When creating your own bandana, understanding the options available for custom bandana prints are essential. How are custom bandanas printed? This is one of the most popular questions we get from our personalized bandana customers and it makes sense when you are thinking about ordering premium cotton custom printed bandanas. There is no cut & dry answer, but we have some tips to determine what options will work best when creating your own bandanas.

For many years we only offered 100% cotton screen printed bandanas as a printing method. Now we have evolved into bandana experts, there are 3 printing methods to achieve a custom bandana print.

 

100% Cotton 22 Inch Custom Screen Printed Bandanas

This option is still by far the most popular way to produce bandanas and is also how bandana prints have been printed for over 100 years. What is ideal about screen printed bandanas is the vibrant colors that can be achieved and ability to produce a high volume bandana order. We love to impress customers with our Advanced Application Technology that allows us to produce all over printed bandana prints including edge to edge bandana prints.

When printing custom bandanas, there are two types of inks: plastisol inks and water-based inks. Both ink options work well in different ways to produce a great custom bandana. If you are looking for an eco-friendly printed bandana, water-based inks are the way to go. This is also known as discharge bandana printing. These inks have low toxicity and create a great soft touch bandana print. Plastisol inks make the design come alive with the pop of color, ideal for a high quality bandana print. Screen printed bandanas are the way to go when looking for that traditional timeless bandana.

A custom bandana with a standard imprint and a full color design using a screen print method

100% Dye Sublimated Bandana Prints

Custom sublimated bandanas are a great alternative to screen printed bandanas. With dye sublimation, a full color print is more achievable with limitless amount of colors that it allows for. Inkjset printers are the closest print method to sublimation printed bandanas. The most commonly printed bandanas using dye sublimation print methods and Both the custom designed scarf bandanas and custom handkerchiefs . 100% polyester bandanas are essential to this print style as sublimation only works on polyester. The best thing is that since the bandana is so soft, you can’t feel the ink. This is ideal for high end retail bandanas. All in all, the custom dye sublimated bandanas are a great choice.

A custom bandana with a off the edge imprint and a full color design using a sublimation method

Premium Cotton Digital Bandana Prints

These digitally printed bandanas are truly revolutionary in the wholesale bandana world. We print directly to cotton bandanas and there are no limits to the number of colors that can be printed to create your

Custom bandana. This means that the possibilities are endless when you want a full color print that exceeds the limitations of screen printed bandanas. With digitally printed bandanas, we create an off the edge designed bandana making it a full bleed bandana print. We start off with white 100% premium cotton bandanas and print directly on one side, very similar to an inkjet printer printing on a white piece of paper. Digital bandanas are the waive of the future and we are proud to have added it to our custom bandana options.

There are many ways to answer the question, “How are bandanas printed?”. Lucky we are the bandana experts who can help guide you on your journey to ordering custom designed bandanas. The possibilities are endless when it comes to custom bandanas an

d that is what makes it so fun. Call us today for any and everything bandanas!

A custom bandana with a standard imprint and a full color design using a digital method


Finding a product to promote your brand brings a slew of new items to think about, and one of the most intriguing may be Custom Bandanas. Figuring out how to maximize your brand exposure, what kind of design to develop, and figuring out what kind of printing method will work best for your art can be daunting. To help you wade easily into the waters, here are two essential things you need to know about Custom Bandana Printing.

 

1. Screen Printing vs. Dye-Sublimation

Bandana printing is divided into 2 major printing methods.

Screen Printing is a method of printing by forcing ink through a stencil which is chemically applied to a tight mesh screen. This method requires a screen for each individual color in your design. Screen Printing is great for designs that are relatively low in color count and cost conscious customers. Cotton bandanas work best for this printing method.

 

 

 

Dye-Sublimation (without getting too technical) is a method of printing where the design is printed directly onto a special paper which is then applied to the bandana and exposed to high heat in order to transfer the dye into the bandana fabric. This method is great for designs that have a lot of color and photo quality elements. The draw back with Dye-Sublimation is that it is not possible to sublimate onto cotton bandanas, this method only works on polyester bandanas.

 

 

 

2. High Color Custom Bandanas Come with a Cost

When screen printing, you must be conscious of set up fees. For each individual color in your artwork, there is a screen made especially for that color. With each screen comes a $45 set up (Unless your order quantity is over 500 units.) Also, with each color in your design your price per piece goes up. Don’t worry, there is an alternative! If your design has a lot of colors or has photo-realistic elements to it, you might want to consider dye-sublimation printing.

You are now ready to place a custom bandana order! Click here to start your order!