Digital vs. Screen Printing usually a common topic when it comes to cost-effective T-Shirt printing. Digital printing produces minimal custom printed orders, and screen printing is there so that you can save money on larger ones.
What is the Difference?
A lot of people struggle with which print method is going to be the best for their T-shirts. This question brings a lot of confusion to people. Therefore, we will be discussing the difference between the two, so you can feel better about which printing option is better for you.
Printing
Digital – Digital printing works likes a normal printer. You choose a file on your computer; you hit print and get it sent over to the printer. From there, it prints in small and incremental pieces. Digital printing uses cartridges like the ones you buy at the store, except they are a lot bigger.
Offset – Offset printing is the more traditional form of printing. During this method, the colors are separated in your image and make individual stencils for each color. The colors are then mixed separately for each color and then those links are pushed through to create the design for your shirt.
So, what you want to know is what method of these prep methods is better. The answer is, there’s no direct answer to this question because both print options have important strengths. Therefore, whatever one you choose should depend on some details about your order and what’s important to you. With that said, what you need to know is the three key considerations when deciding between screen printing and digital printing. Then based on those, you can decide which one is best for you. So what are the three top considerations when picking a print method?
Quantity
Number one is quantity, and quantity means the number of pieces is printed with the same design. This could be different types of designs as long as the design stays the same. Screen printing typically works with an order of 12. This is because it has an extensive preparation and setup time. So, if you’re looking for fewer than 12 pieces, digital printing will be your solution. The strength of digital printing is that setup is quick, and if you needed, you could order just one T-shirt.
If you were ordering 12 or more, you could go with either of the print methods. However, if it’s anything above 25 or 30 pieces, you will want to go with screen printing. This is due to screen printing has a much bigger bulk discount for higher quantity orders. Even though it has more extensive prep and setup, the printing is more efficient.
What Apparel you Choose
Screen printing has much more variety. Screen printing works on any fabric, including a hundred percent polyester, performance fabrics, and synthetic blends. On the other hand, digital printing is best for a hundred percent cotton and different cotton blends.
What Kind of Design you Have
If you have images or designs with multiple colors, then digital printing would be a better solution. If it’s fewer than 24 pieces, digital printing can reproduce photographic images. Furthermore, digital printing uses CMYK inks to make all the colors. It doesn’t matter how many colors are in your design. However, screen printing could be a better option and much more cost-effective if you have fewer colors, or if you’re ordering larger quantities.
Since screen printing means that you have to separate your colors, the cost varies depending on the number of colors you need in your order. Six or seven colors may be a big deal for 50 or more shirts, but if you’re ordering 12 shirts, than you will want to make sure to keep the color count down for a cost-effective option.
In Conclusion
Something you should always keep in mind is how important color matching is to your print. With some screen printing, your colors may be mixed to print each color individually. Then, the color can be matched to the color of your specific brand or logo. Lastly, if you need other printing services, such as a large format. Then, Xerocopy is an orlando print shop with many years of large format printing experience.
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