If you’re in the market for new clothing, you’ve probably heard of clothes printing. This process involves printing your design in digital software onto a piece of white transfer paper. A plotter then cuts out the design along the outline created in the software. The printout is then placed on the garment in a suitable spot and heat-treated to adhere to the fabric. This process has several advantages. Here are the pros and cons of clothes printing.
Vinyl printing is an inexpensive option that can make your clothes flexible. It is not recommended to use vinyl on a large portion of the garment as it will make it less flexible. Vinyl printing is a good choice if you only need a small logo or a single color, however. The quality of transfer printing paper can greatly impact the amount of flexibility. A good quality paper is IronAll or SoftStretch, which are both elastic. This will make the print last a long time.
Discharge inks can cause fumes, and are only effective on dark 100% cotton garments. These inks can be toxic, so wearing a face mask is highly recommended. Discharge inks can give your design a distressed look and are great for underbasing on darker garments. The effect is also very soft. You can use up to 50% of suede ink for each colour. The directions will vary between manufacturers.