CUSTOM PUFF PRINT T-SHIRTS Raised and Cured in Our Own Unit

Star Faith International manufactures puff print t-shirts for UK streetwear labels, merch companies and teamwear brands that want a raised, tactile graphic rather than a flat print. Our screen room, print floor and expansion curing line all sit inside the same factory in Sialkot, Punjab, so puff height and edge definition are set against your approved sample and held consistent from the first piece to the last. Minimum order: 50 pieces per design, per colourway.

How Puff Print Works on a T-Shirt

Puff print is a screen printing technique that uses an ink containing a foaming agent. The ink is printed through a mesh stencil, then heated so the additive expands and lifts away from the fabric, leaving a soft, three-dimensional graphic with clean, rounded edges. You can read more about the method itself on our puff screen printing service page.

The expansion step is what separates good puff print from poor puff print. Too little heat and the ink stays flat. Too much and it over-expands, loses edge definition and can crack. Getting that balance right for each ink and fabric combination is why puff rewards a factory with its own curing line.

Why Fabric Weight Matters More on a Tee

A t-shirt is thinner and flatter than a fleece hoodie, so it has less body to support a raised ink deposit. On lightweight jerseys, puff can pucker the fabric around the print or pull the chest panel out of shape after washing. We recommend a heavier 200 to 240 GSM cotton tee for puff work and will flag it if your chosen fabric is likely to distort.

What Puff Print Suits Best

Bold lettering, chunky logos and simple shapes work best, because the raised texture reads clearly on thicker lines and solid areas. Very fine detail, thin outlines and small text tend to lose definition as the ink expands, so we flag those elements at the quoting stage and suggest adjustments to line weight where needed.

Why Brands Choose Our Acid Wash Hoodies

  • Base fabric: 180 to 240 GSM combed cotton, heavier weights recommended for puff
  • Print method: Screen printed puff ink, heat expanded
  • Print area: Front, back and sleeve printing available
  • Fits available: Regular, boxy, oversized, cropped (custom blocks on request)
  • Standard features: Rib-knit or self-fabric crew neck, double-stitched hems
  • Size range: XS to 4XL, custom grading available
  • Minimum order: 50 pieces per design, per colourway
  • Lead time:

    12 to 18 working days after sample approval

How We Build a Puff Print T-Shirt

1. Artwork Preparation

Your artwork is checked for line thickness, spacing between elements and overall size before any screen is made. Puff needs more room between design elements than flat print, since expansion pushes ink outward slightly and can merge details that sit too close together.

2. Screen Preparation

A screen is burned for each colour in your design. Puff is typically run as one or two colours, with the raised element printed over or alongside flat colour where the design calls for contrast.

3. Puff Sample

A physical sample is printed and expanded so you can check puff height, edge definition and feel on the actual tee fabric. This is where most height or edge adjustments are made, before bulk production begins.

4. Bulk Printing and Expansion

Once the sample is approved, the full run is printed using the same screens and ink mix, then passed through the curing line at the temperature and dwell time recorded at sampling stage, so puff height stays consistent across the whole run.

5. Three-Stage Quality Check and Dispatch

Fabric is inspected before cutting, print registration and puff expansion are checked in-line, and every garment is checked again before packing. Orders ship to the UK on DDP terms, meaning import duty and VAT are settled before your shipment arrives, or on FOB terms if you would rather clear customs through your own forwarder.

Choosing the Right Tee and Pairing Puff With Other Finishes

Puff print looks different depending on the silhouette it sits on. A boxy t-shirt gives a large, flat back panel that suits big raised lettering, while a cropped t-shirt suits a smaller chest graphic. If you want the same raised effect on a heavier garment for the rest of your drop, the same process is available on our puff print hoodies.

Puff pairs well with other in-house methods. Embroidery works alongside a puff graphic for a layered, textural look, and flat screen printing can carry supporting detail while puff handles the main mark. For photographic or gradient artwork that puff cannot reproduce, DTG printing can handle that part of the design.

Washed finishes need to be sequenced correctly. A vintage washed t-shirt or acid wash base is washed before puff printing, never after, since drum washing can crack the raised ink and flatten the effect. Tell us at the quoting stage so production is sequenced in the right order.

Private Label and Retail-Ready Finishing

If you are building your own tee range, our private label service covers woven neck labels and hang tags and custom packaging, all added before dispatch without changing the standard minimum order, so garments arrive ready to sell.

A Factory That Controls the Expansion, Not One That Guesses

Puff print quality is decided by steps a buyer cannot see in a product photo: ink formulation, screen setup and expansion temperature. A trading agency sourcing this product from a third-party print shop often has no visibility into whether those steps were followed, and will not be the one dealing with a batch where the puff is flat, uneven or cracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is puff print on a t-shirt?

Puff print is a screen printing method that uses an ink with a foaming additive. Once printed, the ink is heated and expands upward, creating a raised, three-dimensional graphic with a soft, slightly rubbery feel.

Not when it is expanded and cured correctly. Cracking is almost always caused by over-expansion or under-curing rather than a limitation of the ink, which is why expansion temperature and dwell time are recorded against your approved sample and repeated across the run.

It can, but lightweight jersey has less body to support the raised ink and may pucker around the print. We recommend a heavier 200 to 240 GSM cotton tee for puff and will flag it if your chosen fabric is likely to distort.

Bold lettering, chunky logos and simple, large shapes. Very fine lines, thin outlines and small text can lose definition as the ink expands, so we flag those elements at the quoting stage and suggest adjustments where needed.

50 pieces per design, per colourway, roughly a quarter of the 200 or more piece minimum most trading agencies quote UK brands.

Puff print t-shirts ship within the same 12 to 18 working day window as our other decoration methods, once sample approval is confirmed. Screen setup and puff sampling happen before that window starts.

Yes, and it is one of the most common combinations we run. A raised element for the main graphic with flat ink for supporting detail gives contrast without adding a second vendor.

Yes. Puff ink has strong opacity, so light or bright colours show clearly on dark fabric. We confirm colour on your approved sample before bulk production.

Yes, the UK is one of our main export markets. We ship on DDP terms on request, meaning import duty and VAT are settled before your shipment arrives. FOB is available if you would rather clear customs through your own freight forwarder.

Yes. Woven neck labels, hang tags and retail-ready packaging can be added through our private label service before dispatch, so garments arrive ready to sell.

Get a Quote on Puff Print T-Shirts

Share your design, target quantity and delivery country, and our team will reply within one business day with pricing and lead time. You can contact our team directly, or browse the full Star Faith International range if you are planning a wider order across several garment types.

Request a Quote
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