T shirt printing: types, features

A T shirt with a pattern is a favorite youth attribute. It’s more than clothes. She became a symbol of fashion, sporty style, relaxed and fun lifestyle. It is also used to underline corporate symbols. It is suitable for promotions, or presentations of new products. Today there are several types of printing on T-shirts. PECHATER.RU will select the appropriate technology. Here you will be helped to embody the most daring fantasy.

T shirt printing features

The lexeme Print came to us from the English language. Literally translated, print is “seal”. The word denotes a pattern or ornament applied in a special way to any surface. Printed prints are most commonly used in fashion design and print projects.

They can be seen on:

  • Casual clothes (t-shirts).
  • Office uniform (name, logo or just a phone number of the company).
  • Souvenir products.
  • presentation material.

T-shirts with printed images are found in gift or handouts in various projects.

What technologies are used for printing

A bright, memorable picture – that’s what a print is. It is informative or ironic. On it you can see the original abstraction.

Today, several techniques for applying images to fabrics are practiced. In our review, we will tell you what types of printing on T-shirts we are using for t shirt printing in Dallas.

Silkscreen (screen printing)

Even in ancient Egypt, canvases were painted using stencils. Natural paints from berries and flowers were used. Today, paints are made from refined petroleum products.

And the stencil method remained practically unchanged. It is relevant for multi-series production. The use of templates reduces the cost of batch release.

The principle of the stencil technique is quite simple. The image is split into colors. Moreover, a separate template is made for each shade.

Then the stencils are carefully placed on the desired thing and filled with the substance of the desired shade. High temperatures are used in the drying process. Because of this, colored ink penetrates as deep as possible into the structure of the fabric.

Screen printing is a labor intensive process. But the bulk of the work is done by thermal printers and specialized machines. Screen printing is durable, but there can be no more than 6 shades in its palette.

Digital

An inkjet printer eliminates the presence of intermediate steps. Everything happens very quickly. T-shirts are used instead of paper, and printing ink is replaced by ink cartridges.

Thin T-shirts are simply pulled through the opening in the printer. At this time, the head performs a continuous translational movement. The ink is so light that it permeates the cloth.

Logo on T-shirt, A4 size

It is difficult to damage such a picture. Colors are deep in the structure of the material. They do not dissolve and withstand washing at high temperatures. The advantage of the technique was the resistance of such a print to UV radiation and a bright collection of shades used.

Thermal transfer

It would seem that the picture attached with hot glue can peel off. But the peculiarity of the technique is that the applied print tends to stretch and shrink along with the T-shirt. That is, the images are stretchable.

The advantages of this method are:

  • The presence of seams is not an obstacle for gluing.
  • The image can be applied even to the places of sewing on buttons.
  • Water resistance (the adhesive layer does not swell when washed).

Thermal transfer is suitable for knitted fabrics of any kind – from synthetic to natural.

Sublimation

The method allows you to achieve a drawing of a photographic level. The image is applied to the sublimation paper. Then at t +190°C it is transmitted to the tissue. The secret lies in the special ink. When heated, they turn into a gaseous state. With the help of professional equipment, “color gas” is imprinted into the fabric.

The technique is recommended for T-shirts containing at least 65% polyester. However, do not use a dark-colored fabric. It will make the image less clear.

The print obtained on a light-colored fabric holds its shape well. It does not fade or crack when crushed.

More about thermal sticker

Among all the methods, thermal stickers are confidently leading. They effectively decorate clothes and hold well. The image is a film on which glue is applied on the back. After fixing at high temperatures, it does not move.

Thermal sticker is suitable for fabrics:

  • denim;
  • cotton;
  • linen;
  • knitted.

The method is similar to Magic Touch technology. The image is first printed on a film and then glued to a T-shirt using a heat press. In tactile terms, the picture resembles a sticker.

How long does a printed t-shirt last?

Methods for applying prints to knitwear are constantly evolving. Modern stickers, decals and printed images on knitwear and cotton are able to maintain their quality even after repeated washings.

Still, T-shirts with stickers or prints cannot be cared for like normal summer clothes. Their service life depends on many factors. First of all, on the intensity of use.

You can keep the quality of the product as long as possible if you follow the simple rules for the care of knitwear:

  • Follow the care instructions indicated in the symbols on the label.
  • Do not exceed the concentration of detergent.
  • Avoid manual pressing.
  • When ironing, do not touch the pattern with the iron.
  • Do not use bleach!

Whatever type of T-shirt printing  you have, use only gel detergents. The powders contain abrasive components. Even the smallest amount will damage the print.

Order printing on a T-shirt in Printer

You can order printing on your favorite clothes in our company. We are ready to accept orders of any volume (from one piece).

Services available to our clients:

  • thermal transfer vinyl;
  • direct printing on fabric;
  • sublimation.