All You Need to Know About T-Shirt Printing

by Zip Graphix

Introduction

Whether you’re planning to launch your own brand of t-shirts or need apparel for your rock band or soccer team, you will need to have recourse to t-shirt printing. That’s the process that will ensure that your logo or illustration gets transferred to the textile and that it stays there permanently.

In this presentation, we will show you what techniques are available and what you should pay attention to when printing so as to guarantee the best results.

Printing Techniques

When it comes to t-shirt printing, you have basically 3 choices. You can either use screenprinting, heat press or DTG.

• Screenprints: screens representing each color are created and serve to place the paint/ink onto the t-shirt with the help of a squeegee

• Heat Transfers: with the use of a heat press, vinyl designs (which were cut by a vinyl cutter) will be transferred to the textile

• Direct-to-Garment: here, the illustration will appear on the t-shirt by using an ink printer much like the machines used to print paper

Even though each technique has its pros and cons, we will focus on screen printing as it represents the process which gives the best and most durable finish.

Number of Colors

One very important criterion when deciding to screen print is the number of colors that you will be using. You see, due to the fact that screenprinting needs a separate screen to be created for every color that your illustration is made of, the manufacturing cost will be highly dependent on that number.

Quantity & Price

The only case where the number of colors will not matter that much is if you intend on purchasing a large number of pieces. With screenprinting, the price you pay per t-shirt will decrease depending on the volume ordered.

Even if the rates will vary from provider to provider, as a rule of thumb, compared to cheaper alternatives like vinyl transfers, screenprinting becomes a viable and affordable option starting from a hundred printed pieces. Below that, it's hard to justify using this method as the cost of building the screens is generally too much to stand a chance.

Size of the Illustration

When searching for a company to outsource the work or a press to make them on your own, another factor that will come into play is the size of the logo or illustration that needs to be printed.

Not only does the size have an impact on the price but regular printing presses use screens that do not exceed an A4 or A3 size, which forbids all-over prints. So, if you need to cover the whole front or back, or even have the illustration come over the arms, you will need to find a screen printer that has the technology and the know-how to achieve the work. In this case, dye sublimation might be another option to look into...

Type of T-Shirt

Last but not least, if you need t-shirts printed, you also have to take into account the type of "blanks" you will use as all t-shirts were not created equal.

If you're just looking for promotional items that you will give out as free gifts, you can get away with using lower quality apparel that may shrink and fade after about 2 washes.

However, if it's a durable brand you're trying to build, you had better choose quality materials. The type of cut aside, you need to pay attention to what cotton you will be getting.

Type of T-Shirt

Generally, you can't rely on criteria such as the weight of the fabrics because different people will like different feelings; so, it makes those factors rather subjective. What you can rely on, though, is the quality of the textile. Carded open end cotton should be avoided at all cost if you want to develop a brand.

Instead, you should opt for 100% combed ring-spun that will bring both comfort and durability to your tee's while also making your prints last a lifetime. If you want a more stylish look, you may consider spandex and polyester blends, but always consult with your printing expert first to check if the prints will hold.

Conclusion

If you need t-shirts printed, whatever the reason, you will first have to determine the number of pieces you will require, the size of the illustration and how many colors it will be made of. Only then will you be better armed to select a printing technique and a company that suit your needs to a T.

By following the advice we shared in this presentation, you should find yourself that much closer to that goal.

For more information about t-shirt printing and all the options that are available to you: http://www.zipgraphix.com/