There are 4 common types of T-Shirt Printing Methods. Namely, Silkscreen printing, Heat Transfer printing, Digital Cut Out printing and Direct To Garment printing method. Technically, they are of different printing process but serve the same purpose - to print T-Shirt.

Let’s start with the Silkscreen Printing or Screen Printing Method

In the 19th century, a patent was granted in England for a printing process using wooden frame stretched with silk on which a stencil was painted with screen filter. Colour ink could not pass through the masked stencil but was squeezed through the silk and onto the surface below thus making a print. 

This printing style became known as Silkscreen printing or sometime Screen Printing.

Valued for its speed and flexibility in term of the variety of surface on which it could be printed, Screen Printing technique was increasingly popular in the commercial sector. Today, automatic presses are available and able to produce thousands of prints at any one time. This speed factor contributes to mass production of T-Shirts for mega events like school camp, election campaigns, charity run and even massive national celebration just to name a few.

Screen Printing is economical for huge quantity print jobs. However, there are flaws and strong suit to it. From film to stencil and then to the press machine, the set-up time can be a little tedious. But once the printing system is up and running, it can print on any coloured T-Shirt with great speed and accuracy.

 

As technology advances, new types of T-Shirt printing process begin to displace Screen Printing as a commercial printing method. New process such as Heat Transfer printing, Ink jet or Laser printing and Direct to Garment printing are adopted.