Author: Rajiv Rai
Read Time: 5 min
Post Date: 25 January 2021
It doesn’t matter whether you’re starting a printing business, planning on selling custom shirts, or ordering custom shirts for your next trade show or event — you need to first understand the different t-shirt printing methods. There are many different t-shirt printing methods. Each of these have corresponding pros and cons. Knowing the differences of each t-shirt printing technique can help you maximize your budget and potential benefits. You need to determine the right printing method for your design, quantity, and fabric before looking for the best printing service to work with. Here are the ups and downs of different t-shirt printing techniques.
As the name suggests, t-shirt printing is the process of printing artwork on a shirt. The artwork or design may be illustrations, photographs, or text. In the business industry, t-shirt printing has become a popular marketing tool. Additionally, many people have turned to selling custom shirts as a source of income. The custom t-shirt printing market has shown tremendous growth all over the world. Experts predict that custom t-shirt printing’s market value in 2025 will be almost triple its market value in 2015.
Ordering and selling custom t-shirts has become popular partly due to the affordability of printing those ordering buy in bulk. A single custom-printed t-shirt may cost you around $15 to $30. However, if you order custom t-shirt printing in bulk, the shirt price can go down to just $5 to $10 per piece. Do take note, though, that t-shirt printing costs also largely depend on the simplicity of your design, preferred t-shirt printing method, and the type of fabric.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re starting a printing business, planning on selling custom shirts, or ordering custom shirts for your next trade show or event — you need to first understand the different t-shirt printing methods.
There are several t-shirt printing methods that are widely used today. These methods include dye sublimation, vinyl cutting, plastisol transfer, and computer-aided design (CAD) cut printing. However, there are three main t-shirt printing methods. These three methods are the ones business printers often use for bulk orders.
T-shirt screen printing, also occasionally referred to as silkscreen printing, is one of the oldest shirt (or fabric) printing methods. Early screen printing techniques in ancient China used silkscreens, though modern techniques can now be done using machines. Screen printing is still widely considered as the gold standard for t-shirt printing. T-shirt screen printing allows for exact design reproductions. Thus, it is widely used by professional printers, especially for bulk or mass orders. For this method, the printers make original screens of your design. The screens are made using a mesh, often made of nylon, and a stencil. Ink is then applied on to the screen’s negative space. There are different variations of the original t-shirt screen printing process, such as gel printing, puff printing technique, and crackle printing finish.
When looking for a commercial printer with superior print quality and customer service, PLC Print is what you need. PLC Print ensures that your chosen printing method will match well with your shirts’ intended use, target audience, and ideal turnaround time. Call us today and see how we can help you elevate your organization or business with our custom t-shirt printing.
Now that you have a better idea of how the three main t-shirt printing methods work, you can make more well-informed decisions. We make it easy for you to create custom-printed shirts for any occasion or event. Most importantly, PLC Print offers premium quality printing and other branded marketing tools to help you grow your businesses.
There are several t-shirt printing methods that are widely used today. These methods include dye sublimation, vinyl cutting, plastisol transfer, and computer-aided design (CAD) cut printing. However, there are three main t-shirt printing methods. These three methods are the ones business printers often use for bulk orders.
Heat transfer or heat press printing uses a heat press machine to basically melt your design onto the shirt. Designs are printed on vinyl transfer papers. Once your design is printed on the vinyl transfer paper, you can place it on top of the shirt. This printing method is popular among younger entrepreneurs since the materials and equipment are more cost-effective than other popular techniques. Casual print enthusiasts and beginners who want to try out heat transfer printing at home can use a household iron and vinyl transfer paper to produce similar results.
Direct-to-Garment, or DTG, is another highly popular printing method. DTG is also one of the newer printing techniques. If you want to print highly intricate designs, particularly those with small and thin details, then Direct-to-Garment is your best option. Using DTG, you print almost any kind of design you can think of! The method allows you to inject the dye or ink directly onto the fabric. This allows the ink to fully penetrate your fabric. In comparison, the ink when screen printing simply sits on top. DTG works almost the same way as your household printer. However, instead of regular ink and regular printing paper, you use special textile inks and cotton shirts
