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Broken Arrow Showroom
4133 Merle Hay Road
Des Moines, Iowa 50310 USA
Phone: 515.251.6999
Toll Free: 800.810.4692
Showroom Hours
Monday-Friday: 8am-6pm
Central Time
Digital Shirt Printing (Direct to Garment) vs Screen Printing T-Shirts
Are you confused about the differences between Screen Printing and Digital Printing (also known as DTG Printing)? It's not as simple as one being "better" than the other, it's a question of which one better suits your needs! Check out our guide below to figure if Screen Printing or Digital Printing is more beneficial in for your project!
Simply put, digital printing is less expensive for runs under 12 pieces and reproducing photographic images, whereas screen printing is generally less expensive for a run of 12 and over.
Pros:
- • No minimum order
- • More cost efficient on orders under 12 pieces
- • Reproduces photographs with crisp, clean detail
- • No limitation to the number of colors in the design
- • Soft to the touch
Cons:
- • Less cost efficient than screen printing on runs of 12 or over
- • Exact color matching is not available
- • Maximum print area of 12.5" wide by 14" tall
- • Fabric must be a minimum of 80% cotton
Pros:
- • More cost efficient for 12 or more pieces
- • Larger printing area available
- • More flexible for fabrics not at least 80% cotton
- • Wider Array of Inks available, including Giltters, Foils, Shimmers, etc
- • "Color Matching Available"
Cons:
- • Minimum order of 6 shirts
- • Not economical for under 12 pieces
- • Cannot produce super fine details in photographs
- • Increase in number of colors causes increase in print cost
Digital Printing
Digital printing is the process of using a printer head to apply ink directly to a piece of apparel or fabric. Digital printing is fairly new but advanced technology that affords the ability to print small run orders on both white and colored garments. If you think about your paper printer at home, a digital printer is the same thing but for garments! With digital printing the color palette is unlimited, which allows you recreate virtually anything from single color logos to high-color photographs. You could have a photo printed on a t-shirt and give it to grandma. Creating customized single pieces has never been easier.
Screen Printing
Screen Printing is one of the most commonly used methods in apparel decorating. It is the process of pushing ink through a mesh screen one color at a time. Although the method uses a system of spot coloring, halftones and blends, it can be used to create an image that appears to have a countless number of colors. Screen printing as a production method quickly overtakes Digital Printing in cost per print. The higher the volume, the lower the cost per print becomes. Screen printing also has the advantage of a large selection of different types of inks that are all considerably less expensive per garment than Digital Printing inks, such as our Specialty Inks.
Examples of Digital Printing and Screen Printing
Click on a thumbnail above to view an image.
You can navigate from one image to the next by clicking the NEXT or PREV tabs that appear as you mouse over an enlarged image. You can also use the LEFT and RIGHT arrows on your keyboard.
