Screen Printing Vs. Digital Printing
3 Important Differences
Screen Printing Vs. Digital Printing
- What’s Screen Printing?
- What’s Digital Printing?
- Screen Printing: When to Use It?
- Why Use Digital Printing?
- Screen Printing Vs. Digital Printing – Comparison of Costs :
- Screen Printing’s Pros and Con:
- The Pros and Cons of Digital Printing:
- Conclusion:
How to Differentiate Between Screen Printing and Digital Printing. When you are choosing between digital printing on cloth or screen printing for your next garment, it is important to understand the benefits and terms of each printing.
Before we get into the discussion about screen printing vs. digital printing, let’s first understand what each means.
Screen Printing: What is it?
Screen printing consists of creating a stencil, then adding layers to the material printed with that stencil. Each color is then added one at a time to create the final look.
What is Digital Printing?
Digital printing is a modern method that involves a machine editing and printing the artwork onto your label. Digital printing does not involve thermal transfer or application, as the ink is applied directly to the shirt’s fabric.
You might prefer screen printing if you want a vintage, more traditional or more soft look. However, if you want a cleaner, more modern finish, digital printing is a better option for embroidery designs. Both methods have their own finishes.
Let me now talk about digital printing vs screen.
When to Use Screen Printing?
Screen printing is best for patterns that require a high level of lifeliness, such as those printed on dark clothes or specific items. Screen printing uses ink that is thicker than optical printing and produces lighter colors on darker shirts.
Digital Printing: When to Use It?
Digital printing is more suitable for products that require large quantities of information but a smaller quantity. Digital printing is more precise than traditional screen printing. The digital printer does not use displays, which allows for photographic printing for machine embroidery design.
Size: If your goal is to have a classic, complete front design, you can go digital and screen. There are options for more unique styles, such as an all-over print.
Printable Clothes: No matter if you do DTG or screen printing, cotton printing is still the best. Screen printing can be done on polyester, acrylic, Teflon coated materials, burlap and bamboo. DTG is another option. DTG, which is limited to cotton and polyester printing, can be used as long as there is no under-base.Appearance: Both the digital and the live show can look fantastic if the template art is well done. Color is therefore the most important element. Screen printing can be scaled up with the right inks and technical skills. Digital printing’s blues and violets won’t look good on an underground platform. It does not allow for advanced screen printing with inks like metallic, dim glow, or UV-sensitive shades.
Speed: Screen printing can be a complicated and complex process. It takes time. The time and effort is well worth it, but if you don’t have the time or desire to print ten shirts right away, digital printing is a good option.
- Let’s now discuss their prices according to the printing requirement:
Cost Comparison: Screen Printing vs. Digital Printing
The price of each print will also affect the number of colors that you can use. It’s easier to print digitally in black and white, but if you prefer one or more colors, it doesn’t matter. Each color can be printed with screen
If you need to print, an additional screen is required. Additional colors will cost extra.
Screen printing: The pros and cons
Pros:
- Bulk work is cost-effective
- You can quickly transfer artwork to a variety of locations.
Cons:
- It is more expensive to print with different colors.
- Only one layout per batch
Digital printing: The pros and cons
Pros:
- If you have a tight deadline, it could be a better option.
- Regular adjustments can improve accuracy, if necessary.
- Great for customized mail
Cons:
Inaccuracies in color matching; the color may look different when printed.
Conclusion:
When you’re deciding between screen printing and digital printing, digital print will satisfy your needs if you select 100 individual prints. Screen printing is a better option if you want a greater number of prints but not personalized.
This article should give you an understanding of how screen printing and digital printing work.