Silk screening is one way to print graphics on shirts.
Heat press and silk screen are the two leading techniques for printing graphics on t-shirts. Heat press is good for short-run full-color printing. Silk screen is good for short-run one-color printing, and longer-run color printing.
Heat Press
Heat press refers to printing graphics on shirts using transfer paper and a heat press machine. A shirt is placed in the machine, and transfer paper is placed face-down over the shirt. The heating unit is brought down over them for a prescribed time to print the image on the shirt.
Transfer Paper
Transfer paper is available for ink jet and laser printers. The design must be flipped horizontally and printed to the transfer paper prior to use. It is also possible to silk screen onto transfer paper.
Silk Screen
Silk screen is a versatile printing technique suitable for printing on shirts, paper, wood, plastic and glass. The design is transferred to a frame with screen mesh stretched taut across it. Ink is pressed through the screen with a squeegee.
Screen making
Silk screens are coated with a light sensitive photo emulsion. Graphics are printed on clear vellum and placed over the screen, then exposed to a strong light for a prescribed time. The image is developed with warm water under pressure.
Which to Choose
With heat transfer, the unit cost is low for short-run, full-color printing, but quality and durability varies. Screen printing is cost-effective for runs of 25 or more with one- and two-color printing, and for runs of 100 or more with full-color printing.
Graphics
Heat-press technology is capable of printing any digital image created in programs such as Adobe Photoshop. Silk screen works best with dynamic, iconic images specifically prepared for the medium. Full-color silk screen is best performed by experienced screen printers.
Tags: full-color printing, transfer paper, good short-run, graphics shirts, Heat press, more with, prescribed time
