Printing encyclopedia: the difference between digital printing and screen printing and the application scenario comparison

T-shirt printing has changed dramatically in recent years. With technological advances and new ways to create products emerging, there are now many different ways to design a T-shirt and create a high-quality product. Digital printing and screen printing are two of these methods.

So, what makes these two methods different?

Tool 

Screen printing requires a few different tools to create the final product. First the template, then the print, then connected to the screen and placed on the desired canvas (or shirt), and finally the ink to make the print. Tools include everything from screen printing, scraper and ink to exposure devices, vector drawings, turntable and hot tunnels, etc. With digital printing, you need a computer with Photoshop, a direct garment machine and hot press (hot press), a T-shirt and the right ink, and you can start! If you feel trouble, try DIYSKU intelligent design, no need to install design software and rely on computers.

Efficiency 

Digital printing and screen printing are two different printing methods used for different purposes. Digital printing is a super fast method for disposable printing jobs or artwork with lots of color or detail. This is because if you would only need a shirt or prints with multiple colors and gradient, the setup and cleaning time for screen printing can be time consuming.

If you print bulk units with simple art in several colors, screen printing is the king of efficiency. Despite the time required for setup and cleaning, larger orders for screen printing may take one-third of the time compared to digital printing. The shirt can fly down from the printing press.

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Quality 

There are some art that you can't screen print, such as a family vacation photo or a space cat in a rainbow spaceship. The quality of digital printing and screen printing varies 

in hand feel and life, with different methods for different purposes.

Screen printing is good because it allows you to match ink when printing, including metallic colors and neon. It is also a way to allow you to print on the surface of almost any object. Prinints can also be kept long term.

A digital press can handle all kinds of beautiful colors, but just like your printer, at home, you can't print metallic, neon, and Pantone colors. Because digital printing ink (vegan, OEKO Tec certified, 100% environmental protection) printing is limited to organic fabrics. Like all digital prints, prints fade over time and fabric wear.

The ints also has a different feel. General screen printing inks will attach to the fabric and, depending on the type of fabric printed, will be very smooth or a little rough. Digital prints on white clothing will often feel like a part of the fabric, very soft, but smoother and more prominent on dark or colored clothing.

Cost

One of the most important factors: Everyone is worried about the cost. If you are looking for some batch printing with simple artwork, then you cannot help but choose screen printing, which is much cheaper for large orders. However, the more colors in your design, the higher the screen setup cost.

Digital printing does not require any screen setting fees, so it is more economical for smaller company or individual sellers. If you need hundreds of pieces, the price won't drop dramatically, and your shirt will be very colorful.