Pros and Cons of T‐Shirt Screen Printing
T-Shirt screen printing is one of two ways to put designs on shirts and other apparel. The other method is digital printing, also known as direct to garment, or DTG printing. The only way to make an informed decision between the two choices is to learn about the two processes and the advantages and disadvantages associated with both.
What is T-Shirt Screen Printing, Digital Printing?
Also known as silk screening, this process involves transferring an image to a shirt using a stencil and a mesh screen. Ink is forced through the screen – more commonly polyester rather than silk nowadays – which attaches to the shirt and forms the shape of the design for the shirt. A complex design with many different colors requires different stenciled screens for each color. With DTG, a specialized printing process uses water-based inks and heat to put the design on the shirt. Unlike screen printing, there is only one application no matter how many colors are involved.
Benefits of T-Shirt Screen Printing
- Better print quality. Generally speaking, experts say the ability of the ink to bond to the material of the shirt in the screen printing process results in a more durable and clear image than with DTG.
- Versatility. Screen printing generally works just as well on other apparel, such as hats, bags and jackets, as with T-shirts.
- Cheaper with big orders. There is generally a setup fees charged for screen printing to prepare the screens needed for the different colors in the shirt. However, the larger the order the less expensive the cost of screen printing. So far very large orders, you can usually save money relying on screen printing.
Disadvantages of T-Shirt Screen Printing
- More expensive with smaller orders. If you only want a dozen or fewer shirts, the additional cost to prepare the screens and ink for screen printing is usually more expensive than digital printing. It’s common for T-Shirt screen printing companies to charge a fee to prepare the screens and ink for the order.
- More equipment needed to startup. There is a lot of equipment needed for screen printing, including the inks, the screens, emulsion fluids and the T-shirts or whatever canvas will be used.
- Not as good with photo reproductions. Most experts say that DTG is the better process for reproducing photos because the digital reproduction is usually more like the original photo than the labor-intensive process involved with screen printing.