Wondering how to print shirts? You can easily transform a plain t-shirt to one that reflects your personality. The printing process can be altered to suit your needs, whether it is for personal or professional use.

Printing on shirts is done using a variety of techniques. These include screen printing, dye sublimation, heat press, and heat transferable Vinyl. These are the most common types of image printing on shirts. For small-scale printing, vinyl cutouts and heat transfers are great options. Other options include indirect screen-printing (also known as discharge printing), airbrushing, and indirect screens.

The designs that you choose to print will be influenced by your brand and the preferences of the clients. Choose the shirt printing technique that suits your target audience and business best.

How to Decide which T-shirt Printing Method is Best?

What is the best method to print tee shirts? There are many T-shirt printing techniques because they have different purposes. But if you want a quick response, screen printing is the best option (for large orders). However, if you’re looking for a more premium and durable finish, especially for custom designs, embroidery T-shirt printing in Auckland is also a popular and professional choice.

Each technique requires specific tools and materials. Some techniques require commercial-grade technology while others can be achieved with simple craft materials. Some printing processes may require a large initial investment.

It is important to remember that certain techniques prefer cotton or polyester over other types of fabric.

Some printing techniques can be used to print just one or a few shirts. Others require so much set-up time that it is better to print large quantities at once.

Here’s a summary of the different types of t-shirt printing!

Screen Printing

This is one of the easiest ways to create T-shirts. You’ll need nylon mesh and a stencil if you aren’t familiar with this technique.

The mesh will hold the stencil in position. In the empty spaces of the design, the ink is applied.

Ink is applied to a screen. The screen can then be used to transfer the ink onto the shirt at the right locations.

Screen printing is a great way to achieve high-quality, reliable results. Screen printing is likely responsible for the print on your favorite T-shirt.

This method is ideal for mass production. It’s a good choice for anyone who needs to produce large quantities of shirts quickly.

Screen printing is often thought to be limited to a few colours. You can create colorful and intricate screen prints, but it will require a great deal of technical knowledge, artwork separations and halftones.

Pros

  • Speed (4500+ pieces per hour) and versatility with different textiles.
  • Color schemes are available in a wide variety of colors for different effects
  • You can be profitable if you have large orders.

Cons

  • Long design preparation and customization processes
  • Inefficiency in the creation of intricate illustrations and realistic photographs
  • Multi-color illustrations: a difficult task
  • Small runs have low profitability
  • Restriction of where images can be placed.

Dye Sublimation Printing

To use dye Sublimation Printing, you will need a special type of dye. This liquid dries quickly when it touches the fabric.

The next step is to use heat and pressure in order to permanently transfer your design onto the shirt.

When heated, liquid starts to turn into gas and cloth begins to expand. The petrol penetrates into the newly created spaces within the fabric.

The shirt shrinks after the heat has gone and traps the gas molecules.

The procedure does not work for cotton T shirt manufacturers, as it heats the fabric directly. It is best to use polyester.

Pros

  • The screen and HTV technology allows for unlimited colors.
  • Design that will last for years without flaking or fading
  • Continuous solutions: the best choice

Cons

  • Partially dyeing (folds and side seams) is not suitable for dark fabrics
  • Only works well on polyester

Belt Printing

Belt printers transport t-shirts along a straight path using a large, flat belt. It is different from a circular machine which transports tee-shirts to the print heads on small tables. Instead, it stops them before starting to print.

Belt printing is often referred to as a “belt printer” because historically screen prints were created with what was known as a “belt printer”. Belt printers imprint clothing on huge screens. This procedure uses a belt that is moved across the clothes. Typically, t-shirts. Although there are many belt printers still in use today they would be considered ancient technology.

Large table printers have taken over the function of belt printers. In place of a belt, moving tables are used. Although the screen size remains unchanged, the product’s motion pattern has changed.

What is the Best Printing Method for You?

Printing High-Quality Materials at Competitive Prices

There are no limits to creativity. Your personality will shine through when you use unique patterns to cover entire types of prints. Printing belts usually involves artwork that extends along the seams, and on rare occasions also includes the sleeves, hems, collars, or even all of them. This makes it look like the whole thing is covered.

To give the procedure a smooth feel, printer, this is a great option for mass-producing high-quality T-shirts. This printer allows you to print directly on the fabric.

Your options when it comes to designing are virtually endless. You can use design programs such as Photoshop to create the perfect image for your t-shirt.

The upper printer can be used to print your design on your shirt once the image has been uploaded from your computer.

We offers the best option because it allows for highly complex designs to be printed. If you want to achieve the results you desire, it’s essential that you use a high-quality print.

If you do not, the overall resolution of your printed image may suffer. It is also recommended to hand wash shirts with cool water, and then hang them dry.

If you use hotter water to wash or dry the item, it will fade much faster.

Pros

  • Ability to create distinctive effects (glossy, smooth gradients).
  • The pattern is resistant to wear and can be washed more than 60 times.
  • Silk screen printing cannot match its flexibility and detail.
  • Inks that are eco-friendly and water-based

Cons

  • Due to the high cost of a fabric printer, significant investments are required.
  • Cotton is the only material that produces decent results
  • It is possible that they may fade with time and there are restrictions on posting pictures.

Plastisol Printing

T-shirt designers today are more proficient at using plastisol screen printing or indirect screen print. This technique uses the same plastisol screen inks as screen printing. The main difference is that ink is used on a plastisol sheet instead of directly onto the fabric.

The transfer sheet is then heat-pressed onto the T-shirt to produce a raised, long-lasting design.

Third parties can mass produce the design using plastisol sheets based on the digital design created by some designers to save money. The artist then adheres the plastisol to the shirt using heat.

Pros

  • This approach is characterized by high-quality and long-lasting designs.
  • There will also be less mess, and setup time, when compared with conventional screen printing.
  • If you choose to outsource the printing of plastisol sheets, all that is required to finish your shirt is a heat press and the digital graphic.

Cons

  • One of the drawbacks to this method is that it can be difficult to apply.
  • The designs will peel off and crack if done incorrectly.
  • This approach is effective with small orders, but less so for larger ones

Heat Transfer Vinyl Printing

Heat transfer vinyl is one of the most popular ways to decorate shirts, both for professionals and amateurs. HTV vinyl is a unique type of vinyl that has one side with a decorative design and the other side coated in heat-activated glue. A vinyl cutting tool can be used to create intricate designs and logos. Then, heat seal them onto fabric.

While it is not technically “printing”, many artists use vinyl instead of ink to create raised images that last for a long time on t-shirts. Vinyl designs are likely to be produced by professional large-scale operations, using commercially available cutting equipment. Another reason that at-home artists love this technique is the fact that they can create their vinyl cut-outs with a basic electronic device such as a Circuit.

Plasticky vinyl comes in many varieties. Glitter vinyl is one of them.

Heat Transfer Vinyl is a versatile product that can be used for both small orders and for home use. You only need a cutting machine, an iron and a few minutes to start making t-shirts. A Circuit and heat press is all you need to start a small business.

Pros

  • A HTV design is typically easier to make than other designs, and it has a lower initial cost.
  • In terms of durability, HTV designs are superior to printed designs.

Cons

  • It is not effective for large orders because you need to cut the HTV out multiple times per garment.
  • As a heat press must be used to activate the vinyl adhesive, it is not possible to use HTV with a heat sensitive cloth.

Heat Press Printing

Heat press printing can be a good choice for beginners or artists at home, but it does not always offer the same quality as other techniques. Some experts and small business owners sell shirts using thermal press printing.

Inkjet or Laser printers are used to print a heat press design. Iron-on transfer papers are the only type of paper that can print. The design is then heat-pressed or ironed onto your shirt.

This technology is perfect for home designers because it’s easy to set up and requires a minimal investment. It is possible to create intricate images or designs just as easily on the computer as you can with paper. You can create unique artwork by using graphic design software, or you can use photos taken with your smartphone.

However, heat press printing might not last as well as screen printing or designs created with HTV. It also fails frequently on dark colored shirts, as the graphics are difficult to see when compared with a dark background. Heat-sensitive fabric cannot be used with this technique, as it requires high temperatures.

Pros

  • The clarity of the images and their ability to meet custom requests
  • There are many materials available, such as vinyl films (flex), velvet (flock), and glitter.
  • Low cost for drawing short print runs, and resilience to fading.

Cons

  • Large orders with low effectiveness
  • Dark clothing has a weak impact
  • Heat-sensitive textiles are at risk

Discharge Printing

Discharge printing is a way to decorate fabric with color. It’s also called extract printing. Even though it’s not used often, the process still has a name. By printing a substance that destroys color, like hydrosulfite and chlorine, a light or white design can be bleached on shirts with contrasting base colors. This type of shirt printing is less common than other shirt printing methods, but it creates shirts that stand out. This process requires removing the paint, not adding more.

Discharge printing is similar to bleaching in terms of layout. However, it does not damage the fabric as bleaching can. In the fine print created, the weave of the shirt can be seen. This technique can also be used as a base for other colors that do not contain pigments.

It may be difficult to get precise color results when pigmenting discharge. This may happen due to the ability of the discharge to change the color. When mixed with the colors that your eyes see, pigments may not produce the same color. It is a great way to bring color to dull garments. Discharge printing is safe because the ink does not irritate skin. It is environmentally friendly because it uses water.

This technique is similar to screen printing. You must save part of the design before the rest of the color is removed. The printer will provide a stencil. To prevent the stencil from disintegrating during printing, special emulsions must be used.

You can try this at home, with friends. In color discharge printing, a bleaching agent and an impermeable pigment are used to create the design on a colored base instead of a white one. It is gentle on fabric because it uses a water-based discharging agent. Discharge printing is the best solution for sensitive materials.

Pros

  • Unique appearance
  • Vintage shirts

Cons

  • Both individuals and businesses find it costly
  • Time-consuming

Important Considerations When Selecting a T-Shirt Printing Method

Now that you are familiar with the different techniques, you can choose the one you like best. Choose a method based on your requirements and specifications that meets your needs while providing the highest quality to meet your goals. Following are some factors that could influence your decision:

Compatible with a Variety of Fabrics

Not all techniques are appropriate for all types of fabric. For example, dye sublimation is not suitable for T-shirts made of thick cotton, as it can ruin them.

Production Capacity vs Cost

The cost of printing can vary greatly. Printing equipment costs tend to increase as printing speeds increases. When deciding where to begin, weigh the costs against the speed of production. If you want to print hundreds of shirts quickly, don’t use a slow process.