What is Vinyl Printing?
Vinyl is the univalent chemical radical CH2CH, derived from ethylene. Okay, we’re all not Heisenberg here. Simply put, it’s a generic name for tough, flexible, shiny plastics that can be molded into objects or films and used for coverings and clothing. Here’s a secret, there’s really no vinyl involved in the process but it’s the common term used in the T-shirt printing industry. It includes vector software, vinyl cutter and heat transfer films. But...that still sounds like Klingon to me!
Let’s keep it simpler. Anyone can easily print a T-shirt in their own home. You just create a design in your computer, print it out using a special paper and then heat transfer it to a shirt. Voila! This easy-breezy process is what you call the transfer paper printing. Now going back to vinyl printing, what happens is that you start with the design through vector software. (What’s vector software? That’s an entirely different topic but just trust me it’s a designing program.) Then the designs come to life from being cut out from a specialized printer. Instead of just printing the design, it directly cuts the outline or shape into the vinyl. We peel off the extra vinyl and then heat press the vinyl product unto the garment. Still confused? Here are the videos of the actual printing.
Vinyl is the univalent chemical radical CH2CH, derived from ethylene. Okay, we’re all not Heisenberg here. Simply put, it’s a generic name for tough, flexible, shiny plastics that can be molded into objects or films and used for coverings and clothing. Here’s a secret, there’s really no vinyl involved in the process but it’s the common term used in the T-shirt printing industry. It includes vector software, vinyl cutter and heat transfer films. But...that still sounds like Klingon to me!
Let’s keep it simpler. Anyone can easily print a T-shirt in their own home. You just create a design in your computer, print it out using a special paper and then heat transfer it to a shirt. Voila! This easy-breezy process is what you call the transfer paper printing. Now going back to vinyl printing, what happens is that you start with the design through vector software. (What’s vector software? That’s an entirely different topic but just trust me it’s a designing program.) Then the designs come to life from being cut out from a specialized printer. Instead of just printing the design, it directly cuts the outline or shape into the vinyl. We peel off the extra vinyl and then heat press the vinyl product unto the garment. Still confused? Here are the videos of the actual printing.
Vinyl Printing vs Transfer Paper printing
Now that you know two of the common processes in T-shirt printing, I know your next question is which is better among the two? Transfer paper printing does the job quick, but so does the quality. It fades quickly. It gets wrinkly or crumply or it starts to crack after three or four washes. It may last longer if you take really, really extra, special care but still it will be unwearable in no time. The verdict? Waste of money. But with vinyl printing, the print will outlive any cheap, disposable shirt it’s printed on. Vinyl also has a smoother finish with a slight gloss look and a sharper contrast.
That's it with the deal with vinyl printing, contact us now for your own personalized shirts. Our pool of highly-creative artists will handle the designs to suit your needs. We also make use of high-quality Gildan shirts from USA. You can be sure that your shirts are meant to last almost forever.
Now that you know two of the common processes in T-shirt printing, I know your next question is which is better among the two? Transfer paper printing does the job quick, but so does the quality. It fades quickly. It gets wrinkly or crumply or it starts to crack after three or four washes. It may last longer if you take really, really extra, special care but still it will be unwearable in no time. The verdict? Waste of money. But with vinyl printing, the print will outlive any cheap, disposable shirt it’s printed on. Vinyl also has a smoother finish with a slight gloss look and a sharper contrast.
That's it with the deal with vinyl printing, contact us now for your own personalized shirts. Our pool of highly-creative artists will handle the designs to suit your needs. We also make use of high-quality Gildan shirts from USA. You can be sure that your shirts are meant to last almost forever.
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