DIRECT-TO-GARMENT PRINTING

Tips For Finding A Good-Fitting T-Shirt

Celeste — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:19:52 +0000

When buying t-shirts for your cause, special event, or clothing line, there are a ton of t-shirt brands to chose from with varying ranges in price. Your clients, customers, and family are likely to let you know what sucks about the shirt you chose for their body. The best way to decide what brand of blank tees to use for your cause is to take the following factors into consideration, and cater to your specific type of customer. Here are common complaints that I’ve heard over the years:

T-Shirt Fit for Men: 1-”The neck stretched out and looks like a loose necklace.” This doesn’t mean you must buy the ones with a very wide seam, just one that uses a tight stitch that will not loosen out to a soggy necklace by the third washing. Unfortunately this requires a bit of trial and error. Buy a bunch of samples, wear and wash a few times, and see which ones retain their shape. 2-”The under arm seems are digging for gold in my armpits.” Tight around your arms just looks like your trying too hard to show people your “guns.” This problem is noticeable right away. If it’s tight under the arms right off the bat, it’ll only get tighter after it is washed.

T-Shirt Fit for Women: 1-”This t-shirt smashes down a perfectly normal sized set of boobs.” 2-”Torso length is too short so it reveals my mid section…that’s only for super models!” Many manufacturers are now making “longer torso” tees. Be sure to look for this in their product description. Regular junior cut girly tees usually are shorter in length so beware..most “regular” women don’t like them. 3- “The sleeves make my arms look fat.” This is usually the complaint with “cap sleeves.” The angle at which they are cut usually falls diagonally at the fattest part of the upper arm with a tighter hugging seam. Unless you have skinny arms, this is usually not flattering. 4- “This isn’t a real size Large!” It’s important to know the difference between the terms “Girly Tee,” or “Junior Cut Tee,” and “Ladies Tee,” as they are not created equal. Girly and Junior tees are curve hugging, sleeves are shorter, and some have shorter torso lengths as well. Ladies tees tend to be for a more mature woman, with a loose fit, longer sleeve and torso length.

It all sounds like a bunch of hullaballoo about a darn t-shirt, but you might be surprised to discover that many folks are quite particular about the one type of garment they’ll probably be wearing more than any other.

Don’t Underestimate The Power Of A T-Shirt: Reason #32

Celeste — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 06:25:41 +0000

The t-shirt is the new billboard, the new business card, the new print advertisement, and even the new wallet photo. It’s a blank canvas ready to convey any message, be it a company identity or a pretty piece of artwork. A cleverly decorated tee can start a controversy which can lead to a national political issue. It can be a conversation starter that will ease awkwardness and break the ice. This video is one of my all time favorites. Something to think about: just because something is shown in writing across your chest, isn’t it interesting that most people assume it must be true? That just shows the power of the t-shirt. There’s an embedded value in the fact that something is displayed across one’s chest…it makes us believe that it is true because the person wearing it wouldn’t do so unless they (literally) stand behind the message, right? Watch this hilarious video that entertains this idea:

DTG Digital Printing vs. Screenprinting

Celeste — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 02:27:41 +0000

So, you need some custom printed t-shirts. Direct-To-Garment or “DTG” printing is the new digital option for t-shirt decoration, and has quickly given Screenprinting a run for the money. So what’s the difference? Imagine a DTG printer as a larger version of a home Inkjet printer, where your designs are printed onto the garment from a printhead. Instead of a paper tray and toner cartridges, there’s a sliding t-shirt table and special garment ink cartridges. Once printed, the garment is heat pressed to cure the ink and ensure washability. As with most inkjets, DTG printing allows for MILLIONS of colors to be produced with vibrant, photo quality details. The possibilities are endless! Added bonus: garment inks are water-based, so your shirt feels soft to the touch.

A Screeenprinting machine, on the other hand, a is vastly different. In essence, it is a form of stenciling. It is an actual mesh screen where your artwork is chemically transposed onto the screen. Ink is then physically pushed through the mesh, in the form of a design. Each screen only uses one ink color, therefore many customers typically limit their artwork to less than three colors to avoid added screen costs. Screenprinting inks can be water-based, but the most commonly used are called plastisol, which give a plastic-like feel. Screenprinting is still widely used, but it is most well served for specific purposes and mass quantities. If your t-shirt artwork is very simple, and multi-color photos or details are not important for your purpose, then screenprinting may be a more reasonable choice for you.

See the comparison below. It’s apparent that DTG Printing has several advantages, especially for small to medium sized orders that can be very expensive to screenprint…

DIRECT-TO-GARMENT PRINTING

	NO Minimums. Print 1 shirt or 100 shirts
	NO Set up fees
	NO Screen Charges
	FULL vibrant color, photo quality gradients & halftones.
	Size of printed design can be adjusted according to shirt size, at NO charge.

SCREENPRINTING

	Quantity minimums from 48 pieces & up PER DESIGN
	Set up fees: $25 -$30 per design
	Screen charges: $20 per color, per design
	Pay PER color, print quality low for gradients & halftones
	Artwork size change = new charges & screens