Screen Printing

Screen printing is also known as silk screen, serigraphy, and serigraph printing. Screen printing is printing technique wherein an image is created as a stencil on a fine mesh screen, and then ink is pushed through the screen to be transferred onto surfaces such as fabrics, plastics, metals and more. 

Colors & Inks: One color is printed at a time, so several screens are created to produce a multicolored artwork. Colors are specific and each color has its own ink mix. Screen printing inks are a thick liquid, often with a base layer, usually in white. Base layers give the liquid ink an opaque finish. Imprinting of multi-color images is done over several “hits”, meaning that the garment will pass through the printing process multiple times based on the number of colors. There is a short drying time between each color hit.

Screen printing is an ancient printing process that first appeared in China during the Song Dynasty (960–127 AD). Since that time, there have been technological advancements in the materials used to make the screen, chemicals used to block out stencils and in the inks. Modern commercial screen printers use digital art and automated machines to produce high volumes of quality screen printed products at a very low cost.

Direct-to-Garment Printing (DTG)

Direct To Garment (DTG) is a digital textile printing process using specialized printers and liquid inks. DTG printer machines hold the garment in a fixed position, while the inks are jetted or sprayed onto the garment in a computer controlled specified pattern. The process is very similar to how a desktop ink jet printer works. DTG printing requires a pre-treatment process to ensure that the inks will bond fully to the garment. This is especially important when using white ink on dark garments.

Colors & Inks: Multiple colors are printed one time, so the result is a sharp, higher resolution image. Cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks are mixed during printing to create multi-color images. DTG uses water-based textile inks that require a curing process and works best for printing on natural fibers such as cotton, bamboo, hemp, and linen. Imprinting of multi-color, complex designs onto garments can be done in one “hit”, meaning that the garments pass through the printing process just once. There is a short curing time after printing.

Direct-to-garment printing started in the US in 1996. Unlike screen printing, the setup process is quick and DTG has the ability to print just one single shirt for minimal cost. With the innovations of DTG printing machines in the past decade, DTG is becoming more widely known as a cleaner, less expensive and faster alternative to screen printing, particularly for small quantities.

Sublimation

Sublimation is a digital printing process in which an image is created in reverse on a “transfer sheet”, and then through application via heat pressing, the image is transferred onto polyester or other synthetic fabrics for T-shirts, banners, table covers, ID cards, sportswear, flags and more. The end result is a nearly permanent, high resolution, full color print. Because the dyes are infused at the molecular level, rather than applied at a topical level (such as with screen printing and direct to garment printing), the images will not crack, fade or peel under normal conditions. Sublimation is also known as digital sublimation, dye-sublimation, dye-sub, sublimation transfer or dye-diffusion printing.

Colors & Dyes: Colors can be extraordinarily brilliant and continuous tones can be achieved that are equivalent to photographs. Sublimation inks are actually dye suspended in water. The fabric is permanently dyed so it can be washed without damaging the quality of the image. A transfer sheet is made for each item being produced, and garments pass through the printing process just once. No drying or curing time is required for sublimation.

The earliest evidence of sublimation printing traces back to France in 1957. The mass production of transfer papers grew rapidly in the 1960's. Later, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab invented the first ever computer printing machine that used the dye sublimation method.

Heat Transfer Vinyl

Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) is a specialty vinyl polymer laminated onto a plastic carrier in sheets or rolls. Graphics intended for HTV must be vector files. Multi-color designs are achieved by using separate pieces of vinyl as there is no mixing of inks or dyes. HTV is cut in reverse image on a XY plotter cutter, then the parts of the vinyl that are not part of the design are removed. The remaining design is then laid onto garments, then heat pressed to form a bond.

Colors: HTV is made in solid colors or can have effects such as preprinted patterns, glitter, flocking, holographic, glow-in-the-dark, reflective, metallic and other special effects. Some HTVs are printable with solvent ink and a solvent printer, however with full-color pictures or anything with gradients, the quality is poor compared to DTG.