Screen printing vs heat press in Sportwear Manufacturing

Understanding Screen printing vs heat press are important in custom sportswear & teamwear. Both ways are valuable; thus, the decision depends on your requirements. The heat press method uses heat and pressure to transfer designs to fabric, while screen printing uses stencils and inks.
You can assess the benefits and drawbacks of both screen printing and heat pressing before any decision what’s best for you.

What is Screen Printing?

Worker screen printing bulk production manually.

Screen printing is a traditional method but still widely common for bulk orders. Ink is spread on the screen to transfer onto the fabric, and a stencil blocks ink to create the desired design. The ink penetrates the fabric, making simple designs with few details. Each color needs its own screen, so we prefer 1 to 3-color design, it’s a complex process for multi color design. Machine holds the design and process is completely human-driven.

Process of Custom Screen Printing

You can use this famous printing method to make vibrant long-lasting designs on plenty of materials. It’s a popular choice to manufacture custom apparel, teamwear and sportswear. Here’s a breakdown of our process.

First, we make a design and split it into different color layers.
After that, we use fine mesh screen to make the pattern for each color layer.
We put the screen on cloth and spread ink over it.
Then, we press ink through the stencil and pass on fabric with the squeegee.
We leave the material to dry and set the ink and make durable patterns.
Repeat this process for each color layer until the image is finished.

Pros of Screen Printing

This method is durable and long-lasting. The ink gets deep into the fabric that lasts through many washes and wears.
Screen printing is the ideal option when you want to create stunning patterns and designs with vivid, bright colors.
Custom mixed inks give exact shade.
Cost-effective for bulk orders.
Lightweight on the fabric provides gentle and comfortable texture.

Cons of Custom Screen Printing

Each color needs its own screen, which can be time and cost-consuming
Not suitable for small orders
Complex designs can alter affect the print quality

What is a Custom Heat Press?

male worker using heat press transfer machine for printing t-shirt

Male worker using heat press machine for printing t-shirt.

The heat press is a modern way of printing high-quality designs. We transfer designs onto garments using a combination of heat and pressure. A transfer paper is placed on the garment and pressed with a heat press machine. Heat transfer is commonly used for custom team uniforms, t-shirts, hats, and other apparel items.

Types of heat transfer

Vinyl printing

Vinyl cutter cuts the vinyl pieces, and then we use transfer tape to smoothly transfer the design onto your chosen fabric with custom heat transfer. Once heat-press is done, gently remove the transfer tape.

Digital printing

Print your design on transfer paper, place it where you want, heat press, and peel for quick and easy image transfer. It’s useful for real pictures & complex designs.

Process of heat press

Make your design on transfer paper.
Once the paper is placed on the fabric, the heat press machine transfers the design with heat and pressure.
Within 7 to 10 seconds, the solvent ink moves on the fabric from the transfer paper.

Pros of custom heat transfer

It works best for quick turnaround times and small orders.
Offers various customization options, such as printing individual names, numbers, and complex designs.
Can be used on different shapes where screen printing difficult
Multiple color designs in one go.
Few chemicals use make it environmentally friendly.

Factors in screen printing and heat press

While choosing which method will be appropriate for you need to consider the following things.

Durability
Design complexity
Colors
Fabric
Size of order

Screen Printing vs Heat Press Comparison Table

Factor	Heat Press	Screen Printing
Durability	Design can fade out or peel off in severe conditions	Exception durability even after machine wash
Design Complexity	Complex designs like real images can be printed in one go	Useful for simple and minimal designs
Colors	Detailed colors can be printed	Works goods with 1-3 colors
Fabric	Suitable for various fabrics	Works well with different fabric types
Size of Order	Recommended for small orders	Best for larger orders and cost-effective

Screen Print vs Heat Transfer – Which is better for you?

Both screen printing and heat press have pros and cons in teamwear manufacturing. Screen printing is long-lasting but expensive and time-consuming for small orders. Heat press is quick for individual designs but not durable.
You can choose based on your needs; if it’s still challenging to make a final decision, contact us for experienced suggestions.

Screen Printing vs Heat Press: Which is better for Teamwear?

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