Prints on materials, prints on fabrics, T-shirts and identification elements are an excellent strategy to distinguish your company on the market. Read what to remember when choosing a print on the material!
If you already have selected designs for t-shirts for your company, it would be good to know the best methods of applying the print to the material. The best solution will be to study the available technologies and relate them to the application substrate, i.e. the type of material.
The most common, cheap and most widely used technology is screen printing on fabric and we provide the best service of screen printing in Dallas. The process is relatively simple, it consists in transferring the pattern using a grid-like matrix, hence the name of the method. The paint is placed on the material by pressing through the holes.
The high cost of screen printing?
This method allows to obtain quite complex patterns, unfortunately with a limited number of colors. The relatively high unit cost and the unprofitability of screen printing for small runs are also important. In terms of the substrate, screen printing is a very good solution because it allows you to print on any type of material, not only fabrics, but also plastic, paper, etc.
Screen Printing Disadvantages
The downside of screen printing is the need to apply it on flat surfaces, which means that uneven substrates and various textures of the material may prove problematic.
Thermal Imprint
Another technology, i.e. thermal printing or thermal transfer, is a solution consisting in thermally welding the indicated graphics into the material, additionally reinforced with glue. It is a cheap method and can be used for short series, even a few pieces of clothing, without incurring high costs.
Lower thermal imprint resistance
Thermal transfer provides good coverage and slightly less resistance and durability. This technology is mainly used on textiles, but it must be remembered that washing and atmospheric factors gradually destroy the pattern applied using this method, so it is better to use thermal printing on light clothing, such as t-shirts, and work overalls are not a good substrate. A certain advantage of thermal transfer is the option of application on a substrate with a non-standard shape, e.g. a hat or gloves.
Sensational flex
A very durable method that can be used for clothing with equally high resistance is flex, i.e. prints from foil covered with glue . This method also consists in welding the pattern into the material. This is done using a special thermo press. Flex can be used en masse, it has interesting possibilities, e.g. reflective or metallized prints.
It must be remembered that this method causes quite a stiffness of the substrate, so it is suitable for logos or other signs placed on T-shirts, but they should be relatively small symbols. Flex does not require the development of matrices, is cheap and easy to use. It is worth remembering that the material in the place where the pattern is applied will not breathe, so in the case of sportswear, flex is not recommended.
machine embroidery
The most resistant technique, elegant and expensive at the same time, is machine embroidery. A pool of sixteen colors, high precision of application, extraordinary durability, convex pattern – these are the advantages of embroidery. It is undeniably the most visually attractive technique, very resistant to washing, and slightly less to abrasion. The use of embroidery on clothing makes sense only in clothes that are to be characterized by exceptionally high class. Embroidery is also often used outside of clothing, on bags, hats, gloves, etc.
digital print
The previously mentioned breathability of the material, which must characterize some clothes, can be achieved by digital printing, i.e. direct application of raster graphics to textile clothing. This is a solution with very good color reproduction and great durability.
Flock
The last method, i.e. flock, which is somewhat reminiscent of suede, is the most spectacular technology next to embroidery. Viscose with different pile lengths is heated into the material under pressure, of course at high temperature. Unfortunately, this technique is only suitable for simple patterns. It is also expensive, which is why, although effective, it is not often used.
The substrate for the print is important
The type of substrate is very important and during the pattern design process both the material and the expected technology used should be taken into account. Without knowledge of these issues, high costs may be incurred, disproportionate to the final effect obtained.