Thanks to advanced technologies, you now have many T-shirt printing options. Still, the best T-shirt
printing method depends on the finish you want to achieve. Here, we discussed a few of the types to
help you out.
The best T-shirt printing technology will keep your customers coming. It’s also a great way to promote a
brand. Here are some of the common types:
Silkscreen printing
This method is the most popular among professional printers. It uses a nylon mesh and stencil. There’s
also a waterproof material that will secure the negative of the design you’re intending to print. After
that, the surface will be flooded with ink.
This is the most durable T-shirt printing method and best for high-quality shirt products. However, this
isn’t advisable for multi-colored and intricate designs. This is due to the fact that one nylon mesh can
only be poured with one color.
Heat press printing
For an economical choice, heat press printing is the best choice. It uses heat transfer vinyl to print the
impression of your design from the transfer paper. The heat will soon melt the dye on the design that
will soon attach to the shirt. This is almost similar to dye sublimation but with few prominent
differences.
This is excellent for very detailed designs. However, never use heat press printing on dark shirts since it
uses translucent dye.
Direct to Garments (DTG)
DTG is like your office printer. Instead of coming up with a design, the ink goes straight to the shirt. It
uses a DTG printer connected to a computer where you will control the equipment. With that, you can
work on very complicated designs, especially those that contain many colors and small details.
The only disadvantage here is that you may have a poor resolution if the machine encounters errors.
Also, the ink layer used here is thin and not advisable for dark shirt colors.
Dye sublimation
If you’re printing polyester shirts, dye sublimation printing will be a long lasting option. This is done with
the use of a printed design, a heat press printer, and a few sheets of craft paper. The design is pressed
on the shirt which will be placed under the heat press.
What happens is that the solid dye on printed design turns into gas. It then seeps through the tiny holes
on the fabric. The result is a clear and crisp shirt print.
Rubber printing on T-shirts
This method uses a rubber paste that will be cured with intense heat to stick to the fabric. The paste will be applied using a screen. After that, this will be hanged for 30 minutes and cured at 150C. Rubber printing is an advanced method which can be expensive for small-scale printing projects. Still, it’s applicable to all shirt color and fabric material.
The best T-shirt printing method should produce clear colors and long-lasting hold. This will ensure that the shirt will stay aesthetically pleasing even after multiple washes. The good thing here is that there are already various methods for every budget and skill level.