T-Shirt Printing is Used to Sell Products and Express Opinions-final
The 1960’s popularized wearing cotton t-shirts. They were often tie dyed in bright colours. The combination of t-shirts and screen printing opened a whole new world. People could buy t-shirts that had products, images, slogans or opinions expressed on them. Then t-shirts exploded in popularity. The t-shirt is like a blank canvas to an artist. Whatever you wish to put on it can express your opinion in a public manner, or the t-shirt can be used to mention and sell a product or for other purposes. All of this is done without saying a word to anybody!
You can find many t-shirts that are sold without anything printed on them. These are referred to as “blanks” since there is nothing printed on them. However custom designs and pre-designs have risen in popularity. The word “pre-designs” means a shirt with an image or text already printed on it. A “custom” designed shirt means a shirt with a unique image or text, such as a company or organization name, an athletic event, a sports team jersey, etc. No further customization would be done on this kind of t-shirt. Custom designs are cost-effective and very practical, so it makes a cost effective way to advertise or promote a product.
Custom printing on t-shirts can be done using several methods. Digital printing is a new method used to produce full colour images. The most common method to put an image on a garment is screen printing. In the past it was called silk screen printing. It was called that because the screens were made using silk thread. Nowadays the screens are produced with man-made thread. The inks used can be made of Plastisol or water based inks. The image put on a garment with screen printing is very durable and cost effective. Screen printing is a tried and true method of transferring an image onto a garment. The image could be text or clip art or a logo, virtually any image. In this process every screen is a different colour. For example, a four-colour image would require four screens to be made. The specific ink colour is pushed through each screen onto the garment. To push the ink through the screen the choice is to use a manual method of an automatic machine. Then the inked garment is carefully removed and put through a conveyor belt dryer at high temperature. This complete process has transferred the image onto the garment, pushing the ink into the fibers of the material and then “cooking” it to cure the ink. The result? A superb long-lasting image.
When screen printing is used, the finished screen prints are very crisp, with no “bleed” between the colours. The image is clear. If an image is going to be printing again soon, then the screens are saved. The ink is removed from the screen and it is thoroughly cleaned so it is ready to be used again. If the image is not needed, then special chemicals are used to remove the emulsion from the screen and it is washed clean.
Another method of putting an image on a garment is the process of heat transfer. An image from a computer is printing onto a special film using a computer printer. Then the film is placed on top of the garment and a heat press is used to press and transfer the image from the film onto the garment. Using this method, the image typically must be put on a white or very light-coloured garment. One of the disadvantages of this method is that it is not as durable as screen printing.
The third method of printing, which was mentioned above is Digital printing, otherwise known as Direct to Garment or DTG print. The best analogy to describe the process is the same as your computer’s ink jet colour printer. Instead of a piece of paper going through a printer, it is a garment. The same basic analogy applies. A garment is loaded onto a pallet, which is brought into the machine. Ink heads shoot different colours of ink onto the garment and this creates the image. Once the image has been printed on the garment, then the pallet comes out of the machine. The garment is unloaded and passed through a conveyor belt dryer. With this method a full range of colours is achievable, so it is typically used for full colour images. A benefit of this method is that it can be used for small quantities, even “one-offs”, where the print quantity is one! However, this method is not as fast as screen printing, so it is commonly used when smaller quantities are required.
The great thing about customized garments is that people love watching people. An image or text on a t-shirt draws people’s attention. They want to read the words, the message, or see the image. In comparison a billboard is something that people will not actively watch or turn away from. An ad or image on TV is something that people will choose to not look at. A t-shirt with text or an image can be a great way to sell a product, service or express an opinion. The t-shirt can be worn most places, making it memorable for those who see it. When you combine the benefit of low cost, t-shirt printing serves as great advertising.
There are numerous uses for custom apparel. For example, sports teams need custom t-shirts, long sleeves, hoodies, jackets, shorts, or pants. These garments are suitable for screen printing and digital printing. It is very common to see work environments where the employees are wearing a standardized custom garment with the name of the company, organization, restaurant, etc. on it. Schools such as primary schools, high schools, colleges, or universities use custom apparel. Custom apparel such as printed t-shirts are used to show a sense of belonging to an institution. Custom apparel can be used to create feelings of unity amongst people, or pride, or enthusiasm or unity of purpose. Just image the feelings evoked wearing a custom t-shirt for a one-day charity event. The quantities for custom apparel do not have to be large quantities. It is still very cost effective to small a small quantity of custom t-shirts for events such as family reunions, gifts, party favours or small gatherings.
There are many t-shirt printing or screen printing companies that can produce custom garments for you, at affordable prices. Some even have design software that you can use to upload or create your own design. If it is all integrated, then you can create your design, choose your product and colour, select quantities and sizes, then pay online and check out. Your order is completed and now you only need to wait for it to be completed. Most t-shirt printers can produce your custom apparel in 5-10 days. Rush service is available too. Their websites contain a wealth of information to help you in this process.
You can choose to make your custom t-shirt or custom apparel with a conservative or more creative image. It can have text that expresses product information, company name or values, or something about an organization, or could express an opinion. Whichever way you choose, people will value receiving a custom t-shirt or custom apparel. It will be worn many times, with pride and maintain its high-quality image.
