Looking around for options when you need to customize something may expose one to a myriad of printing options.

These printing methods all have their individual processes and merits, as well as drawbacks. Figuring out which one is best suited to your methods means knowing more about the processes themselves.

Heat transfer printing and screen printing are two popular printing methods for customizing and personalizing. Deciding which one is the better option for you can only be done once you have familiarized yourself with what each method has to offer.

 

Screen Printing

The more traditional method of screen printing is more widely used, in which the images are formulated using a stencil process. Screen printing can be used to print on a number of different materials, from t-shirts to wooden objects.

In this method, screens are burned with different colors, making the selection of colors limited to the printing machine’s capacity for screens. This screen printing process is ideal for printing designs that are large and limited to one or two colors, as they do not have any limit on the size of printing.

Cotton and poly cotton items are the ideal materials for silk screen printing, and the print turns out bright even on fabrics that are significantly dark. This process is particularly cost-effective for printing in large, bulk quantities.

Heat Transfer Printing

1In heat transfer printing, garments are printed by transferring the print design from the paper to the garment, using heat and pressure.

This process allows the printing of full color designs on garments, making it a popular process in the textile industry. The heat transfer printing process involves printing the image on a special sublimation paper using a specific specialty ink.

The transfer of the image to the garment is done by using a heat press. Using heat transfer printing has numerous benefits. It is environmentally friendly, an increasingly important factor in this day and age. With this method, several colors can be used in the event that they do not overlap, and photographic material can also be heat pressed onto garments. This process gives those doing the printing a significant amount of control as well as flexibility, leading to end products of higher quality. It gives a good deal on the costs if the printing run is small.

Choosing the printing method depends on what you want to print on and how many items you need customized. Generally, for large orders, screen printing is most cost effective, while heat transfer is pretty inexpensive when ordering printing in small numbers.

Good quality printing is a lot about the quality of the materials used as well. At JD Digital Technology Co. Ltd, get the best in heat transfer printing paper. We are leading sublimation paper manufacturers, and offer a range of options including inkjet heat sublimation paper, laser heat sublimation paper, and eco-solvent heat sublimation paper.