Laphilo / Custom printing guides / How to wash a personalised T-shirt (and make it last for years)

Guide

How to wash a personalised T-shirt (and make it last for years)

A well-printed T-shirt lasts as long as the T-shirt itself. What ruins it isn't time: it's the tumble dryer, the iron and bleach. Here are the rules, in order of importance.

First of all: black and coloured garments should be washed before wearing

To print in DTG on a black or coloured garment, the fabric first receives a pre-treatment: a liquid that helps the white base adhere to the fibres and keeps the colours solid and bright. It's essential, but it leaves two normal traces on the new garment: the printed area may feel a little stiff or slightly tacky to the touch, and on some colours a light halo or a few marks may appear around the design. This isn't a defect: it disappears after the first wash. That's why we ask you to wash the garment before wearing it. On white garments the pre-treatment isn't needed and the garment arrives ready to wear.

The rules

  1. Wait 24 hours before the first wash. If it's just arrived, give the ink time to settle.
  2. Wash at 30°C, inside out. Cold water protects the colours; turning it inside out protects the print from rubbing against other garments and the drum. A delicate or normal cycle is all you need.
  3. Regular detergent, no bleach or optical brighteners. Even detergents "for whites" often contain them: check the label. Go easy on fabric softener: too much leaves a film that dulls the print.
  4. No tumble dryer, or low heat only. Dry heat is enemy number one: it cracks DTF and fades DTG. Hang it inside out, in the shade: direct sunlight fades both fabric and print.
  5. Don't iron on the print. If you really need to, iron on the reverse at medium temperature, without steam, or put a sheet of baking paper between the iron and the design.
  6. No harsh stain removers on the design. For a stain on the print: cold water, a drop of detergent, dab without rubbing.

Sweatshirts, bodysuits, bibs, accessories

The same rules apply to all cotton garments: sweatshirts, polo shirts, bodysuits and bibs. For accessories printed in DTF (hats, bags, towels) the heat rule matters most: never a hot tumble dryer, never an iron on the design.

What's normal and what isn't

It's normal: a slight softening of the colours after the first few washes on DTG (the print blends into the cotton), and the pre-treatment halo on new dark garments, which washes out. It's not normal: cracking, pieces of the print peeling off, colour that stains other garments. In that case, write to us with a photo and we'll replace the garment: production defects are always covered.

Sources

FAQ

At what temperature should I wash a printed T-shirt?

At 30°C, inside out, with regular detergent and no bleach. No hot tumble dryer and never iron directly on the print.

Why is my new black T-shirt a bit stiff or has a halo around the print?

It's the pre-treatment needed to print in DTG on dark garments: it helps the white base adhere and keeps the colours vivid. It disappears after the first wash, which is why we recommend washing the garment before wearing it.

Can I use the tumble dryer?

Better not to. If you really need to, use low heat only and turn the garment inside out: dry heat damages the print.

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Garments to personalise

Custom T-shirtCustom polo shirtCustom women's T-shirtCustom drawstring bagCustom kids' backpackCustom baby bodysuitCustom bucket hatCustom baseball cap