T Shirt Printing Machine

How are T-shirts Printed?

T-shirt printing machines apply print designs on t-shirts. The machines are of two types - a direct-to-garment or DTG printer and a sublimation printer. A DTG printer works by first printing an print design using an inkjet printer onto a sheet of polyethylene terephthalate PET paper. A heat press machine then transfers the print design on the t-shirt. However, some printers, such as t-shirt screen printers, may not require heat. A sublimation printer prints the image design and transfers it to the t-shirt in gas form until the photo attaches to the garment.

How is a Direct-to-Garment Printer Different From a Sublimation Printer?

A DTG printer has a unique image transfer process in that it uses a t-shirt press machine to produce heat that prints images on the t-shirt. On the other side, a sublimation printer for shirts prints and transfers an image directly to a t-shirt through sublimation (the chemical process of changing a solid to a gas without changing into a liquid state). DTG printers also produce higher-resolution images on a t-shirt than sublimation printers because the ink is directly on the t-shirt. The print texture from a direct-to-garment printer is rough, while t-shirts from a sublimation printer feel soft. A sublimation printer for t-shirts is suitable for large-scale printing as it prints multiple t-shirt designs at once, while a DTG printer or heat press for shirts will suit small runs of t-shirt prints because it is slow and prints t-shirts one by one.

What Should You Consider When Buying a T-Shirt Printing Machine?

The printing method is an essential factor to consider. A sublimation printer works best for a seamless t-shirt printing process; a screen printer suits manual printing. When looking for a long-lasting image print, a t-shirt sublimation printer is suitable because DTG prints crack when folded. The machine's life is essential because a good printer should serve well for many years. Buyers can also acquire t-shirt printers based on the volume they produce by picking a machine that prints enough t-shirts for their needs, such as a home screen printer for domestic t-shirt printing.