So you want to start a clothing line? You have a name set and design ideas…now what!? This is the first of many articles that should help you along your venture. Before you really get into things it will be good to know the basics of the different printing methods.
I will break down the most popular printing methods with pros and cons of each. Of course there are always variables but the list is pretty accurate and will help you pick your poison. If you have any questions feel free to contact me for further info on the printing techniques.
Screen Printing
Pros: Most common form for T Shirts, custom hoodies, long lasting, bright prints, there’s lots of additives for specialty prints, ensures highest quality prints, usually the most bang for your buck in most cases!
Cons: Limited colors, A lot of printers are still limited in size of the graphic, Most places require a minimum order due to the intensive setup process
Heat Transfer
Pros: Full color photo like prints, great for small orders, easy to customize
Cons: Quality is less then screen printing, cracks and washes out after about 25 washes
Digital or DTG (Direct to Garment)
Pros: Less steps and fast setup, great for small orders, also easy to customize different shirts
Cons: The shirt is the brightest part of the graphic, hard to get quality prints on dark shirts
Dye Sublimation
Pros: No feel (soft hand), Good for full color designs on light garments, can be used on non textile products
Cons: More expensive, cannot be used on 100% cotton t-shirts
Vinyl
Pros: Cheap for really small runs
Cons: Not practical for real runs, limited with detail
Now that you have some basic knowledge of your options you can choose the best way to get your designs onto your garments. Soon I will be posting “How to design for shirts” so look out for that!
October 18th, 2008 at 4:06 am
thats really good to know!
October 27th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Really nice article, what’s the best place to have your shirt printed if you gonna use a third party to print your shirts?
October 27th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Paulo, there are tons of places to get your stuff printed but not all are good for this industry. I would suggest going with someone who has experience in printing for clothing lines..And since I have a shop I would have to suggest myself,lol.
Email me if you ever need anything.
info@makeascenenow.com
*I checked out your site and that theme you made is awesome!
November 12th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
hey man, I’m still waiting on that email u said u were gonna send me. lol
November 13th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Whats your email?
January 16th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
This is a good summary of the printing methods. We at Resist Today generally do 1-6 color screen prints as well as dye sub. Dye is great because it doesn’t impose any texture on the shirt, but it’s a little hard to control based on a number of factors. Some American Apparel shirts are re-dyed and when you go to discharge that you run into all sorts of color issues.
It’s a good idea to use local screen printers when you can. Resist Today is a small t-shirt shop in Tampa, Florida and we’ve printed with people in Texas and several local places in Tampa. Our preference is to use local printers. We save a little on shipping back and forth, but the main reason is just to support local businesses who can provide better service and support. We can talk directly with the guys who are doing the printing and get things just the way we want.
Check out this 6-color print on Resist Today, printed by our friends at Integrity Printing in Tampa:
http://www.resisttoday.com/growth/tshirt/circulate
July 14th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
Some time before, I really needed to buy a good house for my firm but I did not have enough cash and could not order something. Thank God my sister adviced to get the business loans from trustworthy bank. Thus, I did so and was satisfied with my college loan.