A good printed shirt is an investment, and the fastest way to ruin one is the wash. Faded colours, a cracked print, a collar that's lost its shape — almost all of it is avoidable. As the London team who design and make these shirts, we get asked about care constantly, so here is the method we actually recommend.
The short version: wash cool, wash gently, and never tumble-dry a print. The longer version keeps your shirts looking new for years.
Why printed shirts fade (and how to stop it)
Three things fade a print: heat, agitation and harsh detergent. Hot water and tumble-drying loosen dye and stress the fibres; aggressive spinning rubs the printed surface against itself and everything else in the drum; and bleach or heavy “brightening” detergents strip colour. Control those three and a quality print stays vivid for a very long time.
How to wash a printed shirt, step by step
1. Turn it inside out. This puts the printed surface on the inside of the drum, away from friction. The single most effective habit you can build.
2. Fasten and separate. Do up the buttons, and wash with similar colours only — never with towels or anything abrasive.
3. Wash cool, on a gentle cycle. 30°C (or cooler) on a delicate or hand-wash setting. Cool water protects both colour and fibre.
4. Use a mild, colour-safe detergent. A gentle liquid detergent — ideally one for colours or delicates. Skip bleach, optical brighteners and fabric softener, which can dull a print over time.
5. Spin low. A lower spin speed means less agitation and fewer creases to iron out afterwards.
If you only remember one thing: turn it inside out and keep the heat off it. That alone prevents most of the fading we ever see.
Drying without wrecking the print
Air-dry, always. Reshape the damp shirt on a hanger and let it dry naturally. Avoid the tumble dryer — heat is the enemy of both print and fit. Dry away from direct, strong sunlight too, which can bleach colour over long exposure. Hanging while damp also does half your ironing for you.
Ironing and steaming a printed shirt
Iron printed shirts inside out, on a medium heat, and avoid pressing a hot plate directly onto the print — steam is gentler than a dry, hot iron. Our full method is in How to Iron a Shirt Properly. Away from home with no iron? Here are 7 fast, iron-free ways to get creases out.
A note on fabric
Most Claudio Lugli prints are on satin-weave cotton, which is part of why the colours look so deep — and why gentle care pays off. If you're curious how the weave affects both look and longevity, we cover it in What Is Satin-Weave Cotton?.
Storing shirts so they last
Hang structured and printed shirts on decent, shaped hangers rather than folding them tightly, which sets creases into the print. Give them room to breathe in the wardrobe, and keep them out of prolonged direct sunlight.
Printed shirt care: FAQs
What temperature should I wash a printed shirt at?
30°C or cooler, on a gentle or delicate cycle. Cool water protects both the colour and the fabric.
Can you tumble-dry a printed shirt?
It's best avoided. Tumble-drying uses heat and heavy agitation, the two things most likely to fade a print and affect the fit. Air-dry on a hanger instead.
Should you iron a printed shirt on the print?
No — iron inside out on a medium heat, or steam it. Pressing a hot plate directly onto a print can damage it over time.
Does fabric softener damage prints?
It can dull them over repeated washes. A mild, colour-safe detergent with no bleach or optical brighteners is the safer choice.
Look after them well and they'll last for years. Browse the full men's printed shirts collection.
