Difference Between Screen Printing, Heat Transfer Printing And Embroidery
There are different ways that you can personalize a tote bag, shirt or any item that you want to have a personalized touch. The most common methods include silk screen printing, heat transfer printing and embroidery. You have to take note that the three methods have their own distinctive advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of in case you have plans to personalize your items.
The most cost effective solution when it comes to personalizing shirts or tote bags is the silk screen printing method. This method involves the use of liquid ink, which sticks to the surface of the item you want to personalize such as a shirt or a tote bag. Although it is commonly used for artwork that has only a single color, it is used in color printing as well. Since every printed color must be applied individually, the more colors involved, the more expensive the silk screen printing method is. This poses as a drawback if you are planning to create an artwork that has a lot of colors involved. The advantage of this method is that large silk screen printing artwork is low cost as long as few colors are used.
Embroidery is another method used when personalizing certain items. It creates a sewn version of the artwork on shirts or bags. In most cases, the number of colors does not affect the cost but the size and complexity of the artwork makes a difference to the cost of the project. Take note that the more complex or if there are a lot of embroidery stitches involved, the price eventually goes up. The advantage of the embroidery method is that it is an economical option if you want to have a multi-colored artwork.
As for the heat transfer printing, it is also another commonly used method when personalizing items. This method starts from the pressing of the film prints to the items along with high heat for bonding. The method is utilized when the artwork has a lot of colors or effects that cannot be achieved with the screen printing or the embroidery method. These include the effects of color gradients, reflections and shadows. It is also the preferred method when a certain photograph is applied during the personalizing process. The heat transfer method has a certain drawback though since it is limited to certain materials. Nylon is not suitable since it will melt once exposed to heat used during the heat transfer process. The best material for the heat transfer printing method is cotton and poly-canvas or polyester since they are capable of handling heat without melting. The advantages of the heat transfer method are that it is possible to have illustrations or photographs in vivid colors while the fine details are showed clearly as well.
With the three methods discussed – screen printing, embroidery and heat transfer printing, the ideal option that you should choose for personalizing your items depends on the work that you need and the available budget that you have.
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