When it comes to custom printed shirts, there are many different methods you can use.
Two of the best and most popular methods are silkscreen printing and vinyl printing.
They are two very different methods.
Read on to learn which one is better in the long run for durability and quality.
What is Screen printing
Silkscreen printing is an ancient printing method that began in China around 960 AD.
It uses a mesh screen and stencils to push a special kind of ink called plastisol ink or dye into the shirt.
Each color of the design requires its own stencil.
Nowadays, modern technology allows printers to use machines to do screen printing, making the process faster and easier.
The ink used is typically thicker and sits on top of the fabric instead of being absorbed by it.
Whether using a machine or doing the screen printing by hand, there are several steps one must take.
First, the printer prepares the artwork in the computer or by designing the stencils to be used.
Then they apply the ink and push it through the screen, repeating the process with each color.
After the design is on the shirt, the printer exposes the design to light to harden it.
The shirt is then washed to get excess ink out.
What is Vinyl printing
Vinyl printing is also known as vinyl heat transfer.
It involves using a machine to cut out the design and letters using vinyl, and then using heat to press it onto the shirt.
It is a very simple process.
The vinyl used on shirts is typically made of three layers.
The layers contain an inner layer of plastic that is soft, an outer layer of plastic that is harder, and ink in between them.
The outer layer is designed to prevent scratches and to make the ink more water-resistant.
Vinyl printing can be done with a machine from start to end, or the vinyl design can be transferred to the shirt using a clothing iron or heat press.
When it comes to the method of heat transfer that is used during vinyl printing with machines, there are several different types.
There are different kinds of vinyl that can be used.
The type of vinyl, ink, and method of transferring the design all make up the difference of the quality of the custom printed shirt.
Which is best?
Vinyl and silkscreen printing are quite different methods of making a custom printed shirt, but which one is better?
To determine that you must look at various factors — durability, eco-friendliness, cost, and quality.
When it comes to durability, a design printed by silkscreen printing can last as long as the material it is printed on.
The durability of vinyl printing is based on many factors.
The type of ink, vinyl, or heat transfer used, and how it is cared for can mean that the design will last up to 5 washes, 5 years, or the life of the shirt.
Silkscreen printing is great for producing mass quantities of shirts, whereas vinyl is good for one or two shirts at a time.
Vinyl printing typically has less vibrant colors and less of an ability to give more details than screen printing.
As far as costs go, vinyl printing is cheaper if you only need one or two shirts.
If you are thinking about the eco-friendly factors of both methods, screen printing can be the better option if the ink used is water based instead of the typical plastisol.
This means in the long run, silkscreen printing is typically the best method of printing.
