Traditional Screen Printing

In screen printing, the ink is pressed directly onto the fabric through a mesh screen. Screen mesh comes in several different densities.

Dense mesh can print truly detailed and precise results. Coarser mesh, on the other hand, gives better coverage and bright colors even on dark fabrics. After printing, the garment is run through a dryer, where the ink cures and bonds to the textile fibers. Correctly printed and cured prints last for years. A tumble dryer is bad for the durability of prints unless the garment is turned inside out. Mechanical wear reduces the lifespan of the print.

Advantages of screen printing:

• Once the screen mesh is ready, many products with the same print can be produced quickly and affordably.
• Preparation of the screen mesh is similar to developing a traditional photograph in a darkroom, and that's why it allows printing very small details. For example, tree branches, human faces, etc. can be printed without a background color.
• Because the ink is often partially absorbed into the fabric, screen printing is usually a very durable printing method in terms of wear.
• Disadvantages of screen printing:
• Producing the screen mesh requires some advance preparation, so screen printing costs more when the quantity of products is small, e.g. under 10 pieces. Because of this, screen printing usually isn't cost-effective for things like printing names, if each t-shirt has different text.
• Because colors are printed one at a time, the number of colors is usually limited to 8. Color shades can be adjusted, e.g. by changing the density of the screen pattern, which clearly increases the options and also allows e.g. gradient effects.

Heat Transfer Printing

Heat Transfer Printing, Heat Transfer Vinyl, Flex Printing

In this method, we cut logos or numbers from a thin film and press them onto the textile using heat and pressure. Simple texts and numbering are easy to do. More complex artwork is better done as direct printing. For cutting, the artwork needs to be vector-based, i.e. a line drawing. This marking method is especially suited to technical products.

• Advantages of heat transfer printing:
• Precise positioning and good coverage. This method has no setup costs like screen printing does.

• Disadvantages of heat transfer printing:
• Small details in the artwork are challenging to cut and therefore slow to produce. Larger logos, on the other hand, can feel heavy on a t-shirt-weight material.

Digital Printing

DTG (Direct to Garment) means printing directly onto the fabric from a digital source. In simplified terms, this method works very much the same way as an ordinary paper printer.

DTG printing can produce highly multicolored and detailed (e.g. photo) work, and unlike screen printing, its pricing isn't based on the number of colors. This is why DTG also makes cost-effective production of smaller multicolor jobs possible.

• DTG prints hold up to wear excellently, and the print usually "dies with the shirt", so to speak.
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• Good to know about DTG digital printing?
• This printing technique is recommended mainly for cotton-based textiles. For blended fabrics (e.g. 50% cotton and 50% polyester), the suitability of this printing method is often decided on a product-by-product, case-by-case basis.
• What affects DTG pricing
• Mainly the color of the shirt and the size of the print. All colored shirts, except white ones, need an "under white" color layer in addition to the primer, to make bright shades stand out. Dark shirts use significantly more ink than white ones. The number of pieces printed isn't tied to the price, since the price mainly consists of ink costs.

Embroidery

Machine embroidery, or Brodeeraus, is, put simply, individualization done with thread, where the desired design is sewn onto, for example, a cap, soft-shell, or a lightly padded jacket. This method of individualization can also be called machine embroidery. The design can also be embroidered onto a fabric patch, which is attached later. Embroidery is also really the only individualization method for certain promotional garments and promotional textiles. The best examples of this are probably fleece products and often also lightly padded jackets.

• Advantages of embroidery:
• A stylish, completely unique end result, and the quality impression is often improved.
• Also works for products where printing isn't an option.

• Disadvantages of embroidery:
• Small details may become distorted compared to the graphic artwork.
• Embroidery can't necessarily be done on all the same products and parts of products as printing, since fabrics may tear or lose their shape.