[breakaway]

My designs are going to be really bright on dark shirts and I want strong deep solid colors. What printing method and ink would you recommend is good?
It also needs to have staying power so it doesn't wash off quickly.

Thanks

 

[brent]

You can get bright colors on darks with plastisol, or with pigmented discharge, or sometimes with waterbased inks. Any of these cured properly will last forever.

 

[breakaway]

Is plastisol the kind of ink that feels like a layer of paint on top of the shirt?

 

[brent]

It generally is, yes, but there are ways to reduce the "hand" (the feeling of the ink on the shirt). It's essentially a layer of plastic on the shirt after it is cured.
I think pigmented discharge is the coolest way to get colors on darks, but it can be a pain in the butt to get the color you want.

 

[Solmu]

Is plastisol the kind of ink that feels like a layer of paint on top of the shirt?

Yes. But it's the easiest way to get "strong deep solid colors". Discharge plastisol wouldn't feel paint-like while still giving you the colours you want. It's probably the best option - either that or waterbased discharge.