Print Locker gives customers the option to choose betweenscreen printing and digital printing when it comes to the printing of bespokedesigns for t-shirts and other products. Every method of printing has itsadvantages, but how can you choose which of these processes would bestaccommodate your requirements, remain within your financial constraints, andproduce the outcomes you seek?
When determining which option is best for your design, ourstaff will consult with you on all of these considerations. Here is acomparison between digital printing and screen printing to help you make aninformed decision before you start designing your t-shirt.
What Sets Off-Screen Printing Apart from Digital Printingproducts with digital printing is comparable to printing with a high-qualityinkjet printer. Your design will be submitted to a computer, which will printit out on the products directly afterward. In the meanwhile, screen printingrequires the creation of unique templates (screens). The far more recent methodknown as digital printing is one in which your artwork is processed on acomputer and then printed directly onto the surface of the product in question.
Because the ink clings directly to the fabric of thegarment, digital printing is not the same as heat transfer or appliquéprinting. When determining the printing technique to utilize for your design,our design team will take into account each printing process's strengths beforemaking a final decision. Screen printing is a tried-and-true method thatinvolves forcing ink made of plastic through a mesh screen and onto thegarment. It is the way of printing that is the most flexible and widely used.
The newest method of spraying ink onto garments is calleddirect-to-garment (DTG). Printing may be accomplished in the shortest amount oftime and with the least amount of effort using this method, which isparticularly helpful for designs that contain a large number of differentcolors. Your design will be printed directly onto the garment using CMYK inksthat are water-based if you choose to go the route of digital printing.Because, similar to inkjet printers, this method enables the printing of millionsof colors, it is an excellent option for producing full-color photographs.
Screen printing requires a minimum order of 12 items becauseof the substantial preparation time involved. On the other hand, digitalprinting enables us to offer customized t-shirts without the need to adhere toany minimum order requirements. For instance, if the artist pulls the meshscreen a fraction tighter on the frame for the first print and a fractionlooser for the second print, he may find some inaccuracies in the accuracy ofthe screen printing designs.
This can be avoided by pulling the mesh screen a fractiontighter on the frame for the first print and a fraction looser for the secondprint. Because of this, digital printing is your best option if you want toprint that breathtaking picture of a mountain range that you captured lastsummer on a t-shirt. Both screen printing and digital printing are capable ofproducing stunning prints, but there are situations in which one technique ispreferable to the other.
Uniformity in screen printing is possible, but only if thework is set up precisely and each element is printed in the same manner as theothers. A direct-to-garment (DTG) machine is essentially a huge inkjet printer,very much like the one you have in your home office, except it is designed toprint on t-shirts and other clothing rather than paper.
Because direct-to-garment (DTG) printers can printresolutions of 1200 dpi and use diffusion screening, the dots in the printedimage are not visible to the human eye. Screen printing is a time-consumingprocess that can be replaced with the more efficient digital printing method,which can be used for virtually any purpose, allows for easy personalization,and is more convenient.
The greatest time to employ designs created using screenprinting is when you want to make a large order of the same design. This isbecause the printer can reuse color screens over and over again without havingto reconfigure production. Since the late 1990s, people have been practicing theart of screen printing, and just like any other field that grows in popularityover time, the printing sector is not immune to the effects of innovation.
Screen printing a large quantity of the same design in bulkwill result in lower costs than printing the same amount of shirts digitally.Screen printing allows for the creation of intricate designs by stackingmultiple colors, however, the preparation for intricate screen printing takes alot of time and effort.
Screen printing uses Plastisol inks and water-based inks,which are the brightest colors available. Digital printing, on the other hand,is limited by the CMYK color gamut. Color Vibrancy DTG printing also results inprints that are lighter, softer, more flexible, and more breathable; therefore,you should choose DTG if you value comfort more than long-lasting designs. Whenprinting on dark shirts or for unusual products, screen printing is the methodof choice since it produces the most vibrant and eye-catching results.
When it comes to admiration from the public, no one can getenough of the winner. The use of a screen to create an image is, and always hasbeen, quite popular. Ink brightness, durability, and cost are the three mostimportant qualities that customers look for in a bespoke t-shirt, and these arethe areas in which this time-honored printing technique shines.
You may be wondering: why is one's level of popularity important?
It's usually a good idea to go with what's popular, whetheryou're getting shirts for your staff, as promotional goods, or especially forresale. This is the best approach to ensure that your employees and fans arepleased with the merchandise you provide. And when people think of T-shirts,they automatically think of screen-printed designs.
If direct-to-garment (DTG) printing technology continues toprogress and become more widespread, to the point where consumers are unable todistinguish between real and fake garments, then consumer demand may no longerbe relevant. Up to that point, the most used method of printing is screenprinting.
At Custom Ink, we are delighted to say that we stand behindevery printing method we use, every time. While we are actively working toenable more products for digital printing, you can rest certain that theproducts that are now available on the website have been put through extensivetesting and have been given the all-clear.
As printing perfectionists, we will not authorize productsfor any printing process if they do not produce the highest quality end productpossible. The printed artwork goes through the same process of being examinedand proofread by our seasoned artists regardless of whatever printing methodwas used.