There are 4 essential printing methods on the market when you want to print on textiles. Today we are going to look at the advantages and disadvantages of all these techniques.
Screen Printing
Screen printing is a textile printing method where screens are used to create a design. The fabric is placed under the screen printing screen. Then the textile ink is applied to the frame with a squeegee (you have to press firmly on the fabric). Screen printing lets you produce a single color of the design at a time (a logo with several colors will therefore take longer).
To transfer a new color, you will need to use a new frame or clean the one that was previously used.
Since it is impossible to create color gradients with this type of printing, we recommend using screen printing for designs with 2 to 4 colors maximum.
Screen printed textile printing holds up well over time, because the paint is anchored into the fabric.
It is a perfect method for designs with small details.
Advantages
✔️ Durable over time
✔️ Very beautiful print quality
✔️ Ideal for a large quantity of textiles with the same design.
Disadvantages
❌ Impossible to create color gradients.
❌ Expensive method for a small quantity of textiles to print
❌ Long printing process
Where to start with screen printing?
Lisoni is a brand that sells kits to start screen printing with complete peace of mind.
Digital Textile Printing
DTG digital printing (Direct To Garment) is done with a special printer and a water-soluble ink.
The designs are printed directly from the computer file onto a garment or a roll of fabric, the same way your home printer prints on paper.
Finally, the artwork is heat set (which means you have to press the design with a heat press once it is on the fabric)
Advantages
✔️ Allows color gradients
✔️ Textile printing anchored into the fabric, so durable over time
✔️ Very fast process
✔️ Easy to do details
Disadvantages
❌ Faded colors
❌ The machine requires regular maintenance (otherwise the ink dries out)
❌ Requires an expensive pretreatment on dark textiles
❌ Buying a DTG machine is expensive (800€ to 10000€)
Where to start with digital printing?
Most textile printers offer DTG printing with a good quality/price ratio.
Embroidery
The machine embroidery process is very well known: with a needle and thread, the machine stitches into the fabric to create the design in question.
Embroidery is ideal for creating logos on a thicker garment, such as a polo shirt or a sweater. On clothing, this printing method is the most hard-wearing.
Embroidery can cost more than traditional printing, but its longevity makes it cost-effective.
Not all designs are suited to embroidery, so you should take this into account.
Advantages
✔️ Highest-quality and most durable printing process
✔️ Very beautiful
✔️ Satisfying feel
Disadvantages
❌ Very long printing time on textiles (which can go up to more than 2 hours!)
❌ Expensive machine (between 1000€ and 50000€)
❌ Expensive software (≃ 1000€)
❌ Hard to print on thin textiles
❌ Impossible to print designs with small details
Where to start with embroidery?
Entry-level digital embroidery machines such as the BROTHER Innovis M240ED are perfect for a first embroidery machine.
Heat Transfer Vinyl
Heat transfer vinyl is the simplest and least expensive method for making textile prints.
Using a cutting machine, you will cut the desired design from a roll of vinyl.
Once the design is cut, you will move on to the weeding step to remove the excess from the roll of vinyl.
Finally, the design is pressed onto the textile using a heat press.
Advantages
✔️ Simple and fast process for small runs.
✔️ Vivid print colors
✔️ Despite what people say, quality heat transfer vinyl has high durability over time.
✔️ There is a wide range of vinyl variants that the other printing types do not have (3D printing, glitter printing, velvet printing, and more).
✔️ Inexpensive printing method.
✔️Ideal for starting your textile printing business
Disadvantages
❌ Not recommended for designs with a lot of details
❌ Color gradients are difficult to achieve (to create color gradients with heat transfer vinyl, you need printable vinyl as well as an expensive machine.)
❌ Long weeding process for large runs
❌ The design cannot have many colors (around 4 max)
Where to start with Heat Transfer Vinyl?
For cutting machines, we recommend the Silhouette Caméo 5, which offers great freedom of use at a good purchase price.
As for the rolls of heat transfer vinyl that will be transferred onto the textile, we recommend taking a look at our heat transfer vinyl collection!
