Different Methods in T-Shirt Printing There are lots of t shirt printing methods out in the market and some of the companies only use the most common of them: the screen printing method. Some others are the heat transfer method, the digital or DTG method and the vinyl method. Of course there can never be a perfect technique which can cover each and every.
Each method can be used to make printed tops, printed shirts, printed hoodies or printed sweatshirts. Each method can be used for big, bulk orders such as orders for promotional clothing or company work wear. But make no mistake. Although each method can be used for any of these choices, these methods are not the same. Each method has its own pros and cons. Each can give you more of something and give you less of something.
There are certain niches to which each method is best used upon. This article discusses the some of the positive points and some of the negative points of the screen printing method, the heat transfer method, the digital or DTG method and the vinyl method. So if you are starting a t shirt printing business or you want to have a t shirt or some t shirts printed out or if you are just plan curious, then read on.
T shirt Printing Methods
There are several types of strategies. As we have said earlier, there are several pros and cons for each method. And we shall discuss them now; up first is the screen printing.
Screen printing, is probably the most common method available for t shirts. The prints that it produces are very durable and long lasting. This type of printing assures very high quality prints and is the most economical in terms of price to quality ratios. But of course, there are some flaws to it. The screen printing method is highly limited when it comes to color options. It is also very limited when it comes to the sizes of the graphics and is very tedious to set up. Therefore most businesses require a minimum order to get the process going.
Heat transfer is another method popular today. The heat transfer method boasts of full color prints which have photo-like finishes to them. The heat transfer method also allows easy customization of the design prints. Now these sound great! But heat transfer prints are of less quality as compared to prints made from screen printing. Also, the prints crack and wash out after an average of 25 washes. This type is best for small orders.
Then there is the DTG method or the Direct to Garment method. This method is much easier to do because there are fewer steps involved and the setup process is very quick. The print designs on this method are also very easy to customize. The problem with this type of method is that the shirt becomes the brightest aspect of the graphic design. Because of this, good prints are hard to make on dark colored shirts. Then there is the vinyl printing method. Vinyl printing is good for a really small run. But real, long runs do not suit this t shirt printing method because it would not be practical. It also has limited detail.
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