Different Types of Shirt Printing Methods

23 Aug Different Types of Shirt Printing Methods

Printing shirts today is possible thanks to several different types of technologies. We will go over the main kinds of printing methods so you can see how they all differ. Any one of the many shirt printing companies you find online will be using one of these methods.

Screen Printing

One method you have probably heard of before is screen printing. Also called silkscreen printing, this printing method delivers impressive results. Using this method uses a nylon mesh and a template. The mesh will keep the template fixed while the waterproof material will block out the negative space you want to design. Ink is then spread across the screen, using something like a sponge. Finally, the screen gets to be removed and the design gets to dry off.

If that sounded like a lot of steps, it is! It is a very tedious and time-consuming process but it results in highly vibrant and long-lasting shirt designs. Also, screens can be reused several times. However, this method isn’t the best for multi-colored shirt designs.

Direct to Garments

You can compare DTG to printing paper documents in an office. It involves different colored inks and a textile printer. You would upload your designs to a computer that will then tell the printer what it needs to print on a shirt. The only difference between your home printer and printing the DTG way is that fabrics are printed on instead of paper.

DTG allows for complex designs to be printed with ease. Enhancing and tweaking images in programs like Photoshop will allow you to finely tune your designs with remarkable accuracy. Also, the inks used are all very thin, so you do not need to worry about your shirts coming out with thick layers. The key to quality DTG shirt printing is having a high-quality printer. Otherwise, printed shirts are going to come out looking like there are numerous dots that take away from the design.

Dye Sublimation

Shirts that have massive designs across them are usually made using the dye sublimation process. This is a printing method that shirt printing companies use for large designs and when polyester shirts are the textile medium.

Designs come out in ultra-high resolution and with stunning clarity, leaving customers very happy with the results. Sports jerseys and uniforms will look the best when they are made using dye sublimation. The liquid dye will dry up and become solid after coming into contact with polyester or another synthetic polymer after heat and pressure is applied.

CAD Cut Printing

The final main printing method on our list is CAD cut printing. This method involves using heat to transfer designs onto a shirt. When there are numbers, logos, and names that need to get printed, this is one of the main methods that is turned to.

Designs get made on colorful vinyl using computer-aided design and are then placed onto a shirt with the help of a heat press. However, this system is only going to produce great results if you are using three colors or less.

These are the main printing methods that shirt printing companies use. YBA Shirts takes full advantage of dye sublimation printing, with stellar results. Browse our selection today and see all of the various designs we have to offer using this versatile and robust printing method.