[Closed] T-shirt printing

method depends on design, quantity & budget

Single colour/large quantity, screen print definitely cheapest per unit. Obviously the less colour, the cheaper it is!

Single/few colours, small quantity, vinyl transfer probably best. There is likely a place local to you that does this. It is possible to digitally print (and therefore do full colour) vinyl transfers, the colour does not last as well as screen though and unless the print is very small you end up having a solid, plasticy block on the t-shirt which a lot of people don't like.

Full colour/small quantity, google Direct to Garment (DTG). Expensive but great quality IME.

Screen printing is much better quality than transfers and lasts way longer. It used to be that the cost was significantly more but these days screen printing can be done relatively cheaply (especially online). And you can screen print any colour onto a dark tee - it just needs a different kind of ink but the printer would advise on that.

Edit - good point above - the more colours you use, the higher the cost as there are more screens to set-up/clean down etc. If you want to keep costs down, design it in a way that means the same colour/s are used front and back too (then they have fewer screens / squeegees to use/clean up etc).

Transfers are shite! They literally fall apart in the wash. If its just for an event and you don't need them to last, they're cheap and cheerful enough

If you want the design to last then you need to go silk screen. Each colour is a separate screen so you need to be smart with the design to maximise it without it getting crazy expensive. Here's one of my recent 2 colour silk screened t shirt designs

[url= https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8694/28407140406_eda5fbbca3_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8694/28407140406_eda5fbbca3_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Khf29S ]JMC TECHNICS DECKS (Black) V2[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/14162682@N00/ ]bin lid[/url], on Flickr

Transfers are shite! They literally fall apart in the wash.

Not true, if done properly they will outlast the t-shirt. I made myself a Tenacious D one when the first album came out - the black t-shirt is now grey and full of holes but the vinyl transfer looks brand new!

The problem is the cost of the equipment required is relatively low so there are a lot of people who don't know what they're doing.

I would agree though that screen produces a nicer, "proper" looking shirt.

Are they going to be sold or given away? DTG is pretty good if you want a few in each size and are going to sell them. The extra cost of having stuff printed on a decent t-shirt that will last and not lose shape in the wash is worth the extra few pounds as well, as people are more willing to spend on something that'll last that they can wear again and again.

I've just been through this whole process as I have designed and printed my own range of tee-shirts and looked at the various options.

Really depends on your quantities, design / how many colours and how good a quality you want.

You can get Direct-to-Garment for as little as one garment - but doesn't work as well on dark colours due to thinner / more transparent inks.

You can now do sublimation printing onto dark colours, but it needs someone with the right ink (white) and printer system - the design is inkjet printed onto a transfer film and them heat-pressed onto the garment.

There are different transfer types from inkjet on vinyl, cold-peel and hot-peel. I've just had some hot-peel plastisol transfers done - they are probably the best in terms of quality / detail. Some places will make as few as 20 sheets of transfers but you need someone who has a decent press / knows what they're doing to print them / stop them peeling.

Screen printing only really feasible for 50+ garments due to set-up

There are different transfer types from inkjet

ah, right, if binners was referring to inkjet-printed, iron-on transfers then, yes, they are utter shite!! That is a DIY, home-printer style thing though, didn't even occur to me that a business would do that and charge money for it 😂 I was referring to cut-vinyl, heat/pressure activated adhesives applied with a proper heat-press which can be v good.

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Carillon Print in Bristol are very good. Ime