Everyone asks what type of tshirt printing should we select ?
“I heard silkscreen printing is the best !” exclaims a young lady, coming to the shop to make her class group t-shirts. However, this is a “Yes / No” answer. Let us explain to you why.
Firstly, we have to know what do you want to achieve for the tshirt design. Let us list down the criterias.
What do you require for Tshirt Printing ?
- Printing of personalized names and numbers
Answer : Usage of heat transfer vinyl printing as it can be done for 1 piece orders / personalized names and numbers (commonly used for jersey name and number printing) - Printing of multi color logo with small fine details
- Small quantity
Answer : Usage of multi color heat transfer vinyl printing as silkscreen printing may cost fairly expensive due to the board setup fee - Large quantity
Answer : If you are looking at an order of 50pieces and more, you may want to calculate the board setup fee and etc for silkscreen printing
- Small quantity
- Printing of a huge design within A4 or A3 sizing
Answer : If you are looking for a print quantity of above 20pieces and more, do opt for silkscreen printing - Printing of a huge design across the whole shirt
Answer : If you are looking for big designs on the whole shirt, please do opt for sublimation printing, we start at just 5 piece minimum order
Pricing for Printing
Silkscreen Printing
Silkscreen printing is one of the cheapest type of print solution for your design if you fulfil the following:
1. Big quantity print (at least 20piece order per design)
2. Low usage of different colors (the cost of silkscreen depends mostly on the usage of colors)
3. Design is within A3 (30 x 42cm) frame
4. Not too many designs all over the shirt (e.g left sleeve – 1 board, right sleeve – 1 board, chest – 1 board, back – 1 board)
Although silkscreen printing may be considered the oldest form of printing available since old ages, it may not be the optimal solution for you. In the 90s, we often seen soccer jerseys which printed their soccer stars name and number using silkscreen. The board is fixed and the font type is only selectable from maybe 5 types.
We should only consider silkscreen prints unless our designs are mostly of the same throughout the order, with few or little difference or personalization.
Heat Transfer Printing
Heat transfer printing refers to sticker printing (lay man term). You may wonder why these “sticker” often peel off and yet so many people still opt for this printing.
These “sticker” peel because of the following reasons:
1. Low quality heat transfer vinyl usage
2. Heat treatment insufficient
3. Cloth type not suitable for heat transfer vinyl printing
Of course, if you use poor quality materials to do a print, everything turns out to be rubbish. If you find a quality vendor, they can assure that the prints will stick on.
Do avoid the following when you use heat transfer prints:
1. Warm water washing
2. No hot ironing of shirt
3. No usage of dryer during washing
Why do we require heat transfer printing ?
1. Personalized name and number will require this method of printing due to easy prepartion for personalization
2. Printing of small detailed logos (e.g club chest logo affixed to jersey, of course you can opt for the more expensive Embroidery)
3. Able to do complicated designs for low quality of shirt printing
Sublimation Printing
Sublimation printing is one of the most advanced and high end printing available. Of course, if you look for low tier vendors, they will tell you that personalized names and etc cannot be printed using sublimation printing. However, good vendors will ensure you that personalized names can be printed as well as custom logos.
This is the highest tier of printing currently in the world. The best production factories often situtated in China. However, do note that not every production factory is of good class. Most certainly guaranteed is, the sizing issues of overseas factory.
Some factories make their items according to European standards, thus making the sleeves huge and long. When wearing such shirt cutting, you may look like a dwarf in it even though you may be 1.8metres tall.
However, some of these Chinese / Indonesian / Malaysian factories will make them in Asian cutting. This will result in an awfully small and tight shirt cutting.
Thus, it will be the best to engage a local Singaporean shirt printer in the case you require a custom shirt sublimation printed.
