Decoration · Raised screen print · Sialkot, Pakistan
Custom Puff Print Manufacturing
Jafsu Enterprises runs custom puff print in-house — raised plastisol on heavyweight hoodies, tees and streetwear that we cut and sew ourselves. One-piece samples, production from twenty pieces, and a wash test before anything ships.
The short answer
What Custom Puff Print Actually Is
Custom puff print is screen printing with a heat-reactive additive mixed into the ink. When the print passes through the dryer the additive expands, so the design rises off the fabric in a soft, rounded bead instead of sitting flat on it.
The rise happens in one pass. High-density printing builds the same kind of relief by laying down pass after pass of ink, which is slower and dearer, so puff is the cost-effective way to get a print people reach out and touch.
The trade-off is detail. As the ink lifts, sharp corners round over into a pillow, so puff rewards thick lettering and bold shapes and punishes hairlines and small type. It also loses a little colour saturation on the way up.
Most shops puff onto a blank they bought in. We print onto garments we cut and sew ourselves, so placement, garment weight and print size are decided together rather than worked around after the fact.
What we print on
Heavier Garment, Better Puff
Puff ink needs cotton to grip and weight to sit against. A 400 GSM fleece holds a bead that a thin poly tee simply cannot. These are the three lines it runs on best.
Hoodies & crewnecks
Brushed-back fleece gives the ink a dense, flat bed — the cleanest, tallest bead we run.
320–450 GSM cotton fleece
Chest · sleeve · full back
Heavyweight tees
Boxy, garment-dyed and oversized tees take puff lettering across the chest or back.
180–280 GSM combed cotton
Single ink or puff outline
Joggers, shorts & bags
Small raised marks on a thigh, hem or tote where a flat print would disappear.
280–380 GSM fleece & canvas
Wordmarks · small logos
The hard numbers
Fabric, Weight and How Well Puff Behaves
Cotton content and cure temperature decide almost everything. This is what we tell buyers before a garment is chosen, not after the sample lands.
| Garment | Fabric | GSM | Puff result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight hoodie | 100% cotton or high-cotton brushed fleece | 320 – 450 | Excellent |
| Crewneck sweatshirt | Cotton fleece, loop-back or brushed | 280 – 400 | Excellent |
| Heavyweight tee | Combed ring-spun cotton, single jersey | 180 – 280 | Excellent |
| Standard tee | Cotton or 90/10 cotton-poly | 150 – 180 | Good |
| Joggers & shorts | Cotton fleece or french terry | 280 – 380 | Good |
| Poly-blend activewear | Polyester or poly-spandex knit | 140 – 220 | Limited — dye migration and cure risk |
| Heat-sensitive synthetics | Nylon, coated shells, thin performance mesh | — | Not recommended |
Puff ink cures at roughly 160 °C, so anything that cannot take that heat is a bad candidate. On polyester we would usually steer you to sublimation or embroidery with 3D foam instead, and say so at the quote stage rather than after the sample.
Choose the relief
How Far It Rises Is a Decision
Puff height is set by the additive ratio, the mesh count and the dwell in the dryer. More height reads louder from across a room; less height keeps your edges sharp. Tap a setting.
What you fix before we burn a screen
Standard relief. The streetwear default — clearly raised, still readable at arm’s length.
- ArtworkVector, fonts outlined, 2 pt minimum line weight.
- Gaps4 pt minimum between strokes, or the bead closes them up.
- ColourTone lifts 3–5% as it puffs; a true jet black is not achievable.
- FinishMatte or gloss — say which at the mockup stage.
- MixingPuff outline over a flat fill, or puff beside embroidery.
Get it right first time
Custom Puff Print Artwork Specs
More puff jobs get sent back over a hairline stroke than anything else. Build the file to these and the first sample is usually the last one.
| Specification | Detail | Value |
|---|---|---|
| File format | Vector with fonts converted to outlines | AI · EPS · PDF |
| Raster fallback | Only where vector is impossible, scaled to print size | 300 DPI |
| Minimum line weight | Anything thinner closes over as the ink lifts | 2 pt |
| Minimum negative space | Counters in letters, gaps between strokes | 4 pt |
| Raise height | Set by additive ratio, mesh and dryer dwell | 1 – 8 mm |
| Mesh count | Low mesh to lay down a heavy ink deposit | 90 – 155 |
| Cure | Conveyor dryer, checked with a probe on every run | ≈ 160 °C |
| Colour shift | Pigment dilutes as the bead expands | 3 – 5% |
| Detail retention | Against the same design printed flat | ≈ 80 – 85% |
| Size range | Same print on every size in the run | YS–YXL · S–4XL |
Pantone references are matched as closely as the additive allows, and the approved sample is the reference we print production against. A true jet black is the one colour puff cannot hold, because the pigment thins as the ink expands — if the design depends on it, we would print the black flat and puff the rest.
Pick the right one
Puff Print vs High-Density vs 3D Embroidery
All three give you a raised mark and they are not interchangeable. This is the table we would talk you through on a call.
| Method | How it is made | Relief | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puff print | Heat-reactive additive in plastisol, one pass through a low mesh | 1 – 8 mm | Bold lettering and thick shapes on cotton hoodies and tees. Softest cost per piece of the three. |
| High-density print | Flat ink built up over many passes, edges left square | 1 – 4 mm | Sharp, sculptural marks where the edge has to stay crisp. Slower and dearer for the same coverage. |
| 3D puff embroidery | Foam laid under the stitching, then stitched over and trimmed | 2 – 4 mm | Small, crisp marks — caps, left chest, thick block letters. Works on fabrics puff cannot take. |
| Flat screen print | Single ink layer, no additive | None | Fine detail, gradients and multi-colour artwork. Keeps 100% of the detail in your file. |
These get mixed on the same garment more often than not — a puff outline around a flat fill, or a puff chest print with an embroidered sleeve mark. Tell us the look and we will tell you which method carries it.
A factory, not a print shop
Garment and Print Under One Roof
Fabric, cutting, stitching, screens and curing all happen in the same building in Sialkot. Nothing is brokered out, so a bead that sits too low is a walk across the floor rather than a week of emails.
Puff screen printing
Additive blended into plastisol, printed through a low mesh in a single pass.
- Matte or gloss finish
- Puff outline over flat fill
- Oversized and hem-to-hem placements
Printed before assembly
Because we cut and sew, panels can be printed flat before the garment is closed.
- Prints that cross a seam
- Sleeve and hood placements
- No blank-size ceiling
Cure and wash testing
Under-curing is what makes puff crack. Every run is probed, then washed.
- Temperature probed per run
- Stretch and wash check
- QC photos before dispatch
Mixed decoration
Puff rarely travels alone on a finished garment.
- Embroidery and 3D foam
- DTG and flat screen print
- Rhinestone and appliqué
Private label puff printing
Brands ship these under their own name. Custom woven neck labels, hangtags, size tags and polybags, folded and packed per SKU. Your artwork, screens and patterns stay yours.
Artwork to delivery
How a Puff Job Runs
Artwork check & mockup
We flag hairlines and tight counters before a screen exists, then send a mockup.
24–48 hours
Sample
One sewn, printed piece so you can judge the bead and the hand feel yourself.
1 pc · 7–10 working days
Production
Same screens, same ink ratio, same dryer settings as the piece you approved.
14–25 working days
QC & dispatch
Wash-tested, photographed and packed before the balance falls due.
4–6 days in transit
Bulk runs of 50 to 300 pieces take 14 to 18 days, and 500 to 1,000+ take 20 to 25. Samples are paid in advance; bulk runs on a 50% deposit with the balance due against QC photos and video. Price breaks fall at 100, 300, 500 and 1,000+ pieces.
What it costs
What Moves the Price on a Puff Job
Puff is priced like screen printing, not like a garment. Every quote is built from the same six things, so you can see in advance which decision costs you money and which one is free.
| What changes the price | Why | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Ink colours | Each colour is a separate screen and a separate pass | Adds per colour |
| Print locations | Chest, back, sleeve and hood are each set up and printed separately | Adds per location |
| Quantity | Setup is spread across the run | Breaks at 100 · 300 · 500 · 1,000+ |
| Garment and GSM | A 450 GSM heavyweight fleece costs more to make than a 180 GSM tee | Biggest single line |
| Finishing | Woven labels, hangtags, size tags, polybagging per SKU | Adds per piece |
| Freight | Express courier against air or sea freight on larger runs | Falls per piece as volume rises |
What does not change the price: the size of the design, how complicated the shape is, or which sizes you split the run across. Samples are paid in advance; bulk runs on a 50% deposit with the balance due against QC photos and video before dispatch.
Who we print for
Brands, Dealers and Merch Teams
- Streetwear labels building a drop around one raised graphic
- Gym and fitness brands putting a wordmark on heavyweight fleece
- Music and event merch that has to look worth the tour price
- Agencies and merch platforms buying under private label
- Universities, clubs and societies ordering by the squad
- E-commerce brands testing a run of twenty before scaling
- Corporate and staff kit that needs to beat a flat left-chest logo
- Uniform and promotional dealers sourcing decoration abroad
Answers up front
Custom Puff Print FAQ
What is custom puff print?
Custom puff print is screen printing with a heat-reactive additive mixed into plastisol ink. The design is printed through a low-mesh screen and, as it cures at around 160 °C, the additive expands and lifts the ink off the fabric into a raised, rounded bead. It gives the dimensional look of high-density printing in a single pass rather than several.
What is the minimum order for puff printing?
One piece for a sample, and 20 pieces per design and colourway for production, mixed freely across sizes from youth small to adult 4XL. Because we manufacture the garment as well as print it, that 20 covers a genuine first drop rather than a test print on someone else’s blank.
How much does custom puff printing cost?
It is quoted like screen printing: the number of ink colours, the number of print locations and the quantity, on top of the garment itself. The size of the design and how complex the shape is make no difference, and neither does splitting the run across sizes. Price breaks fall at 100, 300, 500 and 1,000+ pieces, and the garment weight is usually the biggest line on the quote. Send the artwork and the quantity and you will have a costed mockup in 24 to 48 hours.
What fabrics work best with puff print?
Cotton, and the heavier the better. Brushed fleece at 320 to 450 GSM and heavyweight cotton tees at 180 to 280 GSM give the cleanest, tallest bead. High-cotton blends work well. Polyester and poly-spandex are limited by dye migration and cure temperature, and heat-sensitive synthetics like nylon are not suitable at all.
How high does puff ink rise?
Between roughly 1 mm and 8 mm, set by the additive ratio, the mesh count and how long the print dwells in the dryer. Around 3 to 4 mm is the streetwear standard. Higher relief reads better from a distance but rounds the edges of the artwork noticeably, so it suits thick lettering and bold shapes rather than detail.
Can you match a Pantone colour with puff ink?
Close, but not exactly. The additive dilutes the pigment as the ink expands, so expect a 3 to 5% shift in tone against a flat print of the same mix, and a true jet black is not achievable. We match as closely as the additive allows and print production against the sample you approved. If a colour has to be exact, we print that element flat and puff the rest.
Does puff print crack or peel in the wash?
Not when it is cured properly — cracking is almost always an under-cured print. We probe dryer temperature on every run and wash-test before dispatch. Tell your customers to wash the garment inside out, cold, and to keep an iron off the print; on that routine a puff print outlasts the garment.
Puff print, high-density or 3D puff embroidery — which should I choose?
Puff gives a soft, rounded relief in one pass and is the cheapest of the three. High-density builds sharp, sculptural edges over many passes and costs more for the same coverage. 3D puff embroidery pads foam under stitching and suits small, crisp marks like caps and left-chest logos. Bold lettering across a hoodie is a puff job.
Can you print puff on garments you manufacture yourselves?
That is the normal route here. We cut and sew the hoodie or tee to your pattern and print it in the same building, which means placements that cross seams, hem-to-hem graphics and prints that are not limited by the size of a bought-in blank. Private label neck labels, hangtags and packing are done in-house too.
How long does it take and where do you ship?
A mockup comes back in 24 to 48 hours and a printed sample in 7 to 10 working days. Bulk runs 14 to 18 working days for 50 to 300 pieces and 20 to 25 for 500 to 1,000+, plus 4 to 6 days in express transit. We manufacture in Tibba Jalian, Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan and ship to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Europe and Australia.
Start here
Send the Artwork. Get a Mockup Back Tomorrow.
We will tell you what the puff will do to your file before you pay for anything. One printed sample in 7–10 working days, production from 20 pieces.