Knowledge About Some Prints

*Screen Printing*

When you think of t-shirt printing, you probably think of screen printing. This is the traditional method of t-shirt printing, where each color in the design is separated out and burned onto a separate fine mesh screen. The ink is then transferred to the shirt through the screen. Teams, organizations and businesses often choose screen printing because it is extremely cost effective for printing large custom apparel orders.

How does it work?
The first thing we do is use graphics software to separate the colors in your logo or design. Then create mesh stencils (screens) for each color in the design (keep this in mind when ordering screen printing, as each color adds to the cost). To create the stencil, we first apply a layer of emulsion to the fine mesh screen. After drying, we “burn” the artwork onto the screen by exposing it to bright light. We now set up a screen for each color in the design and then used it as a stencil to print onto the product.

Now that we have the screen, we need the ink. Similar to what you would see at a paint store, each color in the design is mixed with ink. Screen printing allows for more precise color matching than other printing methods. The ink is placed on a suitable screen, and then we scrape the ink onto the shirt through the screen filament. The colors are layered on top of each other to create the final design. The final step is to run your shirt through a large dryer to “cure” the ink and prevent it from being washed out.

Why Choose Screen Printing?
Screen printing is the perfect printing method for large orders, unique products, prints that require vibrant or specialty inks, or colors that match specific Pantone values. Screen printing has fewer restrictions on what products and materials can be printed on. Fast run times make it a very economical option for large orders. However, labor-intensive setups can make small production runs expensive.

*Digital Printing*

Digital printing involves printing a digital image directly onto a shirt or product. This is a relatively new technology that functions similarly to your home inkjet printer. Special CMYK inks are mixed to create the colors in your design. Where there is no limit to the number of colors in your design. This makes digital printing an excellent choice for printing photos and other complex artwork.

The cost per print is higher than traditional screen printing. However, by avoiding the high setup costs of screen printing, digital printing is more cost effective for smaller orders (even a shirt).

How does it work?
The T-shirt is loaded into an oversized “inkjet” printer. A combination of white and CMYK ink is placed on the shirt to create the design. Once printed, the T-shirt is heated and cured to prevent the design from being washed out.

Digital printing is ideal for small batches, high detail and fast turnaround times.