Screen printing has been the most popular and trusted method of decorating apparel for many years. The longevity and quality of the print are amazing, but the price for this type of custom printing service can be expensive. If you are starting a custom t-shirt business or creating a baby boutique shop with personalized designs make sure to read our full article to learn of new and affordable methods of custom printing.
Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)
Heat transfer vinyl or HTV for short has become popular amongst crafters for creating inexpensive personalized garments and accessories. HTV has made it easy for designers and crafters to start their own custom heat transfer vinyl business.
This special vinyl material can be used to decorate or personalize t-shirts, baby bodysuits, tote bags, mugs and a large range of other products.
All that is needed to get started is a vinyl cutter like the Silhouette Cameo or the Cricut Explore Air and a heat press and you can start transferring your design onto a variety of garments.
The most impressive thing about heat press vinyl is the variety of different colors, finishes, and patterns available – glitter, glow-in-the-dark, flock and foil to name a few. HTV is an affordable alternative to screen printing.
Dye Sublimation Printing
Sublimation is a very interesting and impressive push forward in decorating apparel. Unlike traditional screen printing, you aren’t limited to the number of colors that can be printed at once and the ink is literally embedded into the fibers of the garment.
No screen required, textured surface, extensive setup time, or curing time – simply print your design using a sublimation printer and heat press directly onto the garment.
The print method has proven to be a superior decoration method resulting in a super soft print that will outlive the garment itself, full-color printing at a very affordable price. Primary used on light 100% polyester garments, sublimation printing is definitely becoming a favorite alternative to screen printing for crafters.
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Rhinestones
If you want to create highly personalized and stylish products rhinestone decoration might be your preferred method of decoration. Rhinestone can be applied to shirts, pants, hoodies, bags, used as window decals, and more. These can be combined with HTV, screen printing and sublimation to create a unique item.
Placing individual rhinestones to create a design sounds like a counterproductive task when trying to streamline your t-shirt business. There are many tutorials online on how to create a rhinestone template that can be used to expedite the process for your custom rhinestone business.
Digital Printing (White Toner Printing)
A digital printer or CMYK white toner printer is perfect for printing on both light and dark garments. These printers are capable of printing on 100% cotton, 100% polyester, and poly-cotton blend clothing without the need for special treatments.
When compared against a DTG printer, the entry price for a white toner printer is a much more affordable option without sacrificing the quality of the print.
The disadvantage with this print method is the prep time of your print. Your design must be ‘married’ to the adhesive that will transfer onto your garments. The learning curve may not be as easy as other printing methods mentioned in our article. It can take many practice attempts at creating the perfect print.
Direct to Garment (DTG) Printing
Direct to garment printing or DTG is another technology that has pushed the printing industry forward. DTG is amazing at printing detailed designs and results in a soft feel when you touch the final design. The cost of entry to start a DTG printing business is extremely expensive – the starting price for these machines is $10,000.
You can save a lot of money and stress by using a print-on-demand company. Many offer DTG print service and is willing to drop ship products for you. Print on demand business model is a great opportunity at growing your t-shirt business without the need to carry inventory or actually print the design yourself.
In Conclusion
We hope that this article has proved useful for you, and we wish you the absolute best of luck in starting your own custom t-shirt printing business or clothing line. Let us know what alternative to screen printing you prefer. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates on new blogs, promotional codes and new products