Whenever you think of starting working on custom t-shirts or looking to customize and sell t-shirts, you need to know the difference between different t-shirt printing methods available out in the market.
The customized printing will definitely be for different designs as per the taste and choice of the customer.
For those who are new to the term, there is one thing that to be taken care of is that some printing techniques are suitable for some specific fabric at a time along with the precise printing technique that might be best suited for a particular job.
The printing method you are going to use will get affected by the colors in the design you are going to print.
Now you have to decide which custom t shirts Toronto printing technique needs to be adopted or what type of t-shirt printing you are going to use.
Fortunately, digital technology has revamped the options for t-shirt printing and multiple new methods have emerged, giving tough competition to that typical printing method.
If you are a beginner, always take care that different printing methods have different efficiencies. What this means is that one method might be suitable for a less ordered t-shirt amount while it is a waste for bulk orders. The same case applies to the fabric type!
Different Type of Printing Methods
- Screen Printing
Screen printing is also known as silkscreen printing which is a well-known method for t-shirt printing over years. It is best recognized for the astonishing quality results when it comes to printing design into the fabric.
In the current era, screen printing can be done by both machines as well as hands. It works like magic because of the screen printing inks used. The inks are massive as compared to other printing methods inks which make them last longer and produce vibrant colors.
Pros
- The ink used in screen printing gets absorbed seriously and you will get the bright colors along with great endurance.
- Once the set-up gets completed, you can produce a bulk of t-shirts with similar designs and quick speed.
- Screen printing is compatible with most of the fabric when perfect inks and screens get used
Cons
- The problem with screen printing is that it gets messy when done at home. Working with ink can cause spills.
- Screen printing requires a proper work area for its set-up and the area should be dust-free
- It has limited artwork placement and a lofty learning curve
- Dye-Sublimation Printing
Dye-sublimation printing is one of the popular variations of heat transfer printing. Dye-sublimation works great when you have to print a t-shirt with a huge design over it.
Dye sublimation printing Toronto works great when you wish to print a large design on the fabric. How the process work is by dye-sublimation ink that gets transformed into gas when heated.
The process includes heat, pressure, and time which make the dye-based get transformed from solid to gas and then back into solid.
This method serves well for light fabric when you have a specific requirement of printing a big design. Dye-sublimation is the perfect technique for the all-over printing design.
The set-up process of dye-sublimation is quite pricey, but the end design will be clear and has a high resolution. Use dye sublimation process for polyester fabric t-shirts. It makes the customers happy and satisfied!
Pros
- The ink in dye sublimating printing becomes part of the t-shirt fabric, resulting in the long life of printing
- Soft on hand and is breathable
- The print will not get faded, cracked, or peeled off
Cons
- In dye-sublimation, some of the specific areas like the area under the sleeve will remain undyed
- The process works great with polyblend-based t-shirts. The colors will be more vibrant on polyester fabrics.
- The procedure is not economic
- DTG Printing
This process is an inkjet technology that delivers high-quality, colorful, and photographic prints directly into a t-shirt.
It works the same as printing paper in the office, and what you need are ink and a textile printer. It suits best for designs or artwork that seem complicated for other printing techniques.
Pros
- You can print as many colors as you wish for as there are no limitations
- The printing set-up time is low when compared to other printing methods. You can have a t-shirt printing in very little time
- The machines of DTG printing are not that big, which allows more flexibility for business
- Unlike other screen printing ink, DTG ink doesn’t create a mess
Cons
- It has limited artwork placement
- The DTG machine requires maintenance for proper functioning
- The colors get washed over a period of time
- The machines are quite costly
- The technique works better on cotton stuff
