Eeny, meeny, miny, moe - t-shirt printing methods
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There are a number of different ways to print onto a t-shirt, for example screen printing, direct-to-garment, vinyl, transfers and sublimation. All of them have various pros and cons. Below I have to outline some of the pros and cons of some of the methods, but it is by no means a definitive list. At Your Sportee we design and print sports t-shirts, so it has been written from a slightly sports-focused angle (of course!).
+ Most common technique for printing on cotton t-shirts
+ High quality
+ Durable
+ Cost effective (if printing lots of t-shirts)
- Limited number of colours
- Not suitable for one-offs and small runs
- Limited resolution of design
- Heavy feel of print
- Effects breathability and moisture-wicking of fabric
Direct-to-Garment
+ Prints directly onto fabric
+ Good for one-offs and small batches
+ Full colour printing
- Affects breathability and moisture-wicking of fabric
- Does not print well onto polyester
- Works best on lighter coloured fabrics
+ Can produce complex designs
+ Full colour printing
- Longevity of print - can crack and peel
- Not as heavy as screen printing, but still has obvious feel of print
- Affects breathability and moisture-wicking of fabric
Vinyl
+ Bold, vibrant colours
+ Good for small batches
+ Great for lettering
- Heavy feel of print
- Limit number of colours
- Limit detail
- Affects breathability and moisture-wicking of fabric
- Longevity of print - can crack and peel
Digital Vinyl Transfer
+ Bold, vibrant colours
+ Full colour prints
+ Good for small batches
- Heavy feel of print
- Affects breathability and moisture-wicking of fabric
- Longevity of print - can crack and peel
Sublimation
+ Can produce complex designs
+ Full colour printing
+ Durability
+ Good for one-offs and small runs
+ Does not affect feel of fabric
+ Does not affect the breathability and moisture-wicking of fabric
- Works best on lighter coloured fabrics
- Cannot be used on 100% cotton
From this quick run through, you can see why we use sublimation at Your Sportee. The other techniques all have excellent uses for various different types of t-shirts. But for sport and exercise, sublimation is by far the best to produce t-shirts that have designs on that don’t affect the performance properties of the t-shirt (or you!).
At Your Sportee we only use sublimation printing. If you want to find out more please checkout the site, shop and follow us on social media. We always want to hear comments and feedback.