Various Printing Methods Used in T-shirt Printing

Whether you want to promote an exciting new brand or outfit your Instagram photo ops at a family reunion, there's always a good reason to print your custom t-shirt. You probably have a large collection of comfortable, versatile tees. Still, there's room for more, so why not make your own?

In this step-by-step t-shirt printing guide, we will review the ins and outs of t-shirt printing, including determining your quantity & budget, selecting a printing method and selecting the right fabric for garmentprinting We're here to help you print your new favourite shirt!

Set up design:

Without great design, you can't print a t-shirt. So make sure you have a model that tells your story suits your brand, or looks cool. Start by asking yourself what your shirt says about you or your brand. Who's the target group you're trying to attract? Take time to create a design that reflects your brand identity, whether it has an illustration, a logo, a slogan or a combination of all three.

Note, the design needs to work with whatever t-shirt colour you choose: a dark-coloured model won't show up on a dark blue or black t-shirt. So, if you decide you want to print on black t-shirts, use lighter colours and vice versa.

Isn't a prototype yet? Check out our ultimate t-shirt design guide to cover all you need to learn to design a t-shirt you'll love. You'll learn how to choose the right style, illustration, colours and typography, so you'll finish with the perfect t-shirt design.

Figure out your quality and budget:

Before entering the printing process too deeply, identify your estimated quantity and budget. As with any garmentprinting type, ordering large quantities will likely reduce costs per item. Ordering in bulk is smart, particularly if you sell the shirts.

Identify, besides quantity, what sizes you will need and how many of that. If you're printing merchandise shirts, note that some sizes are more common than others, but an inclusive range is always necessary. Based on your maker, certain measurements may be larger than others.

Also, setting your quantity and expenditure in stone is an essential step towards increasing your printing process.

Select your printing method:

When it comes to printing a T-shirt and choosing the right way, there will be variations in price, design, production time and materials. 3 common printing techniques cover these important details:

1.       Screen-Printing:

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

3.       Heat Transfer Printing:

·        Screen-Printing:

The popular and famous T-shirt screening method. We've used screen-printing for many years. Screen-printing can be manual or a computer. Screen-printing uses thick printing inks, and when used in T-shirts printing, they are durable and produce vibrant colours. Using low-quality ink will fade away, making the fabric look weird.

They are using screen-printing when orders are high. The pressure applied by the squeegee, the number of strokes and the mesh count printing anything from 200 to 500 shirts is a probability. Printing such a volume is highly possible if you have enough ink supply to make it cost-effective.

Pros of Screen Printing:

·         Screen-printing ink absorption rate goes deep into fabric, giving vivid and bright colours without compromising material durability.

·         When setting up, you can manufacture several T-shirts using the same layout at a faster rate. Screen-printing compatibility with different fabrics is not debatable if you use the right mix of inks and screens

Cons of Screen Printing:

·         Screen-printing is messy and carrying out the task at home means dealing with ink and many spillages

·         You need some space to have a proper screen-printing workspace

·         The workspace should be dust-free and done in the dark to help preserve screens and ink.

·        Direct-to-Garment (DTG) Printing:

Uses inkjet technology to print high-quality, full-colour, and T-shirt images. This method of printing is suitable for designs complex for other tshirtplus methods like screen printing. DTG has a large colour variation potential, making in-depth prints.

If you have a few shirts, DTG printing seems to be the best option due to its ease in loading blank shirts into the printing machine. By printing directly. Screen-printing involves several steps to interrupt the cycle before printing the T-shirt.

Pros of DTG Printing:

·         Print as many colour variations as possible without restrictions Setup time is low compared to screen printing.

·         You can print your T-shirt in less than half an hour

·         The printing machines aren't big enough to give more flexibility in the business Ink cartridges doesn't mess up your work area.

·         There's no feeling when you touch the fabric with a DTG print on it because it's directly injected into the fabric.

·        Cons of DTG Printing:

·         The best quality will only come out when using 100% cotton T-shirts or high-cotton fabrics.

·         DTG Printing machines can be expensive Colors can be washed out over time Limited in design placement Much maintenance is needed to ensure the machine runs

·        Heat Transfer Printing:

Put, heat transfer printing involves placing sheets of transfer material over the fabric to be pressed to mount a permanent custom design on a shirt.  Using some ink solvent, the desired design is digitally printed on special heat transfer paper. That specific ink helps the model to pass through a heat press machine from the paper to the T-shirt.

The good thing about the heat printing process is it will work on various materials and fabrics, leaving no mess. Compared to others, the machine needs minimal maintenance.