Printing on hoodies is an excellent way to express your creativity. You have complete freedom to design any part of the garment without worrying about how well-fitted it will be once cut and sewn together.
Printing on the back can present a challenge when trying to locate an optimal placement for designs, particularly when dealing with names and numbers.
Dye sublimation
Dye sublimation is a digital printing technique that’s quickly becoming popular as an innovative way to print on apparel. It offers an affordable and straightforward solution for branding t-shirts, hoodies or other items with your design.
This method of printing utilizes specialized paper, ink and heat to transfer the design onto the material being printed on. It’s more durable than screen printing and allows for intricate and unique designs.
This process begins with a digital design that is printed onto transfer paper with sublimation inks. Once that has been placed onto fabric or ceramics, they are heated in a heat press for permanent imprinting.
The heat and pressure of the press causes ink on paper to transform from a solid state into a gaseous state that penetrates polyester fabrics, creating an ultra-premium permanent print that’s waterproof, fadeproof, and crack-resistant. This process creates high-quality permanent prints that won’t crack or fade over time.
Screen printing
Screen printing is an increasingly popular method for applying designs to clothing, bags and other products. Not only is it cost-effective for creating a unique aesthetic, but it can be an enjoyable project that you’ll want to repeat again and again.
Screen printing involves stenciling a design onto a mesh screen using photo emulsion. This step takes place in a dark room and can take anywhere from one to three hours depending on the thickness of the emulsion used.
Once exposed to UV light, the emulsion is hardened and ready for printing.
Screen printing is ideal for solid graphics, but not the best option when designing intricate designs with small details like lines and curves. Digital toner gravure (DTG) offers more accurate reproductions of original graphics by employing halftones – tiny dots that create an exact replica.
Direct to garment printing
Direct to garment printing (DTG) is an innovative method of imprinting digital designs directly onto fabrics using modified inkjet printers. This advanced printing technology enables businesses to produce intricate, high-resolution artwork not possible with traditional screen printing methods.
DTG prints on fabric use water-based inks that bond with the fibers when heat-cured, making them suitable for printing on natural fibers like bamboo, cotton and hemp.
Screen printing requires more setup time, while DTG printers offer a quicker turnaround for smaller orders. As such, many online entrepreneurs opt for DTG to print their customized merchandise.
When it comes to care, DTG printed t-shirts remain crisp and vibrant for a long time if you follow the instructions and wash them gently on a gentle cycle. You can also pre-treat your garments before printing to increase their longevity.
Heat transfer
Heat transfer is a popular technique used to print designs onto custom T-shirts and other apparel. It involves using a heat press to apply both heat and pressure in order to imprint designs onto fabric.
The initial step in the printing process involves creating a design on a computer. Graphic design software is then utilized to arrange and model all necessary text and image elements.
Printing the Design: After inkjet, sublimation, screen print or pigment ink is used to print the design onto heat transfer paper.
Trimming the Image: If necessary, a vinyl cutter can be used to eliminate any parts of the printed image that won’t appear on the final product.
Heat transfer is a cost-effective and simple option for custom t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies in small runs. Unfortunately, it’s not suitable for larger orders or dark-colored fabrics.