Silkscreen and sublimation printing

There are a lot of reasons why t-shirt printing has become big business. A lot of companies choose to have promotional t-shirts to give away with their logo and slogan on for example. Sports teams use them as part of their uniform. Families might get a design made to wear for a large family outing or get together. Individuals might choose to do it as a way to express themselves or to make some kind of statement. Whatever the reason you want them you should know there are a few methods of printing to choose from the main two being silkscreen printing or sublimation. This is a look at those two options, how they differ and their pros and cons.

Sublimation printing

So sublimation printing is a digital method of printing using software for the design, special paper and a special printer. They place the paper with the image on it over the item being printed on and apply pressure and heat so that the ink on the paper evaporates and becomes a gas that permeated the item, transferring onto it. With sublimation printing you can move photos onto garments and quite intricate designs and multiple colors. A recent development in this method is direct to garment method where the image prints straight on to the garment with a printer.

Screen printing

Also known as silkscreen printing this is a traditional method that has been around for a long time and the silkscreen part comes from what the screens were originally made from. The garment being printed on stretches across a frame and the stencil of the design positions over it in the right place. The screen goes over the top and the ink is applied using a squeegee. For designs with more than one color the screen then is removed and a new screen is put in place for the next color. 

Comparing the two main options

There are different pros and cons for each form so part of the choice depends on what you need from the printing. If you need a large quantity, silkscreen printing is more affordable. But it is not the best option for photo-quality images because of the way the colors are applied. The more colours you need in the image the longer the printing takes and the more expensive it becomes. With sublimated prints, you can do photo images but it is not as good on natural fibers like cotton. Sublimation printing is best performed on synthetic materials like polyester or nylon. Digital printing is a bit more expensive than screen printing at the moment but prices are likely to go down.

Summary

When you are considering whether to choose screen printing or sublimation printing, talk to the printing service about your expectations and needs and they can help you choose the best option for them. An experienced printer will have done all kinds of prints and will have a good feel for your goals and your budget.