The Different Types of T-Shirt Printing | A COMPLETE Guide

As a t-shirt printer myself, I have been through many of these methods first hand. I spent a few years on each because everything has a learning curve.  Here I will explain the main differences between them all.

The main types of t-shirt printing are:

1. Screen printing is the process of pushing ink with a squeegee through designs on mesh screens to imprint those designs onto t-shirts.
2. Heat transfer is the process of heating up transfer paper with a design on it onto a t-shirt.  This is done with the use of a heat press.
3. DTG, direct to garment is the technique of printing of a design directly onto a t-shirt with an inkjet printer.  Then putting that t-shirt under a heat press.
4. Dye sublimation is the process of imprinting your design from transfer paper covered in a dye sublimation ink to a polyester fabric.  
5. Vinyl printing is the use of a vinyl cutting machine to cut out a design from single-colored vinyl sheets.  Then heat pressing that vinyl design onto a t-shirt.

What are the pros and cons of each?  Let’s dive in deeper so you know which one will give you what you are looking for.

Screen Printing

First, you will need to design a graphic to get printed.  Screen separations will be needed to be made in your design program for every color that appears in the design.  The wooden/metal framed mesh screens will be prepped and then coated with emulsion. They are laid on a drying rack until they are dry in a dark space.  

After that, the designs are printed onto clear sheets to tape onto the screens and exposed in an exposure unit/a yellow bulb setup.  When that is done the emulsion is hardened, the design on the clear sheet blocked out that section of the emulsion. It will then be sprayed off of the screen in a spray out booth.  This will now reveal your stenciled design.

We then continue to the screen press.  Align the screen onto the clamps and adjust as needed.  Lay down your shirt and pull down the screen on top of the shirt and flood the screen with ink and pull the squeegee to push the ink through.  If more than one color or ink stroke is needed a flash unit may be needed depending on the type of ink you are using.

After that, remove the t-shirt and place it on the conveyor dryer and you are done.  You have completed the process of screen printing a t-shirt.

Pros

• The prints are very durable after washing.
• Can be used on cotton, cotton blends, polyesters as well as other textiles.
• Is a cheaper process if doing large quantity print jobs.

Cons

• Not optimal for smaller quantity jobs.
• Can get messy, ruining t-shirts during the process.
• Limited in the number of colors per design
• Can take up a lot of space

Heat Transfer Printing

This is a simple process in which you print your design onto a heat transfer paper from a printer.  You then cut the design out from the sheet as close to the edge of the design as you can, to prevent a visible boundary of where the transfer paper was heat pressed onto the t-shirt.

Pros

• Perfect for small quantity orders.
• Great for photos
• Gives you more options of design placement

Cons

• Price is not cost effective for large runs
• Per unit time to finish is time is longer than other processes
• It does not have a soft hand feel, it is very stiff
• Works better on light garments

DTG Printing

Direct to garment is a printing technique where the t-shirt is printed on from an inkjet printer.  To start you will have to use your heat press to pre-press your t-shirts to remove any moisture as well as flatten them out.  Having them flat vs wrinkled will make it easier for the ink to lay leanly on top. So then you will need to spray on a coat of color-specific pre-treatment depending on your garment color.  A tricky step to apply an even layer if you are doing it manually. Then you will lay the t-shirt onto the platen and proceed to print. If it is a dark garment it will need a base layer of white ink.  Once that is done you will remove t-shirt and heat press it to cure the ink. After that, you have a finished product.

Pros

• Cost effective for short or single runs.
• Unlimited colored designs
• High-quality images can be printed directly onto the garment

Cons

• Maintenance, this process required the printer to be used and used often to continue to function well
• Color matching, you will need to actually print out t-shirt swatches on light and dark color garments to actually know what exact color will print out.  It will not be exactly what color was selected in your design program.
• Not perfect for colored t-shirts that are not black or white.
• 100% cotton recommended for best results(Best with ring-spun tight )
• High cost of direct to garment printers

Dye Sublimation Printing

On a 100% polyester t-shirt lay your t-shirt onto a heat press.  Press down to remove wrinkles and moisture. Align artwork onto the t-shirt in the desired position.  Press down on the heat press. You now have an awesome new t-shirt.

Pros

• The images do not fade because they are fused with the polyester fabric
• The garment will have a soft hand feel
• Designs can cover the entire garment on both the front and back side

Cons

• It is slower compared to other printing methods
• Limited to mainly light colored garments, otherwise, the colors would be washed out
• Items must be 100% polyester to get the bright colors desired.
• If there is a crease the design will not adhere to these areas,  it will instead leave a blank printed area and will reveal the previous color of the t-shirt.

Vinyl Cutting

This is the process by which you use a vinyl cutter to cut out a stencil of a design on a sheet of colored vinyl.  That cutout will be trimmed down and laid onto the t-shirt. It will be pressed down to align the design. You will then place your garment under the heat press and press down.  Now your printing is complete.

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Can be used on polyester, cotton, and nylon

Cons

• Each design takes time compared to other t-shirt printing methods

Related Questions

What is the best way to print t-shirts at home? The best printing option depends on what item you are trying to produce, your space available and how much cost you want to start out with.

• Prints involving photos = DTG / dye sublimation
• All over prints = dye sublimation
• Print on all kinds of fabrics or textiles = screen printing
• Limited on space = any print option because all have an economy version which has a smaller footprint
• Small runs = anything except screen printing
• Large runs = screen printing

How much does t-shirt printing business equipment cost? All methods vary depending on if you get new or used equipment.  Also if you get the newest equipment with all the bells and whistles, when it might not be necessary.  Something in the lower mid-tier will do the trick.

The main pieces of equipment for each below:

Screen printing

• Screen printing press(prices vary $350-$10,000 for manual presses), a printer, flash unit, conveyor dryer, squeegees, screens and inks

Heat transfer

• Heat press(prices vary $300-$3000), printer, t-shirt transfers

DTG

• DTG printer(prices vary $10,500-$20,000 on the lower tier), heat press(prices vary $300-$3000), pretreatment solution, inks

Dye sublimation

• Heat press(prices vary $300-$3000), printer, t-shirt transfers

Vinyl printing

• Heat press(prices vary $300-$3000), vinyl cutter(prices vary $200-$5,000)

How long does it take to make a t-shirt?  All of the process besides screen printing can be completed the same day.  As long as the quantity ordered is not a large amount. A bigger order could push it out to an extra day or two.  Screen printing takes a few days on the short side of the spectrum. The screens need time to dry, be exposed and ink needs to be mixed.  Those are just a few of the actions that take time in screen printing. Aside from the printing of the t-shirt as well.

Another aspect is if the garments are being supplied by the customer or the printer.  Ordering products not in stock could add 2-5 more business days to the transaction.

Where can I get custom printed t-shirts?  I would always stay local because there are good t-shirt printers everywhere.  Just check reviews and make sure they have a track record of positive experiences with customers.  But the one cost that affects the per unit cost that you can control is shipping. So it makes no sense to order from a print provider in another state.