There are 4 common types of T-Shirt Printing Methods. Namely Silkscreen printing, Heat Transfer printing, Digital Cut Out printing and Direct To Garment printing method. Technically, they are of different printing process but serve the same purpose - to print T-Shirt.

• Silkscreen or Screen Printing Method

• Heat Transfer Printing Method

• Digital Cut Out Printing Method

• Direct To Garment Printing Method

In the 19th century, a patent was granted in England for a printing process using wooden frame stretched with silk on which a stencil was painted with screen filter. Colour ink could not pass through the masked stencil but was squeezed through the silk and onto the surface below thus making a print.

This printing style became known as Silkscreen printing or sometime Screen Printing.

Valued for its speed and flexibility in term of the variety of surface on which it could be printed, Screen Printing technique was increasingly popular in the commercial sector. Today, automatic presses are available and able to produce thousands of prints at any one time. This speed factor contributes to mass production of T-Shirts for mega events like school camp, charity run and even massive national celebration just to name a few.

Screen Printing is economical for huge quantity print jobs. However, there are flaws and strong suit to it. From film to stencil and then to the press machine, the set-up time can be a little tedious. But once the printing system is up and running, it can print on any coloured T-Shirt with great speed and accuracy.

As technology advances, new types of T-Shirt printing process begin to displace Screen Printing as a commercial printing method. New process such as Heat Transfer printing, Ink jet or Laser printing and Direct to Garment printing are adopted.

The computer has definitely changed our lives and the way we do things. Faster and more sophisticate, time needed for T-Shirt Printing is reduced tremendously.

All that is required: a computer, an output machine and a heat press machine. It only takes about 15 minutes to produce a neat T-Shirt. A special heat transfer media is fed into the out put machine, usually a copier or laser printer where the image is printed. Then high heat pressure is applied onto the media to force transfer the image from the surface of the media to the surface of the T-Shirt.

In today's context, Heat Transfer Printing produces brilliant full colour images in a hassle free way. However, there are some disadvantages pertaining this method. Firstly, it works best with white or light coloured T-shirt. Secondly, it is not meant to produce huge quantity of T-Shirts as the cost per piece to produce is very high.

Hence, this method is commonly used for printing customized or personalized T-Shirt of less than 10 pieces of the same or different designs or images.

Designs are digitally die-cut and transferred to the T-Shirt with the aid of heat press machine. High heat and pressure bond the specially treated cut out material onto the T-Shirt. Made of vinyl, foil or flock vivet, these materials usually come in roll form and running 10 to 30m in length. They are fully opaque and have many different colours and characteristics such as glitters, illum, glow in the dark and even reflective finish.

These materials are easily hot pressed onto any coloured T-Shirt and give an embossed or floating effect. A good example of Digital Cut Out Printing is the number at the back of a sport jersey.

This particular T-Shirt printing works similar to an ink jet desktop printer. The unique textile ink is deposited directly onto the T-Shirt. Without any set up of screen filters, printing of image onto heat transfer media or digitally cut out material, Direct To Garment Printing is an avant garde way to print T-Shirts.

The advantages of this method is ease of set up and reduce limitations. It allows for unlimited colours to be printed and images can be printed with clarity and vividness. Like the Heat Transfer Printing method, DTG has no minimum. The only difference between the two is since ink is applied directly to the T-Shirt, hence allowing for a flexible feel and with no stiffness. This further enhances the softness and stretch free property.

Direct To Garment is so versatile that it can print on any textile and coloured T-Shirt. By far, Direct To Garment Printing is much superior in terms of set up time, cost-effective, presentation and turn around time.

In conclusion, each T-Shirt Printing Method has its pros and cons. The best way to print T-Shirt really boils down to the quantity, quality and turn around time of the T-Shirt to be printed. Technology is advancing fast and a new, faster and more efficient T-Shirt Printing Method will erupt soon.