Here's how to choose the right printing technique for your custom T-shirts.
Want to create affordable custom T-shirts but aren't sure whether to go with printing or embroidery ? Maybe you're even unsure whether to choose screen printing or direct digital printing.
To go from the guide to the catalog, start from the personalized t-shirts page: from there you can choose men's, women's, or children's and configure the quote online.
Speaking of fabric printing techniques, we retrace the history of the customization of clothing, a thousand-year-old history that reflects the identity needs and tastes of each individual.
Today we'll show you the advantages and disadvantages of these solutions, from the oldest, embroidery, to the most modern, direct printing.
The results are very different from one another and in the end it will be your personal taste that will favor one technique over the other… Also because, in general, if you use quality materials , the results are always guaranteed, whether they are cotton t-shirts or synthetic fabrics .
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Embroidery: a special effect that stimulates multiple senses
Embroidery is an ancient technique, one of the arts traditionally passed down from mother to daughter. In the beginning, embroidery required considerable craftsmanship and considerable time, but the results were often nothing short of excellent.
Embroidery can be done based on a design, free with counted threads or with reference embroidery, and relies on basic stitch techniques that allow for a wide range of final effects.
Embroidery on a design , as the word itself says, requires a preparatory drawing that is reproduced in pencil on the fabric and then embroidered, either with colored or white threads.
Counted free-thread embroidery , on the other hand, requires fabrics with a loose weave to allow for stitches of uniform size. It is one of the oldest techniques and uses the oldest and most famous basic stitches: cross stitch, antique stitch, half stitch, Gobelin, square stitch, etc.
Referred embroidery is a technique that allows for the embroidering of special fabrics for which it is impossible to create a preparatory design, such as velvet and silk. The preciousness of the fabric often led artisans to use equally precious materials, such as gold thread.
Embroidery allows for an effect that, while not as defined as screen printing or printing, is extremely elegant and, beyond the decoration, being sensitive to the touch, is capable of giving the T-shirt a notable added value.
Its main disadvantage, besides the definition, is the cost: even though it is performed mechanically, it still requires more time and costs, proportional to the complexity and size of the decoration.
Since embroidery is very durable, we recommend this technique if you need to make T-shirts intended for high-temperature washing, such as custom T-shirts for pizzerias or restaurants .
Screen printing, savings at your fingertips
Screen printing is also an ancient technique. As its etymology suggests, screen printing consisted of printing on silk fabrics using special water-based inks.
Nowadays it is possible to print on both cotton and polyester or mixed T-shirts using this technique.
The mechanical process allows for a significant reduction in costs , and the special inks used, namely thixotropic inks, make the result resistant even to numerous washes without losing either definition or color brilliance.
With machines capable of producing up to 5,000 prints per hour, screen printing was until recently the preferred technique. The results are remarkable, as the fabric retains its elasticity and softness and feels smooth and free of bumps, unlike embroidery.
Direct printing: digital with exceptional results
Direct digital printing is a technique that has recently been perfected, thanks to the invention of better and more resistant inks.
Years ago, in fact, direct printing was the cheaper alternative to screen printing, with results that were decidedly less resistant to washing and time. These T-shirts were very inexpensive, but after a few months of continuous use, the design lost definition and the colors began to wash out.
The invention of new inks and the improvement of printing techniques today make it possible to produce very high-quality and highly durable direct digital prints.
Treating the fabric with a special solution, called Primer, allows the colors to fix better, resulting in highly defined decorations with very vivid colors, faithful to the images from which they were taken inspiration.
Furthermore, printing does not alter the natural elasticity and softness of the fabric, as it does not insert pigments between the fibers of the fabric as with screen printing, but colors the fibers directly.
The excellent results have made digital printing the default technique for decorating sportswear, a testament to its incredible durability.
Your t-shirt, just the way you want it
We've got you covered for affordable custom T-shirts . We offer a wide range of techniques and a wide range of customization options (T-shirt brand, colors, shape, size, sleeve and neckline styles, etc.).
You can choose your preferred printing/embroidery technique to achieve a result that will fully satisfy you. Thanks to our free, completely transparent quote, you won't have to worry about additional costs: the price you receive will be the final product price!
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