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T Shirt Printing - The Three Most Widely used Types

By: Kristine Kawell

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It is important to recognize the 3 different forms of printing accessible if you are new to t shirt printing. Each form of t shirt printing includes its own positive aspects and distinct restrictions.

Screen Printing

Screen printing is the oldest and most commonly used of the screen printing methods. There are many ways to screen print t shirts, ranging from simple hand printed techniques to fully automatic presses. Then again, the method remains essentially the same. The set up and cleaning of the screens may be really time consuming, although it is a very uncomplicated method. The majority of companies will often charge a setup cost to burn new screens. Nevertheless, this setup fee is typically only charged once. Afterwards, the screen is stored in case the customer wants to print another run. One of the positive aspects of screen printing is that it gives you an extremely clear and solid color print, that is terrific for logos and text. It is also great for mass production and is fairly inexpensive. The main feature of screen printing is its longevity during repeated washings.

Screen printing is not really great for photographic reproduction as it has a lower grade image than photographs. Each color has to be printed individually. They can also be really messy throughout shirt manufacturing.

Digital T Shirt Printing

Digital t shirt printing is the second type of printing that we'll cover. Digital printing machines are an appealing addition towards the t shirt printing industry. It offers something screen printing can not, which is printing on demand. The shirt is stretched over a frame under a set of ink jet heads. The shirt is then printed similar to the way an inkjet printer prints on paper.

These machines can range up to $20,000, which makes them a bit expensive for somebody who is new to the t shirt printing industry. Many big custom shirt manufacturers like Café press use this technology.

Doing single print runs is practical with digital printing. There isn't much setup unlike with traditional screen printing. It's great for reproducing photographic images, logos and multicolor designs.

It is generally more expensive per shirt to print digitally, which results in a higher price to purchase. Another negative aspect of digital printing is that the images on the shirt aren't as durable for repeated washings. Being a newer technology, there are some problems such as the print heads getting clogged up during printing. Dark colored t shirts present a problem according to many people who print digitally.

Heat Transfer Printing

The third type of t shirt printing is the heat transfer method. With the heat transfer method, an image is printed on transfer paper and then applied to the t shirt using high heat or a heat press. This method can easily be done at home and is relatively enexpensive. It is similar to iron ons that can be purchased in any office supply store.

This option is perfect for small print runs. This is a good alternative to the other t shirt printing techniques because it's simple for the newcomer. Equipment is less expensive, but a decent press can cost up to $1,000. Another great thing about heat transfers is that photographic images come out very clearly.

Among the downsides of heat transfer printing is that each image needs to be cut around the artwork, which might be time-consuming. This can allow it to be tough for larger runs.

All of the above systems can be practical if you are new to the t shirt printing business. However screen printing is often the best for long term quality.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

For more information on buying a t shirt heat press please visit www.tshirtheatpress.org

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