James23465

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T-Shirt Printing Methods
Updated 2021
Customised t-shirts give hype to your style
because they define your personality somehow.
Has the thought ever crossed your mind about what
makes exactly perfectly printed t-shirts? No
doubt, printed t-shirts look cool, but what makes
them so is the right t-shirt printing methods.
So, if you want to learn about how to print
t-shirts like a pro, here are a few t-shirt
printing techniques that will help you out in the
t-shirt printing process.
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The design speaks for itself when you see the
results with seamless designs and lots of
colours merged together in perfection. If you
want to learn about how to print t-shirts like a
pro, here are different types of t-shirt printing
methods that will help you out in the printing
process.
Direct to Garment Printing Direct to garment
printing is among the fastest-growing t-shirt
printing methods, mainly because it is easy to
use. It works similar to a paper printer with the
only difference that the print is on fabric.
This one is perfect if you are thinking of
printing photos on t-shirts because the inkjet
technology it uses can print complex designs
without any colour restrictions.
DTG printing process DTG is the best printing
method for printing logos on a shirt as there is
no limit to the choice of colours. To print your
t-shirts with the DTG method, connect the DTG
printer to your computer. After that, choose a
graphic design or image, and the printer will
directly
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print it on the t-shirt. Make sure to adjust the
colour scale and range to get accurate
results. Pros Cons of DTG printing DTG
printing gives a soft feel on the fabric because
the ink is very thin. There is no limitation of
colours, as there is with some other printing
methods, but you can use any image, pattern, and
graphic to print in more than 100 colours, and
the result will still be remarkable. The only
disadvantage of DTG is that the print may fade
away after you wash it several times. To prevent
this, you can turn the print side of the t-shirt
inside before washing. Screen Printing Screen
printing is also known as silk screen printing.
It uses nylon mesh screens to apply ink on the
fabric. Professionals prefer this method for bulk
orders because it is durable and affordable.
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Screen Printing process In t-shirt screen
printing, take mesh screens and stretch them onto
wooden frames. Hold the frame with the mesh
screens while a water-proof blockage covers the
negative space that you wish to design. Spread
the colour on the screen. Once the ink has been
spread, the negative space will print the design
on the fabric. Other types of screen printing
are puff print technique, glitter finish, or glow
in the dark finish.
Pros Cons of screen printing Since screen
printing ink is thicker, it creates vibrant
designs that last longer. It is also a
pocket-friendly option because it prints simple
designs with fewer colours. A disadvantage is
that you may not get the ideal results by trying
to print a complex design in this method because
it uses one colour per screen. Dye Sublimation
Dye sublimation is an amazing option to choose if
you have light fabrics, such as polyester,
cotton blend fabric, or pre-treated ones, but
with unpredictable results. However, it gives
the finest results on polyester because it turns
solidified inks into gas vapours to retain the
softness of the fabric. It is easy, but you need
to have extensive knowledge about printing
photos on t shirts with dye sublimation.
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Dye-sublimation printing process The t-shirt
printing equipment you need to design dye
sublimation shirts is sublimation printer, heat
press, inks, and release paper. With the
combination of heat and pressure, special dyes
rollers transfer the design onto the fabric
before the sublimation ink has a chance to
melt. Pros Cons of sublimation printing To
print larger designs on light fabrics, this one
is the perfect match because it uses inkjet
transfer technique and a unique vaporising
technique to give perfection. The print design
you get with dye sublimation is clear, crisp and
the colours will almost never fade as the fibres
of the printed fabric absorbs the colour. A
drawback of dye sublimation is that it only gives
the desired results on polyester fabric because
the sublimation procedure only bonds with
polyester fabric. It will not work on cotton
t-shirts.
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Vinyl Heat Transfers Vinyl transfers is another
method that is growing in demand because of the
matchless finishing it offers. This technique is
similar to that of the heat transfer printing
process because it imprints the design on the
fabric with heat and pressure. You can also use
it as one of the best alternatives to screen
printing for better results in multi-colour
designs.
Vinyl heat transfers process If you are thinking
about how to print something on a shirt with
vinyl heat transfers, it is simple. Get the
equipment including a heat press, heat-resisting
sheets, computer, printer, inks, vinyl cutter,
and vinyl transfer paper. Select a graphic image
on your computer and print it onto the vinyl
heat transfer paper. Heat up the heat press and
adjust the pressure depending on the thickness of
the fabric. Place your tshirt face-up on the
heat press plate and press it shut. After that,
remove the vinyl sheet.
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Pros Cons of vinyl heat transfers The vinyl
heat transfers ensure durability because the
design is merged within the fabric through heat.
The colours last longer no matter how many times
you wash it. The drawback is that this method is
time-taking because of the many steps you have to
follow. Laser Transfers
Laser transfers are the ideal solution for anyone
who is looking for the perfect representation of
every colour in a single printed image. This
process requires high-quality laser printers to
transfer design images on to the fabric. Laser
transfers process For laser transfer, use a
laser printer, heat press, and heat transfer
papers to bring out the exact resolution of the
image as shown on your computer screen. Select an
image or design and customise it with according
to the requirements. Send the file to the laser
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printer where it will transfer the media on the
transfer sheet. Use heat to imprint the image on
the fabric. Pros Cons of laser
transfers Laser transfers are perfect for
printing digital images on tshirts because the
laser printers mostly follow a CMYK colour
printing technique. You can get similar results
on darker coloured t-shirts if your laser
printer has a white-toner. An issue with this
technique is that the process involves heating.,
If a tshirt cannot handle excessive heat, you
cannot print on it. Digital Full Colour
Transfer For a modern way to print your
T-shirts, you can switch to the digital transfers
or digital full-colour transfer. This method is
comparatively less expensive as you wont have to
spend on a separate ink colour. The procedure
makes the design on the tshirt to become more
visible because of the vibrancy of the high
resolution colours
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Digital transfers process The technique of
digital full-colour transfer is pretty simple.
Select a design on your computer and transfer
the selected design onto a thin vinyl transfer
paper. Cut out the design such as the inner
parts of the alphabets, for a finessed look. Now,
place the design on the fabric affix it with
the help of a heat press. Pros Cons of digital
transfers With digital full-colour transfer
printing, you have an unlimited range of colours
because the inks include CMYK toner and extended
colour gamut inks. This method works with
different fabric materials, including cotton,
polyester, and nylon.
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Single colour designs may not give you optimal
results because of the range of inks a digital
printer uses. Resist Dyeing Resist dyeing is a
traditional t-shirt printing method that is
popular to date. This is one of the most used
DIY t-shirt printing methods because you do not
need excessive machinery and set up for this
one. You can print intricate patterns and colours
on the fabric by using Tie and Dye and
Applied-Resist technique also called Batik.
Resist dyeing process If you are using the
tie-dye resist method, pinch certain areas of the
tshirt and tie them into a thread, so that
beautiful patterns will emerge after the dyeing
is complete. Try using different colours to
enhance the design by repeating the process with
one colour at a time. As for batik, apply wax or
paste on the areas you do not want to be coloured
during the dyeing operation.
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Pros Cons of resist dyeing You can never run
short of variety while resist-dyeing your t-shirt
because you get a different design with every
dye. Keep switching the areas tied or covered
with wax to end up with unique designs every
time. You cannot get a specific design or image
by printing your t-shirts with this method
because it is more pattern-specific. Conclusion
Even after the emergence of technologically
advanced printing methods, some traditional ways
are still alive. This is only due to the fact
that every technique fulfils different needs.
Some are extremely durable with the colour
quality while others are easy for bulk orders
and are inexpensive. To choose which t-shirt
printing methods are good for you, make sure you
list down your requirements and budget,
beforehand. What is the best t-shirt printing
method? Every printing technique is unique due
to its distinctive style and result. DTG is the
most durable and direct way to print any design
on a t-shirt. On the other hand, screen printing
is widely used for bulk orders. Similarly, dye
sublimation offers premium quality with its
special colour vaporising technique. Can I use a
regular printer for heat transfer paper? It is
preferable to use inkjet or laser printers as
they work best with heat transfer papers. The
regular printer may not provide the exact result
of the image resolution when printed on
fabric. What type of paper is used for t-shirt
printing? Transfer papers are mostly used for
transferring images to the fabric of t-shirts to
get a lively and pulsating effect. Vinyl sheets,
sublimation sheets, dark sheets, and light sheets
are also a popular type of fabric printing
papers.
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