SCREEN PRINTING
Screen printing (or screen printing) is a traditional method of printing on T-shirts and is the best way to print on cotton clothing. This is the ideal printing method for large designs and is HEADCRAFT’s choice for custom T-shirt printing due to its quality. When you buy a printed Corteiz from a store, chances are it has been screen printed.
SCREEN PRINTING PROCESS
Printing plates are made by applying a chemical emulsion to a mesh surface. The vector drawing is taken from Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw and printed on film or parchment. Then the mesh is placed on a copying table, under which there is lighting equipment. When exposed to light, the chemicals harden around the design, and where the light doesn’t pass through, the chemicals break down. The screen is then washed, leaving only the area that was hit by the light.
The T-shirt is placed on the table of the screen printing machine and each frame is rotated over the T-shirt. The screen is then lowered down and placed on top of the canvas. Then, a squeegee is passed along the color of the paint on the screen, which pushes the paint onto the fabric of the shirt. The screen is carefully removed from the shirt (if the shirt moves or stretches, the next color will be out of registration). The plate with the jacket is moved under intermediate drying. The table with the T-shirt is returned and a stencil of the next color is applied to it.
With screen printing, one color is applied at a time, so the cost increases with each additional color. Each color requires a separate stencil, so screen printing may not be cost-effective if small quantities of clothing are required.
SCREEN PRINTING QUALITY
Screen printed clothing washes well and should not be confused with heat transfer printing, which does not look as good or last as long.
Some custom printing shop owners use other cheaper printig methods instead of screen printing. You may also hear screen printing referred to as screen printing because screen printing meshes used to be made from silk.
COMPARE SCREEN PRINTING TO OTHER PRINTING METHODS
PRINTING PRICES
When you place an order for screen printed clothing, there are two fees:
- Stencil
The first fee is the stencil fee, which covers the cost of making the stencil. This fee is a “one-time” fee, since the stencil can be printed in any quantity.
Each different design requires one stencil, each print color and each print location requires a different stencil. For example, printing one color on the front and back requires two stencils if the design on the front is different from the design on the back.
2. Imprint
The second fee is per impression, which applies to each custom item. This fee mainly covers the cost of labor, materials and other manufacturing overheads. The cost of each print is directly related to the number of items the same design will be printed on Corteiz and is applied to each stencil.
Standard lead time is 5 business days. Call or email for a quote for longer lead times.
ALTERNATIVE PRINTING METHODS
DTG (Direct to Garment)
This is a recent development in the textile printing industry that produces high quality prints on essentials hoodie similar to screen printing. It is ideal for short runs of up to 10 pieces and prints that typically require many stencils. In durability it is inferior to silk-screen printing. More suitable for advertising purposes where the clothes will not be washed.
