Do you know over 3 billion t-shirts are sold every year, and the majority of them are customized? The custom t-shirt printing can be dated back in the 1950s, where companies started using personalized t-shirts as a useful marketing tool. Cut to today; we can witness a huge transformation in this apparel printing industry. Many things have changed, and so have the techniques to print these custom t-shirts.
The transformation is definitely due to the demand for personalized t-shirts in the market. Whether a group of friends is heading for a trek, some old friends are planning a reunion, a yearly corporate event or a family reunion; they are sure to add one thing – printing custom t-shirts for all the participants. With the proliferation of technologies, printing methods have changed. The advanced printing methods have replaced traditional printing techniques.
While you are planning a big order of custom t-shirts for your friends, employees or family, you must know what the various t-shirt printing techniques are, and which one you should be picking for your planned order.
When we talk about bulk orders, there are two popular methods of garment printing:
- Digital Printing
- Screen Printing
Screen Printing is done with the help of a stencil. This stencil is made according to the design chosen and then used to complete an entire lot of t-shirts using different colours and gradients. The only cost involved in this type of printing method is the creation of the stencil. Once the stencil is ready, you can print any number of t-shirts without any extra charges. This is, by far, the most reliable and affordable printing method.
Digital printing is the latest technique, which is accomplished with the help of a computer. This technique is also known as DTG (Direct to Garment) printing. Here, the garment passes through a printer, and the design is printed within a fraction of a second. It works like how we print colourful documents; here, we replace the papers with a piece of cloth. As DTG is the latest printing technique, there are no limitations with respect to using any colour, graphic, or text. Use your creativity, and DTG will ensure that you get that printed on your piece of cloth.
The Decision between the two-
Each of the DTG and screen printing offers various advantages and disadvantages. Look at the features of both of them to take a call.
Screen Printing features:
- This printing technique uses a stencil onto the fabric; the ink does not soak in the fabric but stays on the top of it.
- When you wish to print an impactful logo on your company t-shirt, screen printing is the best method.
- You can create outstanding prints such as drawings, shapes, typography, and so on with the help of screen printing.
- Screen printing offers quality at a very reasonable price. This is the best method for bulk orders.
Digital Printing Features:
- Digital printing is suitable for small orders.
- One of the benefits of digital printing is that it can print more colours in one pass.
- With the help of digital printing, you can create any graphic as there are no limitations with respect to the use of colours, designs, and graphics.
- In digital printing, there are more dots per inch, and thus, the quality of the print is better.
- Digital printing is very convenient as there is no need for any stencil or any other tool. Just a system that is attached to a printer.
As stated, both the printing methods have their advantages and disadvantages. However, when you are looking forward to meeting the requirements of a big order, screen printing is the best method. In screen printing, the colours are laid down at a time, and for each different colour, there would be a separate screen. This is how processing bulk orders are convenient with screen printing. Screen printing offers a maximum print size of 32 inches, which is not possible with any other kind of printing technique.
Everything from the stencil to the ink is affordable in screen printing. That is why it is the most cost-effective method of garment printing. Further, the inks of screen printing are more opaque than the one used in digital printing. Hence, the prints of screen printing look more impactful.
Our Final Words
Screen printing is so far the most popular and the best method to print custom apparel today. We already gave you ample reasons for the same. Usually, companies process their t-shirt orders in bulk, and when the quantity is more, screen printing is the only effective technique to complete the request. The digital printing technology will fall short in delivering bulk orders on time, and it will be very costly.
Undoubtedly, the results of screen printing are unbeatable. You can get in touch with us for further queries.