If you want to create a beautiful T-shirt, you have a few options to consider. Creating a design that you hope will resonate with people who read it is just the beginning. You then have to choose what sort of printing technique you will use to create the design on the actual garment. Three popular options are silk-screening, direct-to-garment printing, and flocking. 

Silk-Screening

One of the most common methods used to create a design on a T-shirt is silk-screening. The silk-screener will create a stencil that is placed over the garment, and then special inks are applied. If the design requires multiple colors, the printer will create a different stencil to use with each application of color. Silk-screening works best for churning out multiple garments because creating the initial stencil is expensive, but then applying ink to an already created stencil is much less expensive. Thus, bulk printing with silk-screening is better than a limited run. 

Flocking

Flocking is applied in a similar way to silk-screening. But where silk-screening creates a smooth image on a garment, flocking is used to create texture. In addition to the dye used to create the design, flocking involves spraying fiber particles onto a garment to create texture. The amount of fiber applied and how it is applied gives a T-shirt designer options for creating a unique texture to the garment. In some cases, adding texture can enrich the design of a T-shirt, or it simply adds a tactile quality that, in addition to the visual quality of the T-shirt, can make in desirable. 

Direct-to-Garment Printing

Another option for creating a garment is a direct-to-garment printing machine. The DTG printer is basically an inkjet printer that has been adapted and modified to print onto a garment. The primary advantage of DTG printing is that you don't have the initial set-up cost associated with creating a stencil for screen printing. You should also have an easier time creating designs that require more than one color in close proximity. Thus, both financially and creatively, there are advantages to working with a company that employs DTG printers.

When creating a custom T-shirt, it is easy to focus simply on coming up with a unique or humorous design. You should, however, understand how the printing process you choose will affect the look and the price of your T-shirt. In order to create a T-shirt that will stand apart from the sea of T-shirts on the market, you need to choose both design and printing process carefully. Talk to companies like American Screen Graphics to learn more.