If you have ever run your hand over a piece of retail clothing and felt the print stand proud of the fabric, chances are you were touching puff print. It is one of those little details that makes a garment feel premium, and it is a great option when you want your branding to be noticed for all the right reasons.
So what exactly is it? Puff print is a specialty screen printing process we use for branding apparel. It relies on a special ink that expands as it cures, lifting the design off the fabric to create a raised, textured, three-dimensional finish. The result is a logo or graphic you can actually feel, not just see.
It works best on bold logos, large lettering, and simple graphic shapes where that tactile, eye-catching look really earns its keep. If you want to add a bit of dimension without going over the top, puff print can also be paired with a single-colour screen print, so part of your design sits flat and part of it rises up off the garment.
Why choose puff print?
There is a reason this finish keeps turning up on quality streetwear and merchandise. A few of its strengths:
- It gives garments a polished, retail-style finish straight off the shelf.
- The raised texture is genuinely tactile and grabs attention.
- It can be combined with a one-colour screen print to add depth to your design.
- It is a durable, long-lasting branding method that holds up to plenty of wear.
A few things to keep in mind
Puff print is brilliant for the right artwork, but it is not the answer for every design. Because the ink expands, fine detail tends to get lost. It pays to know the limitations before you commit:
- It is not suited to fine detail, thin lines, or gradients.
- Small text and tightly spaced elements can close up as the ink expands.
- Exact colour matching cannot be guaranteed.
- The amount of expansion can vary slightly across different garment types.
- Puff print is available in one colour per artwork.
Getting your artwork print-ready
To get the cleanest result, your artwork needs to be set up with the puff process in mind. Here is what we ask for:
- Supply artwork in vector format wherever possible.
- If you are supplying a bitmap, it should be higher than 300 DPI at the actual print size.
- Keep line thickness to a minimum of 3mm.
- Allow at least 4mm of negative space or open gaps between elements.
- Convert fonts to outlines or objects to avoid any font conflicts.
Not sure if puff print is right for your design?
That is exactly what we are here for. If you have a logo or design in mind and you are wondering whether puff print will do it justice, get in touch with the team at Able Print & Promo. We are happy to talk through your artwork, suggest the best branding method, and help you create something your customers will want to reach out and touch.