The latest trend over the last decade is to find the best way to be eco-friendly in everything you do.

This even applies to what we wear.

When it comes to personalized tshirt printingthere are many things to consider — cost, colors, style, material, and quality among them.

Eco-friendly tshirt printing is one of the most important things to shoppers — even above everything else it seems.

Why is this?

Read on to learn why using eco-friendly printing techniques is so important to shoppers, and how you can ensure your custom printed shirts fit the bill.

The reason behind the trend

Throughout the last decade it has become extremely important to do everything we can to protect our natural resources and wildlife.

This means that we try to be as eco-friendly as possible.

Eco-friendly printing is one of the easiest ways to reduce our carbon footprint and shoppers are well aware.

Shoppers are also aware of the fact that certain toxins can be bad for their skin and health.

Traditional inks and fabric making techniques use a multitude of chemicals that can wreak havoc on the environment.

Even the most popular fabrics, like some types of cotton, uses tons of water and pesticides during production.

Certain inks that are used in the personalized tshirt printing process also contain harmful chemicals and solvents.

When given the chance, many shoppers will purposely seek out clothing that is chemical-free and sustainable.

Material matters

When it comes to being eco-friendly the type of material and the way it is produced is important.

For instance, cotton is one of the most popular fabrics that are made of natural products, but the process in which it is grown typically requires dangerous fertilizers and insecticides.

This has led to many people opting for more organically grown cotton and other materials.

Organic cotton does not use pesticides or insecticides, and it requires less water to grow.

Some of the other most eco-friendly fabrics include bamboo, hemp, and linen.

You can also opt for recycled cotton.

Some other materials like recycled wool or polyester can also be considered eco-friendly.

This is a gray space statement though since wool is an animal by product and polyester is made with plastic.

Inks and printing methods to use

One of the ways that many tshirt printingcompanies attempt to be more eco-friendly is by using water based and permatone inks.

Many companies also have switched to using DTG (Direct to Garment) printing more often.

This is because many other more traditional inks contain phthalates, PVC, formaldehyde, and other chemicals.

For instance, plastisol inks typically used in the screen printing process is one of the main inks that contain phthalates and PVC.

These chemicals are released into the environment during the printing and curing process.

They are also released whenever the ink is subjected to heat — in the dryer or even in the sun, for instance.

One of the worst printing methods to use is sublimation printing.

Sublimation printing uses a special ink that can pretty much only be used on polyester.

Both polyester and the ink contain plastic and are not necessarily eco-friendly.

In conclusion, choosing the right materials, inks, and printing methods is vital in the effort to making eco-friendly custom printed shirts that will keep our Earth healthy and shoppers happier.