What the print is
The designs here are printed onto soft cotton tee in sizes S to 5XL. A print sits in and on the surface of the fabric rather than being woven into it, which is why it is comfortable from the first wear and why heat is the enemy.
Nothing about that is fragile if it is washed like a print rather than like a plain white shirt.
Wash cold, inside out
Turn the shirt inside out before it goes in, so the print rubs against other fabric rather than the drum. Wash at 30 degrees or colder on a normal cycle; there is no benefit to 40 for cotton and a great deal of harm across years of it.
Skip fabric softener on the printed area. It leaves a residue that dulls the ink and makes the print look faded long before it is.
Do not tumble dry it
A tumble dryer is the single fastest way to ruin a print. The heat sets and cracks the ink, and the tumbling abrades it while it is soft. Hang it or lay it flat instead, out of direct sun, which fades colour over time.
If it must go in a dryer, lowest heat and take it out slightly damp. It is a compromise, not a recommendation.
Never iron the print
An iron directly on the design will melt or gloss the ink in one pass. Turn the shirt inside out and iron the back of the print, or iron around it. Steam is fine; the metal plate on the print is not.
The same rule applies to a hot wash: the temperature that shrinks a cotton tee is also the temperature that embrittles the print on it.
Questions
- Can I tumble dry a printed t-shirt?
- It will survive a few low-heat cycles, but the dryer is the main cause of cracked prints. Hang it or lay it flat instead, and the design lasts years rather than months.
- What temperature should I wash it at?
- 30 degrees or colder, inside out, on a normal cycle. Hotter water does not clean cotton better and does shorten the life of the print.
- Can I iron over the design?
- No. Iron the shirt inside out, on the reverse of the print, or iron around it. A hot iron directly on the design will gloss or melt it in one pass.
- Will the print fade with washing?
- It fades very slowly if washed cold and inside out, and quickly if it is tumble dried or ironed. Fabric softener on the print also dulls it, so keep it off the design.
Related guides
Where to look next
Every shelf these guides mention is linked in the panel beside this page, and the full catalogue is on all collections.