Everybody likes the feeling of saving a couple of bucks. It’s why we storm the local Walmarts and Targets on Black Friday, jumping and tackling each other like a pack of wild animals fighting over prey. It’s why we ask for the manager whenever a product isn’t 50% off as it was initially advertised. And why shouldn’t we? We work hard for the money that lives in the confines of our wallets and purses. This is precisely why we look for every opportunity to find deals that will help us save. And there’s no better way to save money than with screen printing.
Also known as Silk Screening, screen printing is essentially the process of printing graphics onto your t-shirts using thick inks that cement on top of the t-shirt instead of smearing through the fabric. Screen printing used to be the only method of printing graphics onto clothing and has become increasingly popular over the past several decades. This method is preferred due to how affordable and accessible it is. With the thicker inks that screen printing utilizes, the graphics you put onto your clothing will pop and stand out to the average eye. But don’t just take our word for it, have a look for yourself.
How Screen Printing Works
While there are immense benefits that come from screen printing, it’s not always the most straightforward process to understand. The process begins with a thin meshed being carefully stretched over a polyester frame. Next, a negative of your design will be printed onto the screen to be placed and engraved within the shirt. When the design is set, ink is rolled over the areas of your design. Once this is completed, the ink is placed to the side so it is able to dry thoroughly and completely. There can be a variety of separate ink, techniques, and even chemicals that go into screen printing. Now, this may sound like a lot, but it’s ultimately the most affordable and efficient form of printing.
Benefits Of Screen Printing
While the process of screen printing is a lot more complicated than most modernized digital printing, there is an assortment of benefits that come with the process. The primary and most popular use of screen printing is how the ink comes off in the final design. The inks used come off heavier, thicker, and, best of all, vibrant. This results in your final product becoming more durable and less likely to fade over time. Screen printed shirts can sustain multiple wash loads more so than regular digitally printed shirts. The signage of screen printed shirts has also been known to last longer than the signage of digitally printed shirts, especially when worn outside.
Disadvantages Of Screen Printing
While screen printing has numerous benefits that make it worth it, it also comes with many disadvantages compared to digitally printed designs. For example, digitally printed designs are a lot faster and are able to print intricately drawn designs such as gradients, shadows, and much more. When choosing between screen printing or digital printing, it all comes down to the design you want to be printed.
