There are a host of t-shirt printing techniques out there. Many of them are used by industrial printing companies, and some more for DIY, not best suited for professional print shops. Call those techniques the Indie film method in a world where mainstream movies score big. That’s no knock on the do-it-yourselfers at all. Heck, there have been some amazing independent films that have come along. But for this article, we will focus on four techniques that we, at Good Guys Signs, produce.
Screen Printing:
Why not begin with the oldest printing method around? How old is it? Screen printing is also known as silkscreen printing. And speaking of silk…spiders have been around for approximately 400 million years, and they’ve been spinning silk for that long. So there’s something to it and their longevity! Apologies if you just got the heebie-jeebies regarding spiders. How about some more professionalism, shall we?
As mentioned, screen printing has been around longer than any of the newcomers. But it’s not nearly antiquated at all. This method of t-shirt printing continues strong today. A couple prominent factors likely weigh into screen printing still holding the title belt as the premier printing technique going.
How it Works- The process is much like photography prior to the age of digital cameras. A screen gets coated with emulsion and set in a dark room, where it sits to dry. The dark room stops emulsion from being exposed to light, preventing the emulsion from hardening before the desired time. The image that will end up on the t-shirt is securely placed onto the emulsified screen. Under a highly intensified, heat-driven light, the emulsion’s chemicals harden on the entirety of surface area other than where the image is. The hardened emulsion will prevent any ink from passing through. Where ink for the image needs to be applied, the emulsion has been removed, which will allow the ink to pass through.
The t-shirt is placed into the printing machine, and ink is distributed directly where it needs to go. It then gets cured, which is industry lexicon for dried. The process to get to the screen printing machine is time-consuming. But once in there, the process is more efficient than any other printing method.
T-Shirt Screen Printing Pros:
• Screen printing produces bold, rich colors.
• Images on screen printed t-shirts last a long time.
• Ideal for bulk orders.
Screen printing is a versatile and effective printing method that produces t-shirts with hard-to-match quality, rich-colored imagery, and unparalleled durability.
Discharge Printing:
Discharge printing is a screen printing process where the same techniques and equipment are generally used. The big difference is that discharge inks, which are atypical in standard printing, actually remove dye from the shirt.
Discharge inks are water-based and require activation with a chemical agent. There are two different systems available, one of which is far more prevalent. The predominant technique utilizes zinc-formaldehyde-sulfoxylate (ZFS) as its activating ingredient. The ink and activator and pigment(s) are mixed together, then applied onto the t-shirt. From there, the ink is cured (dried) with a heating mechanism at around 320 degrees. After a short period of time, the pigment has now ma.de its way into the body of the fabric.
Because discharge inks essentially bleach out the fabric’s color, it is wise to only apply this technique to darker garments. And discharge ink only works with cotton because it’s a natural fabric. Synthetic fabrics like polyester and rayon won’t “hold” these inks. However, if you like the exceptional feel of a tri-blend t-shirt, this screen printing ink will hold. It will simply produce a more vintage, worn look.
Direct to Garment Printing:
Direct to Garment (DTG) is a printing technique used for t-shirts that produces an exceptional quality image. Using what’s known as specialized aqueous ink, DTG is a printing method that works phenomenally well for smaller orders. This form of t-shirt printing requires a pre-treatment of the garment with a PTM (pre-treatment machine). The shirt is sprayed with a chemical prior to being placed in the machine. The pre-treatment takes only a few seconds and accomplishes:
- Preparing the t-shirt for a stronger bond with the image it will have
- Laying down loose fibers on the shirt for a smoother substrate
- Chemically reacting with the inks for a superior curing process
Then, it’s into the printing machine to duplicate the image from a computer. It’s basically like printing a picture from your computer onto paper in your printer. Just, in this case, it’s a fabric that will have an image on it. On non- white shirts, the machine will first print the image in white, called an underbase. The reason for this first layer is two-fold: it significantly brings out the boldness of all the colors that will adorn the shirt, and it creates a seal between shirt and the other colors. That way no colors from the garment will bleed into the graphic.
Finally, it’s into a third machine for curing the now-printed product. The entire process for DTG, or digital printing, takes several minutes to complete. Not designed for large orders, this printing technique is remarkable for one to five shirts. Because it is a digital process, the image of the print is pristine, delivering a higher resolution than traditional printing methods.
Dye Sublimation Printing:
Kind of the new kid on the block, dye sublimation printing is not that commonly used in big printing houses. Unlike screen printing, it’s not yet possible to sublimate thousands of orders with the snap of your fingers. But…don’t go away. There are plenty of benefits to this printing method.
The colors produced by sublimation ink are brilliant. Bold, crisp, rich, and full…those adjectives barely describe what the image resulting from this printing method will yield.
Like with other heat press scenarios, dye sublimation goes through a pre-pressing step. This helps the garment avoid moisture during the transfer of the ink to the shirt. It also provides the smoothest possible surface with which to transfer the image.
Regarding the image, it will be printed on what’s known as dye sublimation transfer paper, based upon the graphic desired. In layman’s terms, think of that transfer paper like old-school stickers that we could iron on to a shirt. After we ironed the image on, we just pulled back the “transfer paper.”
Once the transfer paper is specifically placed on the desired position of the t-shirt, both go into a heat press for less than one minute. The image goes from a solid to gas then back to solid again in that short time span. The shirt has now been made before you can say, “Dye sublimation garment printed t-shirt.”
What do you have when the heat press process is complete? A shirt that works amazingly on polyester. A shirt that feels very light, because the t-shirt has been dyed. Ink has not been applied to the outside of the fabric. And you have a shirt with an unrivaled super soft feel, with an image that is as high-resolution as there is on the market. And you own a t-shirt with an image that will never fade or crack…it’s now permanent for the life of your garment.
The bottom line is that each printing technique has its own benefits that put it on a pedestal above any other t-shirt printing method. The choice to make is what your needs are—speed of print and delivery, bulk order, or most crystal- clear image. Good Guys Signs can walk you through the options, and we will certainly provide you with what will suit you best, with both quality and price.
