Home Our Services - Canvas Printing - Personalized Gifts - Print And Packaging - Decals and Stickers - Banners, Posters, Signs - Events and Exhibitions - Vehicle Branding Blogs About Us Contact Us
OBL Print Shop - Best Printing Press in Dubai, UAE.

A Close Look At The Best T-Shirt Printing Methods In 2022

Home >> Blogs >> A Close Look At The Best T-Shirt Printing Methods In 2022

A Close Look At The Best T-Shirt Printing Methods In 2022

Whether you're beginning your own custom printing business in Printing Press in Dubai or simply want to sell custom t-shirts, you must understand the differences between the various t-shirt printing methods and procedures. Some printing procedures are more suitable for specific fabrics, while others may be better suited for a task based on volume. In addition, the amount of colors in the design you wish to print will influence the printing method you choose. Choosing a printing technique might be challenging with so many factors!

True, digital technology has revolutionized the world of t-shirt printing alternatives, and many new printing methods have developed, but traditional printing is still a viable option. Depending on what you or your client require, printing processes such as plastisol transfers that combine heat and pressure can also be a good option.

In any case, let's compare the different t-shirt printing procedures so you can get your ideas into t-shirts and sell them as quickly as possible.

1. Screen Printing.

One of the most well-known T-shirt printing methods include screen-printing. Since before you and I were born, humans have utilized screen printing. Screenprinting is now done by both machines and people. Let's look at what makes screenprinting so popular.

The screen printing inks that are utilized are a big part of the enchantment of screen printing. The inks used in screen printing are thicker than those used in other t-shirt printing procedures, allowing them to last longer and generate true-to-life brilliant colors. It is critical that you or your screen printer utilize high-quality inks. Low-quality inks may fade quickly and feel strange.

High-volume orders are best served by screenprinting. With a gallon of screen-printing ink, you may print anywhere from 200 to 500 t-shirts, depending on the size of the design, the ink quality, the pressure applied with the squeegee, the number of strokes, and the mesh count. All of these factors must be considered when determining how cost-effective screen printing is and why it is quite so popular with stakeholders in Printing Press in Dubai.

Advantages of Screen Printing:

i. Screen printing ink is deeply absorbed, resulting in vibrant and long-lasting hues.

ii. Once set up, you can quickly create hundreds of t-shirts with the same design.

iii. When you utilize the correct blend of inks and screens for the cloth you'll be working on, it'll work with almost any fabric.

Disadvantages of Screen Printing:

i. If you're going to do it yourself, keep in mind that screen-printing might be messy.

ii. Keep in mind that you'll be working with ink, so expect spills.

iii. To set up a proper screen-printing work area, you'll need a lot of space.

iv. It should be dust-free and dark to protect your screens and ink.

2. DTG (Direct-to-Garment) Printing:

DTG printing is an inkjet technology that allows you to print full-color, high-resolution photographs straight onto t-shirts. DTG Printing is best for designs or artwork that is too complicated for other printing techniques, such as screen printing, which is best for designs with few colors. DTG printing machines offer a lot of color mixing capability, thus they can print even the smallest details.

Your best choice for printing a few units (1-5) t-shirts is DTG because it is as simple as loading a blank shirt into the DTG Printing machine and printing directly on it, whereas screen printing requires you to go through a multi-step, back-breaking process to print your t-shirt.

Advantages of DTG printing:

i. Print as many colors as you like with DTG printing. Colors aren't limited, yay!

ii. In comparison to screen printing, setup times are short. In less than 30 minutes, you may have a T-shirt produced.

iii. DTG printing machines aren't as large as traditional printing equipment, which gives your company greater mobility.

iv. Ink cartridges aren't as messy as screen printing inks.

v. Because DTG printing machines inject ink directly into the fabric, you won't be able to feel the 'print' when you touch it.

Disadvantages of DTG printing:

i. DTG Printers are best used on 100% cotton t-shirts (or fabrics with high amounts of cotton on them). The print will be more vibrant if the t-shirt is made of more cotton.

ii. Colors fade with time.

iii. Artwork placement is limited.

iv. DTG machines are very expensive.

v. Maintenance is necessary for your DTG printing machine.

3. Heat Transfer Printing.

In a nutshell, Heat Transfer Printing entails laying sheets of transfer material on top of clothing and heat pressing them to permanently attach bespoke graphics to the garments.

First, using solvent ink, the desired graphic is digitally printed on special heat transfer paper. When pressed using a heat press machine, this type of ink transfers the design from the paper to the t-shirt.

When compared to other technologies, heat transfer printing works on a variety of materials and fabrics, makes little mess, and requires less upkeep.

There are a variety of heat transfer printing procedures, which can be confusing, but don't worry, whichever company you commission your printing needs with in Printing Press in Dubai will explain them all for you.

4. Dye-Sublimation Printing:

Dye-Sublimation One of the most common types of heat transfer printing is printing. Digitally printed designs are heated to transfer the dye onto t-shirts.

Dye-sublimation printing, unlike other heat transfer printing methods, uses dye-based ink that transforms into a gas when heated. Dye-based inks change state from solid to gas and back. Because the gas joins the polyester, it becomes a part of the fabric rather than a layer on top.

For all-over printing, sublimation is a particularly popular method. Dye-sublimation printing has an allover print effect that neither screenprinting nor DTG printing can duplicate. Designers may fully express themselves and make one-of-a-kind t-shirts by using all-over print t-shirts.

Advantages of Dye-Sublimation Printing:

i. The ink becomes a part of the t-shirt fabric, allowing the print to last a long time.

ii. It is airy and feels nice to the touch.

iii. The prints will not fade, break, peel, or degrade over time.

Disadvantages of Dye-Sublimation Printing:

I. Undyed folds and creases, such as the area under the sleeves.

ii. Only polyblend t-shirts are compatible. T-shirts with more polyester will have more bright colors.

iii. Printing with dye-sublimation is cost prohibitive.

5. Plastisol Transfer Printing.

Plastisol Transfer Printing is similar to screenprinting in that the artwork is ink-jet printed on plastisol transfer paper before being heat pressed onto the shirt.

As you may have guessed, this method of custom t-shirt printing allows us t-shirtpreneurs to outsource a portion of our business if we so choose. You can send your ideas to companies who will print them on high-quality plastisol transfer paper and transport them to you. After receiving them, you can use a heat press to attach the designs to t-shirts.

Advantages of Plastisol Transfer Printing:

i. The quality is comparable to screen printing.

ii. You can fit numerous patterns on a single transfer paper, then cut and print them individually.

iii. There are no spills.

iv. T-shirt designs can be tested using this method. It makes sensible to switch to screenprinting once a design has begun to sell.

v. Allows for a multitude of positions on the t-shirt, making it ideal for both full-color and limited-color projects.

Disadvantages of Plastisol Transfer Printing:

i. If transfers aren't created properly, they'll crack and wash off quickly.

ii. and suppliers may require minimum orders. It may take a few passes to figure out the proper amount of pressure/temperature for this new technique, so I recommend ordering several prints to do some testing first. If not, contact your provider and, if they are good, they should be able to assist you.

iii. Large-scale runs are both costly and time-consuming.

6. Computer Aided Design (CAD)-cut Printing.

Another method of heat transferring designs onto t-shirts is CAD-Cut Printing (Computer-Aided Design). This t-shirt printing method is most commonly used for printing numbers, names, and logos onto CAD-Cut vinyl and then heat pressing them onto sports t-shirts or jerseys.

Simply put, this process entails cutting out designs and letters on colored vinyl using a machine. Each vinyl is then transferred to the t-shirt using a heat press.

CAD-Cut vinyl is perfect for garment printing in 1-3 colors in small quantities, such as a football team's order.

The advantages of CAD-Cut Heat Transfer Vinyl Printing include:

i. A long lifespan and the ability to print tiny quantities.

ii. Vinyl may be applied to any part of the t-shirt with relative ease.

iii. The vinyl can be used on a variety of materials.

Disadvantages of CAD-Cut Heat Transfer Vinyl Printing:

i. Cutting and weeding the vinyl takes a lengthy time.

ii. Vinyl printing cannot match Pantone colors.

iii. It's only good for simple visuals with basic forms, such as text-based designs.

In Conclusion:

If you have read this article; the chances are that you like T-shirts too. They're cool, comfortable and usually not too expensive. These are probably some of the reasons they're so popular projects amongst companies in Printing Press in Dubai. Making them takes a lot of skills and understanding of the various methods that can be used to make the best kind possible.

If you're thinking of printing t-shirts, it is hoped that this article has provided you with relevant insights on which method is best with the different kind of t-shirts fabrics and how they can be used effectively.

  May 07, 2022       by Ashir       160 Views

Share This Post :

Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
WhatsApp
Pinterest
call
whatsapp