It seems that product personalization has spread across many e-business sectors. From electronic gadgets and gift items to eateries and apparels. And people are sprouting up with imaginations to imprint on whatever they get. Therefore, if you have a t-shirt selling business and want to excel in it, you need to provide personalizing tees, as a tool to your customers. It seems that product personalization has spread across many e-business sectors.
From electronic gadgets and gift items to eateries and apparels. And people are sprouting up with imaginations to imprint on whatever they get. Therefore, if you have a t-shirt selling business and want to excel in it, you need to provide personalizing tees, as a tool to your customers.
And enable them to imprint the character of their choice on the t-shirt or can have a simple slogan or image of their favorite movie character. But how would you allow your customers do this? Many tee sellers have a t-shirt design tool which comes to help. You can do the same. Implement it for your online tee store. Well, it just doesn’t end with implementing a tool.
Once they give the design, it needs to go for printing. You have two choices here. Either opt to hire the services of a printer and not go through the trouble of providing the print facility yourself. Or choose to provide printing facility at your e-store itself. For that, you need not depend on your print service provider.
If you prefer the second option- there are many printing methods, you need to choose from which is a difficult job. But, a t-shirt design software can ease your printing process provided you keep the print materials ready; dependent on the type of print method you choose. Now, let us discuss the various printing methods with the benefits and pitfalls of each.
1. Direct to Garment (DTG) Printing
This is the latest printing method, where the printer works like an inkjet printer. It feds the t-shirt on a conveyer belt and the garment gets the design imprinted. Hence, it is simple to use with no additional costs.
Advantages:
- Provides full-color printing with great detail
- Enables professional print finishing
- Lower per printing costs
- Facilitates printing on cotton fabric and dark background
Drawbacks:
- Expensive to set up
- Doesn’t render multiple product printing
- Professional setup needs huge space
2. Screen Printing
When the t-shirt design that your customer has drawn with the help of t-shirt design tool, looks vibrant with colors after print, it’s likely to be screen printing. This is one of the most popular printing method that provides a consistent and long-lasting imprint. One needs to use a screen of nylon material, pour the ink and squeegee it down. Thereafter, see to it that ink spreads evenly and wipe off the residuary. And you have the final design in front of you.
Advantages:
- Effective for bulk production
- Flexible to print on variety of materials
- High quality soft to touch finish
Drawbacks:
- Difficult to get detailed printing
- Time consuming for printing multiple colors
- Involves long process- washing, printing, and drying
- One-off printing is expensive
3. Molded Printing
This form of printing is similar to screen printing. The only difference is it requires a fabric like cotton that has the power to absorb. So, whenever your customers give a design for print on a cotton fabric using a t-shirt design software, prefer using this printing method.
Advantages:
- Facilitates persistent and high print retention
- Usage of variety of paints
Drawbacks:
- Expensive for few prints
- Requires separate mold for each print
- Renders the fabric unbreathable for skin
4. Heat Transfer Printing
It is the most traditional method for t-shirt printing businesses. As it helps in printing fast and in larger quantities. Photocopy machines and laser printers use the heat transfer phenomenon. So, let us know more about laser printing.
Advantages:
- Laser printer helps in giving a natural embossment or print on the t-shirt.
- It is long lasting and does not wash away.
- It also gives quick printing facility.
So, if you want to give a professional look for the customer’s design on the t-shirt, you may go for a laser printer. But there are certain cons to this method.
Drawbacks:
- Seeks printer’s attention
- Needs lot of investment
- Does not provide enough durability
5. Transfer Paper Printing
Here, first we imprint the image on the transfer paper. Thereafter, you need to transfer the image on a t-shirt through heat press. This is the easiest form of printing that uses both heat and pressure to do the job.
Advantages:
- One off printing is possible
- Cost-effective to set up
- Full color printing facility
- Renders high quality sophisticated designs
Drawbacks:
- Print finish is not that high quality
- Gives an unprofessional look to the print
- Does not render a long-lasting print
6. Embroidery
This is one of the most unconventional and unlike other printing methods. As it sews the design on the t-shirt. Many corporate businesses still prefer to use this method as it gives a professional, elegant, and original look to the design. And even lasts long. However, you can now digitize the design. The set the embroidery machine to read the command and start stitching the apparel as per the given design.
Advantages:
- Possible on all types of fabric
- Durable and long-lasting print
Drawbacks:
- Image representation isn’t accurate
- Difficult to implement intricate and minute details
- Cannot show color shades
- Cannot show small text
7. Sublimation Printing
It turns the ink into gas when heated. Then imprinted on the material and becomes a part of it. Thereby prevents the print from fading and producing cracks. Question might arise as to how does it work? Here’s it. First you put the design on a sublimation paper. Then press the paper on the surface of the t-shirt fabric.
Advantages:
- Printer is able to use unlimited colors, graphics, and styles.
- Facilitates custom printing
- Helpful for other home decoration items too
Drawbacks:
- Not suitable for printing on cotton material
- May cause skin irritation
- Effective for mass production
Conclusion
Now, choose the most suitable t-shirt printing method for your t-shirt business and meet up with the demands of your customers. Enable your customer to show their creativity using the t-shirt design tool and you deliver them print ready designer t-shirts.
