Have you ever considered custom apparel printing? Whether you’re a small start up company or a large international corporation, custom apparel printing is an essential component to your marketing strategy. As a small start up, it’s important to understand how the system works and what types of designs and materials are appropriate for your business. In short, you could have just about anything you’d like in regards to custom apparel printing, as long as you know the limitations and strengths of each.
Custom t-shirt printing is often referred to as plain or premium screen printing. It uses inkjet, dye sublimation or electrophotography to create customized apparel. When using one of these technologies, the printer applies a layer of ink to paper or fabric, then presses the print out onto the custom apparel. A screen is then placed over the design, which allows the ink to be seen clearly. Generally, the custom apparel printing process occurs in one of three ways.
The first setup costs occur when the customer decides to use screen printing technology and decides to purchase ink and supplies. Depending on the type of product and printing request, the setup costs could range from minimal to expensive. Screen printing is also an extremely labor intensive process, which could require several sets of screens for different batches of ink cartridges, screens, and inks.
The second setup cost is related to the method of application. If you are printing t-shirts with heat transfer printing, the setup cost is related to the time it takes to heat transfer the design to the garment. The ink used in heat transfer printing has a higher cost per unit than the traditional methods, so it takes longer to complete the job. In addition, the number of garments that need to be printed will increase with this type of printing technique. In general, it is faster to perform heat transfer printing than screen printing, although the latter still has significant advantages in terms of production time.
Lastly, there are setup costs associated with choosing the right colors and other specifications for your custom apparel. If your custom shirt design calls for solid colors, then you will obviously have to pay more for printing the shirt in those colors. However, it may be possible to find solid colors at a reduced price from your printer if you allow for a small minimum order. If you decide to use screen printing instead, then you will have considerably less setup costs for the shirt since the colors are applied directly to the fabric.
There are some other costs associated with garment printing. For instance, if you want your custom T shirt to say something about your company, then custom embroidery would probably be the best choice for you.