# Water-Based and Discharge Printing | Screen Prints Reno

Water-based and discharge screen printing for Reno breweries and merch: a print you cannot feel on 100% cotton. Same $4.34 rate as plastisol. Battle Born.

Canonical: https://screenprintsreno.com/decoration/water-based-and-discharge/

If you want a shirt that feels blank with a print on it, this is the method. Water-based ink soaks into cotton fiber; discharge ink removes the shirt's dye and replaces it with color. Battle Born Clothing runs both in-house. The per-piece rate is the same as plastisol; the shirt choice is what changes.

## Rates

| Job | Print per piece | Screens (one-time) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 color, 1 location, light shirt | $4.34 | $20 |
| 1 color, 1 location, dark shirt (adds a flash) | $4.59 | $20 |
| 1 color front + 1 color back, light shirt | $8.68 | $40 |
| 1 color front + 1 color back, dark shirt | $9.18 | $40 |

## Water-based

Best on white and light 100% cotton. The ink dyes the fiber, so the print is thin and breathable and ages with the shirt. On dark shirts it needs a discharge underbase or it disappears. Pastel and earth tones look right; neon and metallic do not exist in water-based.

## Discharge

Discharge pulls the reactive dye out of a dark cotton shirt where the ink lands and leaves the ink color in its place. The result is a soft print on black, navy or maroon. It only works on 100% cotton with dischargeable dye. Blends, polyester, most heathers and some pigment-dyed shirts will not discharge. A faint ring around the print on the first wash is normal and goes away.

## Shirts that work

| Shirt | Water-based (light) | Discharge (dark) |
|---|---|---|
| [Port & Company PC61](/products/port-and-company-pc61/) | Yes | Yes on most solid darks |
| [Gildan 64000](/products/gildan-64000-softstyle/) | Yes | Yes on solid darks; no on heathers |
| [Next Level 3600](/products/next-level-3600/) | Yes | Yes |
| [Comfort Colors 1717](/products/comfort-colors-1717/) | Yes | Varies; we test |
| [PC55 blend](/products/port-and-company-pc55/), hoodies | No | No (plastisol) |

## Who orders it in Reno

Breweries, coffee roasters, bands, Midtown shops and anyone selling the shirt rather than handing it out. If the shirt is a giveaway or a crew uniform, plastisol is cheaper to get right and lasts longer in a work wash.

[Get a quote](/quote/)

## Questions
**Is discharge more expensive?** No. Same per-piece rate and screen charge. The difference is in which shirts it works on.

**Can you discharge a heather shirt?** Usually not. Heathers are blends and the polyester will not discharge. We print plastisol on heathers.


---
Screen Prints Reno is a brand of Battle Born Clothing, 3 Pebble Beach Dr, Yerington, NV 89447. Quote: https://screenprintsreno.com/quote/