When buying custom t-shirts, many buyers are unclear on whether to have their shirts screen printed or digital printed. Each method of printing produces a different result on the shirt. This article will explain the advantages and disadvantages of each type of shirt printing, and hopefully help you decide which method is best for you and your customized t-shirts.
One of the main factors in deciding which type of shirt printing to use is the quantity of shirts that are going to be ordered. Digital printing, in general, is more suited towards smaller orders, since there is no minimum quantity - you have the option of ordering just one custom t-shirt. With screen printing, however, ordering a single custom t-shirt is unreasonable because. There are relatively high setup costs involved with screen printing that go away only when many shirts are ordered. On the other hand, the cost of digital printed t-shirt does not decrease very much as the quantity of shirts ordered increases. For example, the cost of digital printing will only decrease by 10 or 20 percent as the number of shirts ordered increases, but screen printing may offer as much as a 50 percent price deduction for higher quantity shirt orders.
Another factor that must be taken into consideration is the color of the t-shirt. When buying light colored t-shirts, such as white or natural colored t-shirts, both digital printing and screen printing are acceptable for your custom t-shirts. However, when ordering darker colored shirts, like blue or black, the digital printing option is eliminated. The ink used in digital printing simply is not strong enough to penetrate through the darker colors of the shirt.
Finally, the print itself must be taken into consideration. Digital printing produces a very colorful print that is not high resolution, but also leaves the t-shirt very soft to the touch. Printing more colors using digital printing will not increase the price of the shirt. Screen printed t-shirts produces a stronger print that can sustain very many uses and countless times in the washing machine.
By choosing the correct printing method, you are one step closer to having your own custom t-shirts.
