# Which T-Shirt Printing Method is Right for You?



## webtrekker

I think you need to do a lot more research before providing this type of advice.

Have you ever used any of the above methods yourself?


----------



## Jayglover

I would think the most commonly used method would be screen printing. But some of the pros & cons you provided are not as accurate.


----------



## into the T

i like how the cheapest method for equipment is the one that has 'large upfront investment'

my guess is they are a t-shirt manufacturer, not a decorator


----------



## DrivingZiggy

*day and age


----------



## elcielo

> Do-it-yourself approach means additional time input from yourself.


That's true of all three methods.


----------



## paradigmprint

The question is similar to someone asking "What is the right motor vehicle for you?"

Some people drive a Kia Soul and others are going to need a full size F350 pickup. 

Just like with vehicles, the decision on which of the printing options comes down to what you want to accomplish.

Are you looking to go into a full time, full service operation with large volumes? If so, the only answer is screen printing. Are you looking to do small orders and focus on the business that (most) others don't want to deal with (plus individual online sales)? Then the answer is digital heat press. And, if you're planning to go retail and will have a decent foot traffic, selling one off items in-person, DTG can work great.

All three have pros and cons .... but the pros and cons of each relate pretty much only to the purpose for which you're using them. 

SO ...... 

Decide what you want to do and where you want to take your business and "then" make your decision on what process you want to pursue.

(Personally, I made the decision to focus on short runs, usually between 1 and 24 (that the screen printers don't want to screw with) and online sales through Etsy......and do it all out of backroom at the house on a part time basis. For that, the "only" answer is digital and it's worked great for me. I'm operating at a 30% net profit margin, have had tons of repeat business and a growth rate of nearly 30% per year (without any marketing whatsoever) from word-of-mouth. Had zero interest in pursuing Screen Printing - way too much investment and hard work .... and DTG is a PITA if you're not going to be using it all the time).


----------



## johnpk

In my opinion, Screen T-shirt printing is best method.


----------



## kinjal

As per my viewpoint,none of the method is right or wrong.All depend on implementing in right place.
Screen printing is best for bulk ordering and long lasting fabric.
DTG printing works well when customer wants custom t-shirts with multi color complex design.It is feasible for small quantity orders.


----------



## brushyourideas

Following types of T-Shirt Printing Method. All the methods have their benefits and pitfalls.

1) *screen printing:* When it comes to printing t-shirts, screen printing is one of the most popularly used methods. It also provides consistent printing and long lasting imprints.

2) *Heat transfer printing:* Heat transfer might prove to be a traditional method for handing a t-shirt printing business.

3) *Direct-to-garment printing:* It can print multiple coloured images directly on the t-shirts with perfection.

4) *Embroidered printing: *Polo t-shirts are printed using this method. Embroidery printing is also used to create corporate t-shirts.


----------



## sublial

Each technology has its own niche market for efficiency. It is wise to pick your technology for the market you want to supply.


----------



## Ahmed11

it was a nice article i am trying to make a name of my online company in T shirt manufacturing and this article was a lot of help


----------



## flanderscs

DTG and Heat Transfer are good for decorating and low volume runs.


----------



## sublial

This post is a great post and you have should be proud for this;
Consumers need to evaluate there purchases by the volume of shirts they expect to make per day, the type of designs, and the material they are going to print onto. They need to look at the cost of the equipment and how many shirts they need to make to pay for the investment. They should also evaluate how many other substrates this investment can be used for.
Example a DTG printer that cost between $15,000.00 to $20,000.00 is not a good investment if you are only using it to make a few shirts a day with it. If you apply one dollar to the cost of the equipment you need to make 15, to 20,000 shirts to pay off your investment.
If you purchase a simple ink jet printer for a couple of hundred dollars to make the same amount of shirts per day your investment is paid off in far less time. 
This is an excellent post and maybe the lack of doing a good evaluation prior to making your purchases there wouldn,t be so many posts after consumers purchase there equipment complaining the cost of white ink or the cost of additional software to save on ink costs.
Thank you for your post,
AL
atttransfer.com
____________


----------



## TheHouseofGarb

funny how with screen printing you "can only print simple images and designs" i strongly disagree with this one.


----------



## maximumsp

I believe there are other methods that have been left out.

Someone pointed out embroidery.

There is dye sublimation now along with vinyl cutting although the vinyl could be lumped in with the heat press category.


----------



## pracownia kreska

Oh man, he really wrote it. 
After all, direct screen printing probably gives the best results ...


----------



## cc0623

What happened with the Genesis? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0d9t_wRaCY


Belquette merged with Coldesi and that was the last I saw the Genesis. Coldesi has upgraded the Viper but it looks like the Genesis got dropped. Really sucks because I wanted one.


----------



## Fiza

Screen T-shirt printing is best method.


----------



## Daninho79

The most durable is without a doubt sublimation, i like it alot but you need of course polyester or polyester blends, it beats every other method regarding the end product and has relatively low cost, if you step up the game you can do all over prints with giant machines as well. I am doing HTV and sublimation as a hobby, so i just look at the end product here, not from a business side. I like screen printed shirts and sublimated shirts the most because they give a premium feel. HTV has of course its place as well, its quick and last pretty long when done right but its more for logos and low color graphics, fonts etc.. Definately the cheapest method and you can shoose from hundreds of special colors like glitter or hologram, even super thick silicon "embroidered looks" that can give nice premium details. I want to try out screen printing as well but in a cheaper way, with sign vinyl instead of UV coating on the screen just for the fun of it. At the moment i think tri blend shirts in vintage look with sublimation is a very nice way of creating shirts and cheap as well. Can not beat the durability and that you can feel the print.


by the way i can not see any article here? What i am doing wrong?


----------

