Live Screen Printing
For more than 10 years, Party Hat has provided live screen printing activations throughout Seattle and the greater Pacific Northwest. From weddings to memorials and every event in between, we deliver an engaging guest experience that ends with a memorable souvenir. Indoors or outdoors, public or private, we create print packages tailored to your vision and site requirements; no challenge too big.
Services
With packages starting at $1,000, we offer Seattle’s most comprehensive range of live screen printing formats to meet your event needs and budget. Our team offers more than your average merch drop; this is an opportunity for guests to engage in the process, witness how each piece is made, and participate if they feel inclined.
We can print any single color design on almost anything that is flat. Commission one of our in house artists for an event specific print, or provide your own design and we’ll take care of the rest. Popular choices for printing include tote bags, tee shirts, sweatshirts, bandanas, koozies, posters, postcards, and prints, but we can print on almost anything flat, so don’t limit your imagination.
It’s an excellent fit for large groups, as each piece takes under a minute to print and fully cure. Unlike heat transfer, DTG, and other garment embellishment services, live screen printing is a tactile, time tested process that is truly an art. Our garments are fully heat cured on site, allowing them to be laundered without compromising the print.
Our most common set up for a one color, single design live screen printing activation requires a minimum of just one banquet table and access to power, so we can scale to nearly any space. Masters of our set up and break down, we leave no mess or trace and need only about half an hour for each.
FAQs
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Screen printing is a stencil-based printing technique that forces ink through a mesh screen onto a substrate (such as fabric, paper, wood, or plastic). A stencil blocks ink in certain areas while allowing it to pass through the open mesh where the design should appear. Each color in the design typically requires its own screen and stencil, so multicolor images are built up layer by layer.
Key elements of the process:
Screen: A frame holding a tightly stretched mesh (traditionally silk, now usually polyester or nylon).
Stencil/emulsion: A light-sensitive emulsion is applied to the mesh and exposed to a film-positive of the design; the exposed areas harden and the unexposed areas wash away to create the open image areas.
Squeegee: A rubber blade used to push ink through the open mesh onto the substrate.
Ink: Formulated for the material being printed (plastisol, water-based, discharge, specialty inks).
Registration: The method for aligning multiple screens precisely so colors line up.
Advantages:
Durable, opaque prints with vibrant colors and good coverage
Cost-effective for medium to large runs; per-unit cost decreases as quantity increases.
Flexible for printing on a wide range of materials and product types.
Limitations:
Setup time and costs are higher for small runs due to screen preparation and registration.
Fine photographic detail and very high color complexity are more challenging; special techniques (halftones, CMYK separations, simulated process) are used to reproduce complex images.
Each additional color increases time and cost and is not encouraged for live events.
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We can generally print about one item per minute and offer full event or by-the-hour booking options. For events with a capacity that exceeds our on site printing abilities, we offer preprinting services that allow us to focus on the activation without worrying about output.
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Clients can either work with an in house artist for a $500 fee or provide their own art.
All images must be single color and delivered in black and white. (Prints will also be one color but can be printed in any color ink on any color tote or garment.)
No grayscale will translate due to the photo emulsion / screen burning process. If you wish to use a photo, it needs to be half toned. We recommend using a line weight no thinner than a Ultra Fine Point Sharpie.
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In our hands, prints take about 60 seconds to be pulled and dried. For events with guest engagement, we estimate that it takes more like 90 to 120 seconds- but is under 2 minutes each nonetheless.
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Absolutely! We’ve done weddings, birthdays, and even a memorial service. We’d love to be part of your special occasion!
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It makes our job easiest when we have 1-2 banquet tables provided and access to power. However, we’ve screen printed in public parks, on the Viaduct (RIP), on a boat, and plenty of other locations that required some creative solutions.
It may impact our output rate or configuration, but we can generally work something out.
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Most clients hire us to provide all equipment, staffing, and garments which they offer as a complimentary takeaway for guests. If you want to sell live screen-printed garments at your event, we typically charge a flat rate and let your team handle the POS.
Rates listed below are based on standard conditions, but we ask all clients to request a quote for your specific event.
Standard Services:
Our base rate of $1,000 include set up, breakdown, equipment rental, and printing supplies like tape, table coverings, cleaning provisions, etc. for a 2-3 hour event with a single, one color image.
There is a $100 screen fee to burn a custom screen with your design, or a $500 fee to commission one of our artists.
Totes, garments, and paper are an additional fee and include your choice of ink color.
Standard Totes: $3-6 each, depending on style
Standard Tees: $4-8 each, depending on style
Koozies: $1-2 each
Paper and Cards: $1-2 each
Clients can provide their own garments for a $1 fee each to cover ink and additional file set up services. Garments should be approved by Party Hat before purchase to confirm heat setting and printing viability.
We also offer more robust packages that accommodate multiple screens and designs, longer events, preprinting services, and more.
Please fill out the form at the bottom of this page for a quote.
Most clients hire us to provide all garments, equipment, staffing, and complimentary prints for guests. If you want to sell live screen-printed garments at your event, we typically charge a flat rate while the client operates the point-of-sale; we do not usually work on a per-item “as purchased” basis.
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Yes! For the right occasion, we will travel for a fee. Let us know more about your event and destination using the form below.
Request a Live Screen Printing Quote
Tell us a little bit about your event so we can provide you with an accurate quote.