What Is Screen Printing?
In short, screen printing is a printing technique where a design image is transferred onto a mesh or screen. Once the screen is burned, the design is left on the screen. This allows the ink to pass through the screen leaving only the desired design. Simple right? It’s actually a little bit more complex, but you get the general idea.
While screen printing is the preferred method for larger quantity prints, many shops skip this and resolve to DTG (direct-to-garment) printing. DTG is a method where a machine is used to directly print onto a garment. It’s much simpler, however this process is only used when printing smaller quantities or few t-shirts. We find that the end result is not as great as screen printing technique. For all of our t-shirt orders, we only use screen printing process.
Another very important step in the custom screen printing process is the ink and cure. While there are many types of inks available on the market, it’s important to choose the right ink. Cheaper ink, such as those found at cheaper shops, tend to give shorter life and wash out fairly soon. While more expensive ink does just the opposite and helps the design to also pop, stand out, on the t-shirt, apparel, or garment. Final step is the ink cure, or as some call it cooking. If the ink is not properly cured, the design on the t-shirt will start to fall off or fade out. A stretch test method is used to determine if the ink has been properly cured.
Contact us and see how Top Screen Printing can help you create the perfect t-shirt for your next event! If you would like to see some examples of our work please visit our Work link or click t-shit design ideas link.
Screen Printing Services
Our Production Process
