Breathability

People often forget that if a decoration or logo covers the majority of a mask or the mouth-region of the mask, breathability is affected.  If it’s difficult to breathe in your mask, you wouldn’t want to wear it, right? This is why it’s important to take into consideration the placement of your decoration to allow for comfortable breathability while still providing protection.

1)     Remove any background color fills

While it’s not recommended to place a logo in the center of a mask, it is better to have it be an outlined logo than a full color filled logo to help prevent breathing difficulty.

2)     Off-center placement

Placing your logo on the left or right side of a mask is always the best bet for maximum breathability, especially if your logo must have a color fill.

Decorating Techniques

Two-ply face masks offer better protection than single ply and thinner options, however, these types of masks require a specific decorating technique that plays a large role in the decoration limitations. While being decorated, two-ply (and sometimes single-play) masks are held in place with a special clamping pallet, and because these clamping systems take up space, the whole area of the mask sometimes isn’t equally available for decoration. However, depending on the equipment being used, a larger decoration size may be achievable – so always ask us first!

Check out these general guidelines for ideal printing areas that account for clamping systems, hopping areas, and heat press platen sizes!