Screen Printing vs Digital Printing: Which one to choose?
In the world of t-shirt printing Chicago, there are two clear ways of methods of printing: digital and screen printing. Both methods have different finishes, and your election must depend on what you are looking to achieve with your t-shirt. Since digital printing has been around for a long time, and digital printing only for barely 15 years, some people argue which one is better. So, knowing what are the advantages and differences among these two types of printing service, will help you answer this question: Screen Printing vs Digital Printing: which one to choose?
Screen printing?
This method of printing has been around for many years. This process includes the use of a stencil. Likewise, it uses layers of ink that are applied one at a time to the printing surface. If you want to add a new color, you need to use a different screen each time.
Digital printing?
It can also be known as Direct-to-Garment or DTG, to abbreviate. This process has just begun 15 years ago, and, as its name says it, it involves the use of complex computing. Since everything has evolved, so does the printing marketing. So, the steps to take digital printing is through a computer that analyzes the image. After that, it is converted into a format that can be printed directly onto the surface required, a t-shirt in this case.
What are the differences?
Color vibrancy
When it comes to the vibrancy of the color, regarding saturation and brightness, screen printing comes first. With this latter, your design will really stand out in the shirt, while in the digital one, it will have a slightly duller appearance.
Furthermore, screen printing uses Plastisol ink, which has a wide range of colors, and digital printing uses water-based inks, that lack of opaqueness and vibrancy of the first ones. However, digital printing can also prove a bright under base, if that is what you are looking.
Color blending
With a right color blending, you can create smooth gradients and a wide range of colors. For this effect, digital printing is perfect, since that is what garment printers were made to do. A digital printing uses a printing machine that works similar to an inkject printer, but for t-shirts and other garments. So, if you want smoother transitions and subtle elements like smoke that fade into your t-shirt, you can use digital printing, which is more reliable than screen printing.
Details on the t-shirt
Talking about details that include fine lines, small type, textures and so on, the digital printing method works best for them. Since any kind of printing over a t-shirt requires halftones (tiny dots), the more you see it, the more it can affect the overall look.
With screen printing, halftones are output from a RIP program (raster image processor used in a printing system that produces a raster image) at something close to 30 LPI to 65 LPI (lines per inch). And, the lower the LPI, the bigger the dot, which can be troublesome for the whole design as well. Meanwhile, digital printing halftones can print up to 1200 LPI, which gets a better result regarding small details.
Durability of the t-shirt
This is a point that concerns anybody who wants to print t-shirts for their business. How much will the print last? Well, regarding this point, screen printing can perfectly hold for a long period of time. Of course, that is if done and applied correctly. On the other hand, while the digital printing service started as a not that durable process, since after 10 washes, the colors would start fading, now, it has evolved long past it. With the new technologies, the quality of the printer, the inks used, the under base, and other factors, it can hold well into the t-shirt. It will all depend on how you wash it, and if you follow the indications of washing.
Comfort and feel
Besides the look and durability of the t-shirt, what people also look is to feel comfortable in the piece of garment they are wearing. So, based on how comfy the t-shirt it is, there are some things to differentiate among screen printing vs digital printing.
First, let’s take a look at these aspects. When the ink clogs up the fibers, this will make the t-shirt have less breathability. This fact can affect the person, depending on what activity they do, as it can create what we called sweat patch”.
Furthermore, if the ink is applied too thick on the shirt, it can weigh down the front of it, which can cause some discomfort for some people. And last, the comfort of a t-shirt is also based on how rough it can feel on the skin. In overall, the feeling of comfort can be granted through the use of digital printing, since this technique uses a water-based ink that feels better.
On the other hand, screen printing technique uses Plastisol, which typically tend to lay heavy on the shirt. Then, the most comfortable one is digital printing. Though, you can also create a kind of softer effect with screen printing by reducing the amount of ink in the surface area. But this latter gives the t-shirt a “distress effect”, which you have to decide whether you want it or not on your custom-made t-shirts Chicago.
Special effects
One thing some people look when they go to a t-shirt print shop in Chicago is for the special effects for their t-shirt. They want it to stand out among the rest, and if possible, make it unique, as it is sometimes something distinctive for the business. So, what do special effects are exactly?
Well, they consist on adding extra dimensions to a print. Between the special effects you can add, the most popular ones are: water-based (a very lightweight and soft print), discharge (it chemically removes the dye from the pigment of the fabric), fluorescent (usage of bright neon colors), metallic (a shiny look like gold, silver or cooper), glitter (a sparkly look with clear gel), suede (a soft and fuzzy texture to the surface), among others. So, since screen printing has been out in the market for more years, it results easier and better-looking for you to use any kind of effect with this technique. While digital printing can accomplish some of them, there is a wider variety with the screen printing technique.
Price comparison
When choosing one or another, one factor that companies always look for is the price comparison. Which one works best for your company’s budget? That will depend on the quantity of prints you need.
For example, you have hired a printing services Chicago, and now they want you to decide which printing method to use. So, if what you are looking for is a small number of copies, then, digital printing can be your best option. The matter with screen printing is that it needs to be calibrated when it is been setting up, and that has an origination fee. With a small number, it will not work good for you.
On the other hand, it will cost cheaper if you need more prints. Take in mind that with digital printing, you won’t pay for the origination fee. Furthermore, another factor to know which one to decide, is on the number of colors you will use. Black and white colors are cheaper with digital printing. In fact, whether it is one or one hundred colors, digital printing is the more affordable. Meanwhile, with screen printing, additional colors will have a cost.
Versatility
This point refers to the ability to print on a variety of textiles. So, a wider versatility means that you can print on a variety of garment styles, print locations and placements. In this regard, with screen printing, you will be able to print on a variety of surfaces, and in all, it will look great. Meanwhile, with digital printing, the technology has reached a point where you can also print of many fabrics, but the use of cotton is still the most recommended. Sometimes digital printing has blending troubles in some kinds of fabrics, and does not do well on polyester. Depending on the kind of fabric you want for your t-shirt, you will need to choose digital or screen printing.
Have you decided?
Well, both methods have its pros and cons, but they work well. In case you decide for one or other, it will actually depend on what you are looking for your t-shirt. What the final look you want it to have is. No matter which one you choose, if you have picked the right one at the best t-shirt printing company in Chicago, you’ll get the best results for your business. After all, what you will always look is for custom printed shirts Chicago that enhance your brand and helps your marketing campaign.