Prints rarely fail because of the printing. They fail because of the washing, and almost always through the same handful of mistakes.
Inside out, every time
The print never touches the drum, other garments, or zips. This single habit does more than everything else combined. It takes two seconds and most people skip it.
30°C, not 40°C
Heat is what breaks down the bond between ink and fibre. Modern detergents are formulated to work at 30°C, so you lose nothing in cleaning power. You also cut energy use, which matters when the machine runs several times a week.
Skip the fabric conditioner
This is the one that surprises people. Conditioner works by coating fibres with a thin waxy layer. On a printed area that layer dulls the colours and, over time, stiffens the print. The garment feels softer and looks progressively worse.
If you want softness, a short extra rinse does more than conditioner and leaves nothing behind.
Do not tumble dry
Tumble drying is the fastest way to crack a print. Heat plus mechanical tumbling is exactly the combination that separates ink from fabric. It also causes most of the shrinkage people blame on the manufacturer.
Hang it up. A hoodie takes a day to air dry, longer if the hood is double-layered — hang it upside down by the hem so the hood is at the top and dries first.
Ironing
Never directly on the print. If you must, turn it inside out and iron the reverse, or put a cloth between iron and garment. A hot iron on a print takes seconds to ruin it permanently.
Washing frequency
Hoodies do not need washing after every wear. Airing overnight handles most of what a wash would, and every wash cycle you skip is one the print does not have to survive.
Our garments
Everything in the hoodie range is printed direct-to-garment, which holds up well to washing when treated as above. The same applies to the t-shirt range — see the t-shirt care guide for the lighter-fabric version, and why printed shirts fade for what is actually happening at fibre level.
Further reading: Which?: Washing machines