If you are looking for a high-impact way to advertise your business or event, apparel printing can be a great option. It can also be an ideal solution for smaller custom orders that are more budget-friendly than screen printing or embroidery.
Direct-to-Garment Printing
Unlike screen printing and embroidery, direct-to-garment prints are digitally printed directly onto the garment using a digital printer. This type of printing is fast, affordable and highly customizable.
How it Works
The process for direct-to-garment printing is very similar to the process used in home or office inkjet printers. The printers use water-based ink to print on the garment and then a heat press or textile conveyor dryer is used to cure the ink. This is a much more advanced printing process than screen printing or embroidery and it allows for higher-quality, vibrant colors, and it is also able to print a greater variety of colors.
Before you can start the direct-to-garment process, your artwork must be digitized and converted to a format that will work with the equipment at our facility. We accept both high-resolution raster images and vector graphics for this method of printing.
For your artwork to be effective with the DTG printer, it needs to be professionally digitized and properly edited. The file should be created at a minimum resolution of 150 dpi, and 300 dpi is recommended. Depending on the fabric of the garment, the colors may need to be shifted or adjusted to ensure a quality print. If you’re a large company or business, you may want to hire a professional printer to handle your orders. Alternatively, you can look for a reputable printing company that can take care of your needs.
Screen Printing
Screen printing is the most common and traditional way to print on apparel. The process involves using a mesh screen and a squeegee to apply ink to the surface of the garment. This process can be done by hand or on a press, and there are three types of presses: manual, semi-automatic, and automatic.
During the screen printing process, there are several variables that can affect how your design looks on the finished product: the screen tension, mesh size, ink viscosity, dot gain, flash dry temperature, and squeegee sharpness. All of these factors can vary between different brands, models, and even from one print to the next, so consistency is important in this process.
The key to ensuring your design looks great on a screen-printed garment is to make sure that your design has good contrast to the color of the fabric. For example, if you are using a light-colored shirt, the color of the ink must be darker to really pop off the garment.
DTG Printing
DTG (direct-to-garment) is a relatively new technology that was made available in the 1990s. It is a faster and more affordable way to print a wide range of colors on T-shirts and other garments.
It is a quick, low-cost and easy-to-use method of producing custom printed apparel and it works well on most cotton and cotton blend garments. However, it does have some limitations and it isn’t as durable as screen printing or embroidery.
DTG prints are a great choice for small or low-quantity custom apparel orders, as the cost is much lower than screen printing or embroidery. They are also extremely durable, especially if you follow the manufacturer’s care instructions. This includes washing them on a gentle cycle and not using bleach or fabric softeners to maintain their vibrancy and color intensity.