Beyond Screen Printing: Durability Standards- Wash, Stretch & Crocking Targets Customers' Notice

Durability is the new benchmark of trust in custom apparel. In today’s competitive environment, customers judge your brand not only by how compelling the design looks on day one, but by how that print holds up after fifty wears, hundreds of stretches, and countless wash cycles.

For brands investing in custom T-shirt printing or selling personalised shirts, durability isn’t a feature; it’s a promise. When a print fades, cracks, or peels after a few washes, that frustration becomes a direct comment on your brand’s reliability.

This blog breaks down the durability standards that Canadian apparel brands, merch designers, and production teams must take seriously: wash performance, stretch integrity, and crocking resistance. These three tests separate good products from great ones.

The Foundation: Why Print Durability Matters in Canadian Custom Apparel

Small-batch collections, influencer drops, and company uniforms have transformed T-shirts into walking billboards. Customers wear them everywhere, the gym, office, worksite, weekends, meaning your print is constantly being tested in the real world.

Poor durability shows up quickly:

• A dull, faded logo

• Cracked graphics

• Peeling vinyl

• Colour bleeding or staining (crocking)

For any design T-shirts Canada brand, durability isn’t optional. Customers expect a favourite shirt to look and feel the same after the fiftieth wash as it did on the first.

At In-House, durability begins long before printing. It informs how we source blanks, select print methods, cure inks, and inspect finished goods. 

Wash Tests: The Gold Standard for Print Lifespan

Washing is the ultimate durability test. The AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists) outlines industry-standard wash procedures that simulate real-life use, including controlled temperatures, detergents, and cycle variations.

A high-quality print should pass 25–50 wash cycles with minimal fading or distortion.

How major print methods perform:

Screen Printing (Plastisol & Water-Based)

• Plastisol: Extremely wash-fast when properly cured

• Water-based: Soft feel, excellent durability with correct curing

• Best performer for most durability tests

DTF (Direct-to-Film)

• Very good wash durability

• Excellent colour vibrancy

• Increasingly competitive with screen printing for complex artwork

DTG (Direct-to-Garment)

• Best for photographic details

• Durability heavily depends on fabric (100% cotton preferred)

• Requires proper pretreatment and curing to prevent crocking

Embroidery

• Highest wash durability

• Thread-based, so it does not crack, fade, or peel

Visible failures customers recognise instantly:

• Dulling of colours

• Chalky or powdery print surface

• Edges lifting on vinyl graphics

This is why we run strict in-house wash tests before approving a production method. Every print must hold up in real life, not just in a sample photo.

Stretch Tests: How Fabric Movement Impacts Print Integrity

Stretch testing evaluates how a print behaves when the fabric is pulled, worn, and flexed. If a print cracks or distorts quickly, customers lose confidence just as quickly.

What failure looks like:

• Fine cracks in the ink

• Warped or stretched graphics

• Print separating from the fabric

Ink selection matters:

• Water-based inks can crack if improperly cured

• Plastisol generally resists cracking due to its flexibility

• DTF has excellent stretch performance

Fabric choice matters even more:

• 100% cotton behaves differently from cotton/poly blends

• Performance fleece and high-stretch fabrics require flexible inks

• Unwashed, unstable fabrics shrink, placing stress on the print

We evaluate fabric and ink compatibility during pre-production testing, ensuring the method chosen suits the garment’s movement and use.

Crocking Tests: The Often-Ignored Indicator of Print Quality

Crocking refers to colour transfer caused by friction, and it comes in two forms:

• Dry crocking: Transfer to dry surfaces

• Wet crocking: Transfer when moisture is involved

For businesses selling customised shirts, crocking resistance is critical.

Customers will not tolerate:

• Dark ink rubbing onto a car seat

• Red prints bleeding into a white collar

• Bag straps picking up colour from fresh prints

Crocking failures are almost always due to:

• Incorrect curing

• Wrong ink for the fabric

• Insufficient pretreatment (DTG)

• Poor-quality pigment chemistry

We ensure every print is cured correctly to AATCC standards, preventing colour transfer and protecting your brand’s reputation.

Ink Types & Print Methods: A Durability Showdown

Here’s how common methods perform across wash, stretch, and crocking tests:

Screen Printing

• Best-in-class durability

• Plastisol offers the strongest wash and crock resistance

• Water-based provides the softest feel, excellent longevity when cured properly

DTF

• Excellent stretch performance

• Very good wash resistance

• Ideal for complex, multi-colour artwork

DTG

• Best for photographic detail

• Fabric dependency is high

• Crocking issues appear without proper pretreatment and curing

Embroidery

• Structurally durable

• Never cracks or peels

• Outlasts most fabric prints over the years

Choosing the right method depends on artwork complexity, fabric composition, wear conditions, and longevity expectations. We guide every client through this decision to ensure the best durability outcome.

Fabric Matters: Durability Begins Before Printing

Even the best print fails on a poor-quality garment. Durability starts with the fabric:

• Fibre content determines ink bonding

• Pre-washed fabrics prevent post-wash distortion

• Stable knits reduce stress on graphics

Brands that use inconsistent or cheap blanks risk:

• Early fading

• Print cracking

• Shrinkage causing distortion

Choosing the right blank is the first and most important step in achieving long-lasting print performance.

What Customers Actually Notice

Customers may not know the term “crocking,” but they instantly notice:

• Cracked gym T-shirts

• Peeling vinyl logos

• Faded prints after a few washes

• Dye transfer is causing staining

Durability is the foundation of trust. In the world of design T-shirts Canada, long-lasting apparel turns one-time buyers into loyal customers.

Why In-House Sets the Standard for Premium, Durable Custom Wear

We are makers and developers first, backed by years of combined apparel and print experience. Durability is built into every part of our ecosystem:

• Tough ink tests

• AATCC-aligned wash-cycle tests

• Stretch and crocking evaluations

• Fabric compatibility checks

• In-house product development, branding, and manufacturing

Every piece of apparel that leaves our studio is engineered to last.

Durability Is The New Standard

True print quality comes from rigorous testing, intentional production, and expertise.
Wash resistance, stretch integrity, and crocking resistance are not small details; they are the difference between professional-grade apparel and disposable merch.

When you invest in durability, you build reputation, trust, and long-term brand impact.

Don’t just create custom apparel, create legacy apparel that performs. Let’s build something that lasts together.