What Is Digital Printing And Screen Printing?
Nowadays, there are two predominant fabric printing processes: Digital printing and screen printing! Both have their pros and cons, but if you're looking for a specific type of print, knowing how these two compare can help you choose which is right for you.
So, today in this very article, we will learn in depth about what is digital printing, what are the advantages or disadvantages of digital printing on fabrics and compare digital print vs screen print fabrics and find out which one’s better!
Hence, without further ado, let’s get started!
What Is Digital Printing?
If you are curious about what is digital printing, it is simply a process that enables you to print the design you want directly onto the fabric. This means that there is no need for screens or transferred images, and the design can be as complex as you like!
Digital printing gives you a lot of freedom when it comes to your designs. You can use any colour imaginable, and there are no limitations on what you can print. Whether you want to create a small motif or an all-over printed garment, digital printing is the perfect solution. The main advantage of digital printing over traditional methods is that it’s much faster and more efficient.
This means that you don’t have to wait weeks for your garments to be ready – they can be done in just a few days! Digital Printing also generates less waste, so it’s better for the environment too. If you’re looking for high-quality, custom printed garments, then digital printing is the way to go!
Why Digital Printing?
Printing with a digital device has a number of benefits over more conventional printing methods. Here are just a few reasons why digital printing is the way to go:
●Digital printing is faster and more efficient. There's no need for messy ink plates or time-consuming setup processes.
●The quality of digital prints is amazing! Printing resolutions of up to 1200 Dpi (dots per inch) are now possible thanks to recent technological advances. This means your photos will be super sharp and vibrant.
●You have complete control over your print job from start to finish when you use digital methods, meaning less waste and fewer mistakes.
●Finally, it's much easier (and often cheaper) to make small changes or personalized prints using digital techniques. This is perfect for businesses that want to print custom product labels or variable data prints.
Overall, digital printing is simply a smarter way to print. It's faster, more efficient, and produces amazing results. So if you're looking for high-quality prints that won't break the bank, go digital!
Benefits Of Digital Printing
The use of digital printing on fabric carries with it a plethora of potential advantages. Some of them include:
1. Superior Print Quality
When compared to more conventional printing methods like lithography and screen printing, the print quality produced by digital printing is significantly higher!
This is because digital printing doesn't need screens or plates, so the image can be printed directly on the substrate without losing any resolution.
2. Faster Turnaround
Another significant advantage of digital printing is that TAT (turnaround) times are significantly less than that of conventional printing methods.
This means that you can get your prints faster, which is ideal if you need them for a last-minute event or promotion.
3. Unlimited Designs
With digital printing, there are no limits on the number or complexity of designs that you can print.
This means that you can be as creative as you like with your prints and produce unique and eye-catching designs that will really make your products stand out from the crowd.
4. Can Print On Virtually Any Fabric Type
Digital printing has become increasingly popular in the textile industry over the last few years, and for good reason.
Digital fabric printers can print on virtually any type of fabric, from natural fibres like cotton and linen to synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon. This means that designers have much more freedom when it comes to choosing the right fabric for their project.
5. Good For The Environment
Digital printing on fabric, as opposed to more conventional screen printing methods, is significantly less harmful to the natural environment!
Screen printing involves using physical screens, which need to be cleaned after each use, wasting water and polluting waterways with toxic chemicals. Digital printing on fabric doesn’t rely on screens at all, so there's no waste or pollution involved in the process.
6. Cost Effective
Finally, digital fabric printing is cost-effective because it doesn't require setup fees like screen printing does; this means you can order smaller quantities without having to worry about paying extra upfront costs.
Digital Print vs Screen Print Fabrics- Which is better?
Digital printing on fabric is a new technology that has many advantages over traditional screen-printing techniques. For starters, the colours are more vibrant, and the image quality is much higher. Additionally, digital printing is less expensive and faster than screen printing, making it ideal for small businesses or individuals who want to create their own custom fabrics.
However, there are some downsides to digital printing as well. One of the biggest concerns is durability; because the ink is applied directly to the fabric surface, it can fade or peel over time with frequent washing. Additionally, not all fabrics are compatible with digital printing; natural fibres like cotton and linen work best, while synthetic fibres like polyester can be difficult to print on correctly.
Digital printing is, all things considered, an excellent choice for people who want to create custom fabrics but don't want to spend a ton of money doing so. However, it's important to keep in mind that the prints may not last as long as traditional screen-printed designs.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Digitally Printed Fabrics
As the world of fashion continues to evolve, so do the fabrics that are used to create clothing and other textile products.
One type of fabric that is growing in popularity is digitally printed fabric. So, let’s look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of this type of fabrics in the next section.
Advantages
Some advantages of digital printing on fabrics include:
●A wider range of design options: With digital printing, you can achieve practically any design imaginable. This flexibility allows you to get creative with your designs and push the boundaries of fashion.
●More accurate colour replication: Digital printers use inkjet technology to deposit colour onto fabric, which results in more accurate colours than screen printing or rotary printing. This means that your designs will look exactly as you intended them to when they're printed on digitally printed fabrics.
●Higher levels of detail: Digital printing allows for higher levels of detail than traditional print methods. This means that your designs can be more intricate and detailed, which can really make them pop.
●Faster turnaround times: Because digital printers don't require the use of screens or other physical blocks, they tend to have shorter setup times. This means that you can get your fabrics printed faster, which is ideal if you're working on a tight timeline.
●Lower minimum order quantities: Because digital printers don't require the use of screens or other physical blocks, they can print smaller batches of fabric more easily. This is perfect if you only need a few yards of fabric for a small project.
Disadvantages
Some drawbacks of digitally printed fabrics include:
●The ink can sometimes fade over time, especially when exposed to sunlight or other strong light sources. This means that the colours in your fabric might not be as vibrant as they were when you first bought it.
●Digitally printed fabrics can be more expensive than fabrics printed using traditional methods like screen printing. This is because the printing process is often more complex and requires specialized equipment.
●There is also a limit to the amount of detail that can be achieved with digital printing, so if you’re looking for a very intricate design, it might not be possible to recreate it exactly using this method.
●Finally, depending on the fabric you’re using, digital printing can sometimes cause it to be less durable. This is because the ink penetrates into the fibres of the fabric, which could make it more susceptible to tearing or other damage over time.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Screen Printed Fabrics
Screen-printed fabrics are becoming increasingly popular due to the fact that they offer a number of advantages over other types of fabric printing methods.
However, there are also some disadvantages associated with screen printing that should be considered before deciding whether or not this is the right method for your project.
Advantages
Some advantages of screen printed fabrics include:
●Screen printing produces very sharp and high-quality images on fabric, which can be difficult to achieve with other methods. This makes it ideal for complex designs or logos that need to look their best.
●Screen printing is a relatively quick and efficient process, meaning that you can get your fabric printed in a shorter timeframe than with some other methods.
●Because of the way that screen printing works, it is possible to print multiple colours without having to worry about registration issues (where colours overlap or do not line up correctly). This makes it perfect for multi-coloured designs.
●Unlike digital printing methods, screen printing does not rely on inkjet heads, which can become clogged or damaged over time, meaning that you’re less likely to experience any downtime during the printing process.
●Screen printing is one of the most versatile fabric printing methods available, as it can be used on a wide range of different fabrics, including natural fibres such as cotton and linen as well as synthetic materials like polyester.
Disadvantages
Some disadvantages of screen printed fabrics include:
●Because screen-printed images are made up of tiny dots, they can appear "grainy" when viewed up close. This may not be an issue for some designs, but it could be noticeable if you’re trying to achieve a very smooth or photorealistic look.
●While screen printing is normally quite durable, the thick ink layers that are applied during the process can sometimes crack or peel over time, especially if the fabric is stretched or bent in certain ways (such as when clothing is worn). To help prevent this from happening, it’s important to choose a high-quality ink that has been specifically designed for use with fabrics.
●Screen printing usually requires the use of chemicals, which may not be suitable for everyone (such as those with allergies or sensitivities). If you’re concerned about this, it’s worth checking with your chosen screen printing company to see what type of inks and chemicals they use before making a final decision.
●Because each colour is applied separately during the screen printing process, it can be quite time-consuming and expensive to print complex designs with multiple colours. This is something that should be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not this method is right for your project.
●Screen printing can be a bit tricky to learn and master, so it’s important to make sure that you have access to expert help and advice if you decide to go down this route. This is particularly important if you’re planning on setting up your own screen printing business.
Conclusion
And that’s a wrap! We hope that you learnt a lot about what is digital printing, the process involved and digital print vs screen print fabrics. We hope that this article will help you choose the perfect printing process for your clothing line!Also, if you are looking for a reliable clothing manufacturer that has years and years of experience and even offer global shipping, then consider checking out Lanwo Clothing. They are a certified clothing manufacturer who are based out of China and are renowned for their quality control and fast turnaround times!
What Is Digital Printing?
