Water-based is a mixture of water with dye or pigment to acheive the desired color. The garment itself is actually dyed to a different color at the areas the design sits. With this technique, you preserve the quality of the garment and the ink cannot be felt when touched. The ink sinks into the fibers of the shirt, becoming part of the fabric.

In short discharge ink re-dyes the shirt fabric. Discharge ink is still a water based ink that soaks into a shirt's fabric. The only difference, there is an agent mixed into the ink that removes manufacturer dye in the shirt. Once a manufacturer's dye has been removed, the discharge ink will then re-dye that print area your desired pigment color. This printing method is used for fashion forward high end retailed apparel and for special effects printing. This is the preferred method of all our printing at Constant as it creates a soft hand breathable print with bright colors on dark garments. 

 The Inks Typically work best on 100% cotton fabrics although certain manufacturers with 50/50 fabric blends can show surprisingly bright results, or that vintage rocker tee washed out effect that looks like your favorite concert tee from the 80's.  So choosing the right fabric and pantone ink colors for your designs we can achieve optimum results. 

For that final touch of branding, we can sew in a custom woven hem tag onto just about any piece of apparel. Sew in tags says your brand has ethics and strive for quality to set itself apart from the others. Its a small investment in each piece but with a consistent visual impact each time the apparel is worn. There are a lot of options so speak to rep about sew in tags.