Common T-SHIRT PRINTING METHODS

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Common T-SHIRT PRINTING METHODS
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Index

• T SHIRT PRINTING METHODS
• Screen printing
• Screen printing PROS and CONS
• DTG Printing
• DTG Printing PROS and CONS
• Sublimation Printing
• Sublimation Printing PROS and CONS

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• If you're starting your own custom printing
  business or only starting to sell custom
  t-shirts, you need to know the difference between
  the various methods / techniques of t-shirt
  printing.
• Some printing techniques are best suited for
  particular fabrics and at the same time,
  depending on the volume of the work, a certain
  printing technique may be better suited for a
  job.
• In addition, the printing process that you end up
  using would also be affected by how many colours
  you intend to print in the template.
• Choosing a printing technique gets hard with too
  many variables!

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T SHIRT PRINTING METHODS

• Screenprinting
• DTG Printing
• Heat Transfer Printing Techniques
• -Sublimation Printing
• -Heat Transfer Vinyl

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Screen-Printing

• Screen-Printing is the most well-known type of
  t-shirt printing methods.
• Since well before you and I were born, people
  used screen printing.
• Screenprinting is now performed by both computers
  and manual.
• Let's decipher what makes screen printing so
  popular.
• The screen printing inks used are a part of the
  magic of screen printing.
• Screen printing inks are thicker than the inks
  used in the other methods of t-shirt printing
  which allow them to last longer and produce vivid
  colours that are true to life.

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• Make sure you use high-quality inks, or your
  screen printer, this is so critical! Low-quality
  inks will fade away easily, and will also feel
  odd.
• Screen printing is better suited for larger
  orders. Depending on the size of the template,
  the consistency of the ink, how much squeegee
  pressure is applied, the number of strokes and
  the mesh count, you can print 200-500 t-shirts
  with a gallon of screen-printing ink anywhere,
  making it super-cost effective.
• Right, if you want to find out how cost-effective
  a screen printing is, these are all the variables
  to remember.

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Screen printing PROS

• Screen printing ink gets very deeply absorbed,
  giving you clear, vibrant colours and full
  longevity.
• When set up, hundreds of t-shirts of the same
  design can be created at blazing rapid pace.
• It is compatible with most fabrics by using the
  proper combination of inks and screens for the
  fabric on which you are going to work.

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Screen printing CONS

• If you're going to do it at home, you should
  remember this when screen printing, it gets
  messy. Bear in mind that you are going to deal
  with ink and there will be spillage.
• You need considerable space to set up a proper
  work area for screen printing.
• To help conserve screens and ink, the room you
  need should be dust-free and cool.
• Steep curve of learning.
• Minimal placement of artwork.

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DTG Printing

• DTG (Direct-to-Garment) Printing is an ink jet
  technique that can print photographic prints
  directly onto a t-shirt of very high quality,
  full-colour.
• DTG Printing is better suited for designs or
  artworks considered too complicated for other
  printing methods, such as, for example, screen
  printing, which is best suited for low-color
  designs.
• DTG printing machines have a huge potential for
  colour mixing which allows them to print even the
  smallest information.

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DTG Printing PROS

• Could print as many colors
• Compared to screen printing, set-up times are
  short. You will have a printed t-shirt in under
  30 minutes.
• DTG printing machines aren't that large, enabling
  your company to be more mobile.
• Ink cartridges shouldn't make a mess in your
  space compared to screen printing inks.
• Since DTG printing machines inject ink directly
  into the fabric, you won't feel the 'print' on
  the fabric when you touch it.

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DTG Printing CONS

• The best option for DTG Printers is to print only
  on 100 cotton t-shirts (or high-cotton fabrics
  on them).
• The more cotton the t-shirt has, the more
  colourful the print will become.
• Robots can be costly and insane.
• Over time, the colours begin to fade out.
• Minimal placement of artwork.
• Maintenance will be needed for your DTG printing
  machine.

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Sublimation Printing

• Sublimation Printing is one of the most common
  heat transfer printing variants.
• The way it works is by digitally printing
  graphics and then heating them onto t-shirts to
  move the dye.
• Dye-sublimation printing works with dye-based ink
  that transforms into a gas when heated, in
  contrast to the other heat transfer printing
  techniques.
• Heat, strain, and time cause dye-based inks to
  move from solid to gas, then back to solid.
• It's very unprecedented because the gas is
  entering the polyester, being part of the
  substance and not a layer on top.

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PROS Sublimation Printing

• The ink becomes part of the fabric of the t-shirt
  that makes the print last long.
• It feels smooth and breathable on the side.
• Prints are not going to fade, crack, peel or
  decay.

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CONS Sublimation Printing

• folds and creases may remain undyed.
• Fits only with polyblend-based t-shirts.
• Printing with dye-sublimation isn't inexpensive.