How does t-shirt printing work? If you have never ordered printed t-shirts for a project or are familiar with the process, you will surely have many questions. There are several techniques for printing and personalizing textile garments, each one more interesting screen printing near me. In this post we tell you how to print t-shirts , the importance of choosing a good textile material, and the correct printing technique , in addition to sharing some tips to get the most out of customizing t-shirts for your company.
What does t-shirt printing consist of?
T-shirt printing is the technique by which a design is transferred to a textile garment . In this case we are talking about t-shirts, but it can also be done on other types of clothing, such as jackets, pants, hats, etc.
In general, you can stamp on almost any object, but you have to take the material into account . For textile printing, textile or durable inks on fabrics must be used to ensure that the print will last over time and will not fade after washing.
Choosing both the material and the best technique for each case is key to achieving good results, especially if these garments are going to be part of our brand or company image.
The importance of the material in the choice of printing technique
The most common fabrics for making t-shirts are cotton, polyester, and technical fabrics in the case of sports clothing , which must be breathable. For each material, a printing technique is suitable, so there are no better ones than others , but rather there are correct and less correct ones depending on the material of the garment.
Choosing the material of the t-shirts is important because it will determine the choice of the printing technique .
Types of techniques for printing t-shirts
silkscreen
It is the most used technique in printing t-shirts. It consists of several nylon meshes, one for each color of the design, which allow the textile ink to pass through them to the t-shirt only in the areas where that color goes . Surely you have seen this procedure before, even if it was on the internet.
The image is etched using screen printing emulsion , which is a chemical process that hardens and sets the ink in the final process.
sublimation
Along with screen printing, it is the most used technique, although it requires a high polyester composition in the garment for the ink to be fixed . Both are artisanal techniques .
In this case, specific tools are necessary, such as a sublimation printer and a transfer plate . First, we print the design in the opposite way to how it would look from the front with the printer, place it in the area of the t-shirt where we want it to be printed, and apply heat with the transfer iron while pressing for a few minutes.
Other techniques such as digital printing or embroidery
As in almost everything, innovation is also the order of the day and also when it comes to printing t-shirts, so there are other techniques such as digital printing or embroidery .
Both are made with special machinery and function practically the same as a traditional printer . In the case of embroidery, as its name indicates, the previously chosen design is embroidered with thread.
In digital printing, the ink is injected, having previously printed the t-shirt , which is the process of conditioning the garment with a liquid treatment that prepares the fabric for digital printing. This priming process can be done manually or with the help of another machine similar to the specific printer to moisten the garment.
How to take advantage of t-shirt customization in our company
Once we have chosen both the material of the t-shirts and the ideal printing technique for our case, it is time to design and get to work. If you are a company and your goal is to create uniforms or promotional t-shirts , this is a very important point for you .
You are probably thinking about printing your logo or a representative design of your company, so it is important that it is done with the best possible quality and professionalism . This will give you a good brand image . It must also be well visible, with good color contrast and adequate placement of the logo. With these simple tips you will achieve all the objectives of your promotional campaign with t-shirts.
Now that you know how to print t-shirts, the necessary tools and what the processes are like according to the chosen technique , you can investigate all the options and more types of printing and objects to personalize. To do this, we recommend that you go to appropriate professionals , with years of experience in the sector and knowledgeable about all the tricks and mechanics that exist in the world of stamping and personalization.