - Portrait
Screen Print Linen Cotton Blend Tea Towel - Portrait
Screen Print Natural Cotton Tea Towel - Portrait
Screen Print Natural Cotton Tea Towel - Portrait
Screen Print White Cotton Tea Towel - Portrait
Screen Print White Cotton Tea Towel - Portrait
Digital Print Linen Blend Tea Towel - Portrait
Digital Print Linen Blend Tea Towel - Portrait
Digital Print White Cotton Tea Towel - Portrait
Digital Print White Cotton Tea Towel - Portrait
Screen Print Linen Cotton Blend Tea Towel - Landscape
Screen Print Linen Cotton Blend Tea Towel - Landscape
Screen Print Natural Cotton Tea Towel - Landscape
Screen Print Natural Cotton Tea Towel - Landscape
Custom Printed Products For
Artists
Showcase your art in style. Popular for galleries & market stalls. Use in the kitchen or hang as instant wall art.
Design Your Own
Create your own one of a kind tea towel. Turn your design into sustainable stylish products or treasured keepsakes.
Business & Corporate Services
Elevate your brand and make a lasting impression. Think of these as a mini billboard to showcase your brand.
Events & Festivals
Big sellers for bands, musicians, comedians, event promotions, concerts, as tour merch.
Fundraising, Charities & Churches
Unique idea to raise money & promote your club, church, community organisation, not-for-profit or charity.
Hospitality
Premium products, perfect for restaurants, wineries, breweries, cafes, cooking schools or catering businesses.
Special Occasions
Create a personalised tea towel invitation or gift that makes a lasting impression.
Tourism & Visitors Centres
Affordable and easy-to-pack items. An enduring reminder used every day and won’t be thrown away.
Weddings
Create your perfect invitation or gift. A lasting memento your friends and family will cherish for years to come.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to print my tea towels, tote bags or aprons?
The timeframe to custom print personalised cotton or linen tea towels, tote bags and aprons is 5 days plus shipping time. We use Express Post for orders under 50 units and Startrack Couriers for orders over 50 and ship Australia wide. Please note that October - November is peak printing season and the print time increases to 2 weeks plus shipping time.
Please contact us if you have specific deadlines you need to meet.
Where do you source your tea towels, tote bags & aprons?
As we are unable to find an Australian fabric mill, we source our fabrics from an ethical and sustainable supplier overseas.
All our cotton tea towels, aprons & tote bag products are manufactured specifically for us from ethically grown 100% organic cotton in India in a GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified factory we have been working with for many years.
We also use 100% environmentally friendly inks – 100% solvent, PVC and phthalate free with approval from the Soil Association of the UK, having successfully met the requirements of GOTS for non-organic chemical inputs for use in organic textile processing.
All of our items are designed, printed and shipped in Australia.
What are the print options for tea towels, tote bags & aprons?
We offer screen printing and full colour digital printing on all of our cotton & linen tea towels, tote bags & aprons.
Screen printing is ideal for one to three colour designs or those that require a high level of vibrancy as the inks used in screen printing are applied as solid colours and are thicker than those used in digital printing.
Our screen printing ink is colourfast, fade resistant and long wearing. Choose from our standard range of colours or inquire about the use of PMS (Pantone Matching System) colours and metallic.
How does it work?
A negative of your design is ‘burned’ onto a silk screen which is stretched tightly over a metal frame. The screen is placed directly on the product and the ink is machine-squeegeed over the screen with the ink only slipping through the unprinted areas of the screen revealing the design on the product. The inks are then set using a heat tunnel, folded and packed.
This method can be used for single or multiple colours designs using our 100% environmentally friendly water based inks. They are 100% solvent, PVC and phthalate free with approval from the Soil Association of the UK, having successfully met the requirements of the Global Organic Textiles Standards (GOTS) for non-organic chemical inputs for use in organic textile processing.
Digital printing is the best option for intricate, detailed designs such as photographs, watercolour artworks or any designs with 5 or more colours.
If you only require a smaller print run there is minimal set-up involved in this style of printing therefore a lower minimum order quantity is possible.
How does it work?
Digital printing is a newer technology where artwork is processed through a computer and printed directly onto the product using eco-friendly ink (Oeki-Tex 100 certification). Using CMYK plus White a broad colour range and photographic results can be achieved.
What is the maximum print area for tea towels, tote bags & aprons?
Our large custom printed premium quality tea towels are 50cm x 70cm with a large print area of 40cm x 60cm (artwork can be portrait or landscape)
Sturdy organic cotton tote bags are 40cm x 45cm with a 10cm gusset and 55cm handles. The print area for custom printed tote bags is 30cm w x 34cm h
Personalised durable high quality organic cotton aprons are 85cm high x 70cm wide.
For Screening Printing Only Print Area for Aprons: 58cm high, 20cm wide top of bib, 40cm wide at base.
Digital Print Area for Aprons: 20cm wide x 30cm high.
For larger print areas please contact us for a quote.
What are the fabric options?
Tea Towels - Custom printed with your artwork, tea towels are our most popular product – large, premium quality 100% organic cotton and cotton/linen blend tea towels crafted for clean crisp print and lint free drying.
Premium 100% Organic Cotton Collection – white, natural unbleached (250gsm)
Premium 50% Linen / 50% Cotton Organic Blend Collection – white (250gsm)
Sturdy Cotton Tote Bags - Spacious, versatile and environmentally friendly premium custom printed 100% organic cotton tote bags. Acts as the perfect mini-billboard for your business as they’re used in public so often, an ideal grocery, gym or overnight tote.
Fabric available: 100% Organic Cotton (250gsm)
Colours available: black, navy, white and natural
Custom Printed Cotton Aprons- Durable, high quality, 100% organic cotton personalised adult aprons with adjustable neck strap. A popular choice for branded merchandise. Also a great personalised gift idea for friends & family who
love to spend time in the kitchen.
Fabric available: 100% Organic Cotton (250gsm)
How do I supply the artwork?
Please supply your artwork for your custom printed tea towels, tote bags and aprons in one of the below formats.
We can accept your artwork as high resolution PDF, JPEG or specified adobe formats. Please check out Artwork Specifications. Alternatively you can Design Your Own or upload your artwork and pay via our Shop.