Printology — East Bay Prints

PRINTOLOGY

Not sure which print method is right for your project? Explore all 13 decoration and printing methods we offer — from apparel and hard goods to signage and business printing.

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All 13 Print Methods

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Screen Printing
ApparelBulk

Screen Printing

Screen printing is a traditional form of printing in which ink is pushed through open areas of a mesh screen stencil, transferring ink directly to the desired substrate. One color is printed at a time, so several screens can be used to compose a complex multi-color design. Our screen press can accommodate up to 10 colors and allows us to incorporate a variety of special effects, such as metallic foils, puff inks, and specialty discharge inks. Screen printing is generally the most cost-effective print method for large orders.

Best For: Bulk apparel orders (24+ pieces) Colors: Up to 10 Durability: Excellent Special Effects: Puff, foil, discharge
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Direct-to-Garment DTG
ApparelNo Minimum

Direct-to-Garment (DTG)

DTG printing is a digital form of printing designed specifically to work with 100% cotton garments. The process works much like a traditional inkjet computer printer, but for apparel! DTG utilizes the latest technology to provide a solution for printing smaller orders with an almost unlimited number of colors in a single design. For many customers, this is a great way to get full-color, highly detailed prints on just a few shirts. Before DTG, there was no cost-effective way to print small quantities of full-color garments.

Best For: Small runs, photo-quality prints Minimum: No minimum Colors: Unlimited Fabric: 100% cotton recommended
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Direct-to-Film DTF
ApparelAny FabricNo Minimum

Direct-to-Film (DTF)

Direct-to-Film printing is one of the most versatile decoration methods available today. A full-color design is printed onto a special film, coated with a hot-melt adhesive powder, and then heat pressed directly onto the garment. Unlike DTG, DTF works on virtually any fabric type or color — cotton, polyester, nylon, denim, leather, and blended fabrics alike. It produces vibrant, stretchable prints with excellent wash durability and no fabric pretreatment required. DTF is an ideal solution for small to medium runs where full color, fine detail, and fabric flexibility are all a priority.

Best For: Any fabric type or color Minimum: No minimum Colors: Unlimited Durability: 50+ wash rated
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Embroidery
ApparelHeadwearPremium

Embroidery

Embroidery is a premium decoration method where a stitched design is adhered to a garment or just about any type of textile. The design must first be digitized to create a specialized sew/stitch file, which is then run on the machine. Our top-of-the-line equipment can accommodate complex designs with up to 16 colors in a single run. This highly durable decoration method is great for company logos on polos, jackets, hats, beanies, backpacks, and more. Puff embroidery is available for a bold, 3D raised effect.

Best For: Hats, polos, jackets, bags, beanies Colors: Up to 16 Durability: Lasts the life of the garment Special Effects: Puff embroidery available
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Sublimation Printing
ApparelDrinkwareHard Goods

Sublimation

Sublimation is a specialized digital printing process that uses heat to transfer dye directly into the fibers of polyester garments or polymer-coated hard goods. Unlike traditional printing where ink sits on top of the material, sublimation ink becomes part of the fabric itself, resulting in a completely breathable print that will never crack, peel, or wash out. This method allows for stunning, full-color photographic prints on mugs, tumblers, mousepads, and all-over polyester apparel.

Best For: Polyester apparel, mugs, tumblers Colors: Unlimited, photographic quality Durability: Permanent — ink becomes part of the material Note: Works on white/light polyester only
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Laser Engraving
Hard GoodsHeadwearAwards

Laser Engraving

Laser engraving is a subtractive manufacturing method that uses a high-powered laser beam to vaporize material, creating deep, permanent marks on a substrate. The process is completely digital, allowing for highly detailed logos, text, and intricate patterns to be etched into a variety of hard goods such as wood, leather, acrylic, and coated metals. Because no inks or chemicals are involved, the resulting design is incredibly durable and will never fade or peel off. Ask about our leather patch trucker hats — one of our most popular items.

Best For: Wood, leather, acrylic, coated metal Minimum: No minimum Durability: Permanent Popular: Leather patch trucker hats
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Vinyl Cutter HTV Decals
ApparelDecalsHTV

Vinyl Cutter

Our digital vinyl plotter precision-cuts designs from specialty vinyl rolls, enabling two powerful output types. Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) is pressed onto apparel using a heat press, delivering bold, clean single-color or layered designs with excellent wash durability on virtually any fabric. Cut vinyl decals are applied directly to hard surfaces — vehicles, windows, walls, equipment, and more — and are available in dozens of colors and finishes including gloss, matte, chrome, and holographic. Both outputs are weatherproof and built to last.

HTV: Any fabric, bold single-color designs Decals: Vehicles, windows, walls, equipment Minimum: No minimum Finishes: Gloss, matte, chrome, holographic
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Rhinestone Motif
ApparelPremiumSparkle

Rhinestone Motif

A rhinestone motif is a custom transfer made up of brilliant hot-fix rhinestones that have been precisely arranged in a particular order, usually in the shape of a logo or stylized text. The transfer is then permanently heat-pressed onto the garment, giving it a beautiful, eye-catching sparkly effect. Rhinestone motifs add a premium, textured look that stands out from standard ink prints. This decoration method works best with 1–2 color designs and can be safely applied to just about any type of textile.

Best For: Premium apparel, gifts, dance & cheer Minimum: No minimum Colors: 1–2 rhinestone colors Effect: Raised, sparkling, eye-catching
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UV Printing
Hard GoodsPromo ItemsNo Minimum

UV Printing

UV printing is a unique form of digital printing that uses ultra-violet lights to instantly cure ink as it is printed. This allows us to print full-color, photo-quality graphics directly onto virtually any hard surface — phone cases, tumblers, skateboards, awards, wooden boxes, poker chips, metal cards, and much more. The cured ink is extremely durable, scratch-resistant, and vibrant. UV printing opens up a world of custom branded merchandise that goes far beyond traditional apparel decoration.

Best For: Hard goods & promo items Minimum: No minimum Colors: Unlimited, photo quality Surfaces: Phone cases, tumblers, wood, acrylic, metal & more
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Large Format Printing
PrintSignageCanvas

Large Format Printing

Our large format inkjet printers produce stunning wide-format output for a variety of applications. Gallery-wrapped canvas prints bring your photography or artwork to life with rich, deep color on a stretched canvas frame ready to hang. Glossy and matte poster prints are available in sizes up to several feet wide. Vinyl banners with hemmed edges and grommets are printed on durable solvent-resistant media built for indoor and outdoor use. Whether you need one piece or a full run, we deliver large format output with precision and quality.

Outputs: Canvas wraps, glossy prints, posters, banners Minimum: No minimum Outdoor: Available with laminate Sizes: Up to several feet wide
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Photo Printing
PrintGiftsArchival

Photo Printing

Our photo printing service delivers true photographic quality on premium paper stocks using professional-grade inkjet printers with archival pigment inks. Choose from glossy, matte, or lustre finishes in standard sizes from 4×6 up to 8×10 and beyond. Our archival inks are designed to resist fading for decades, making them ideal for cherished family portraits, fine art prints, and gift photography. Whether you need a single print or a batch order, we handle each one with care and precision.

Best For: Photo prints, gifts, fine art Minimum: No minimum Finishes: Glossy, matte, lustre Durability: Archival — fade resistant for decades
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Business Printing
PrintBusinessMarketing

Business & Document Printing

A business card is often the first physical impression your brand makes — and we believe it should be unforgettable. We offer full-color digital printing on a wide range of premium stocks and finishes, including standard gloss, matte laminate, soft-touch velvet, spot UV, gold foil, kraft paper, and clear plastic with white ink. Beyond business cards, we print flyers, rack cards, brochures, newsletters, promo cards, and custom cardstock documents. Whether you need a simple everyday card or a premium showpiece, we have a solution for every budget and brand. Minimum orders start at just 50 cards.

Outputs: Business cards, flyers, brochures, newsletters Minimum: 50 cards Finishes: Gloss, matte, velvet, spot UV, foil Specialty: Gold foil, clear plastic, kraft paper
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Sticker Printing
PrintStickersLabels

Sticker Printing

Our sticker printing service delivers vibrant, full-color custom stickers and labels on premium vinyl stock. Choose from die-cut shapes, kiss-cut sheets, circle stickers, square stickers, or custom contour cuts — all printed with UV-resistant inks for excellent outdoor durability. Stickers are available in gloss, matte, or clear finishes, and can be used for product labels, branding, promotional giveaways, laptop stickers, bumper stickers, and more. We print in any quantity, from small runs to large bulk orders, with no setup fees and fast turnaround.

Outputs: Die-cut, kiss-cut, circle, square, custom shapes Finishes: Gloss, matte, clear vinyl Durability: UV-resistant, weatherproof Uses: Labels, branding, promos, bumper stickers
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Quick Comparison

Find the right method at a glance

Method Dark Fabrics Full Color No Minimum Hard Goods Outdoor Use Wash Durability Best For Price
Screen Printing ✔ Up to 10 colors — — — Excellent Bulk apparel orders $
DTG With pretreat ✔ ✔ — — Good Small runs, full color $$
DTF ✔ ✔ ✔ — — Excellent Any fabric, any color $$
Embroidery ✔ Up to 16 colors — — — Excellent Hats, polos, jackets $$
Sublimation Light only ✔ ✔ ✔ — Permanent Polyester, mugs, drinkware $$
Laser Engraving — Single tone ✔ ✔ ✔ Permanent Wood, leather, metal, acrylic $$
Vinyl Cutter ✔ Single color ✔ ✔ ✔ Excellent HTV apparel, decals, stickers $
Rhinestone Motif ✔ Multi-stone ✔ — — Good Premium apparel, gifts $$$
UV Printing — ✔ ✔ ✔ Varies Excellent Hard goods, promo items $$
Large Format — ✔ ✔ — With laminate Good Canvas, posters, signage $$
Photo Printing — ✔ ✔ — — Archival Photo prints, gifts, art $
Business Printing — ✔ ✔ — — — Cards, flyers, documents $
Sticker Printing — ✔ ✔ — ✔ Excellent Labels, branding, promos $

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Serving Walnut Creek, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Concord, Brentwood, Benicia, and the entire Bay Area — with nationwide shipping available.

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