Clothing printing is a key aspect of creating t-shirts that sell. It’s not something that you can do at home — it requires professional equipment, an eye for detail and a lot of experience.
The four main types of clothes printing are block, roller, screen and heat transfer printing. They each involve applying colour to fabric, usually as a paste, and fixing it. The coloured paste may then be discharged, or destroyed by reducing agents, leaving white designs on a coloured background. Discharge printing is most effective on light fabrics and cotton blends. It is less effective on dark fabrics, and is difficult to print over a white under-base with plastisol inks. Discharge inks are also toxic and require special ventilation and face masks to use.
Direct-to-garment printing, or DTG, is a newer and more advanced option that sprays ink directly onto the garment. This allows for a wide range of colours and intricate details, but it’s not ideal for bulk orders or high-volume production. It can be tricky to print on dark-coloured fabrics and the ink needs to be cured properly (see instructions on the ink container) or it will degrade over time.
Unlike DTG, screen printing can be a profitable business model for entrepreneurs who produce a wide range of designs. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the production process is expensive and can lead to massive waste if you’re printing in bulk. This makes it a good choice for artists and designers who want to create a collection of one-of-a-kind pieces.