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There are a lot more branding types than one would have thought. The first ever printing technique, woodcutting, was done in 220AD. This process entailed carving an image onto a wooden surface. In this day and age, there are more than 25 different types of printing.  Below, we have a look at the most popular printing techniques used today.

Tampography, more widely known as PAD Printing, is a printing technique and process that transfers a two dimensional image onto a three dimensional object. Mostly used on promotional items and gifting, pad printing does not require heat and is very affordable. The more items you print, the more cost effective the printing will be. A solid pad is made with the desired artwork. For every added colour or name, a new plate has to be designed and added.

Vinyl printing has an extended range of functionality. It is recommended for smaller quantities or once off prints – for cost effective reasons. Besides the fact that vinyl printing gives a high quality finish for decorating cars, buildings and windows, it can also be done in large format prints. The amazing thing of this printing technique is that it comes in multiple colours and textures. It is also used to brand garments like T-Shirts. With the proper care, vinyl will outlast your garment. Wash in cold water, inside out.

Sublimation printing is a method or technique that transfers a design onto a material or fabric using ink and heat. Sublimation printing is the preferred method for printing polyester fabric, plastic, cards etc.

Direct-to-garment, or DTG, is a printing method that is quite simple to understand. It’s like printing on paper, but just on clothing. When the ink is sprayed onto the item, it is soaked up into the fibres of the garment. Because the setup time for DTG prints are minimal to none, it gives this technique a major advantage. With DTG, items can be printed on demand – whether 1 or 100. The best fabric to use for DTG is 100% cotton.

Screen printing, also known as serigraphy, is a printing method where ink is pushed onto the fabric through a woven screen. The Woven screen is basically a mesh stencil. The ink does not soak into the fabric and fibres – it actually sits on top of the item or product. A special screen has to be created for every component of an artwork or design. Colours and components are applied layer by layer. The more layers, the longer it takes, the thicker the end result on the item. The preferred fabrics for screen printing are cotton and cotton blends.

Embroidery is an ancient form of art that goes back as far as around 5000 BC. It has been used in many ways, from embellishing elaborate clothing to decorating religious items. Globally, there are over 60 different embroidery styles. The most popular form of embroidery is the contemporary style, which is more widely known as machine embroidery. On an interesting note – a single square of 2.5cm can have as much as 2000 stitches and a shadow in your logo can add to 250 more stitches. It creates colour, texture and richness to a product. The embroidering of company logos on jackets and shirts is rapidly growing, as it is an excellent marketing strategy.

How does embroidery work?

It is important to remember that embroidery is a process. It starts with an idea, and then an artwork is created. As soon as the artwork is approved, embroidery software is used to make a digitizing of the desired art. The process of converting the image into stitches is called digitizing. A clear artwork is important, because that can determine an excellent result.

Which shall I do?

The advantage of embroidery is that it is long lasting and durable. Embroidery works almost on all clothing for creating logos – especially on thicker garments. On the other hand, printing for promotional or advertising purposes, means designs are generally large and sometimes colourful. Because printing can cover a large area, it is also more cost effective than embroidery when branding with large designs. It is important to know what printing to use as misprints, bleeding, cracks, molten (heat transferred printing can melt/burn the polyester fabric) etc, can take place.

Being passionate at what we do, we can help you find the printing technique suitable for your unique requirements. Remember to ask about setup fees and always have your image or logo at hand.

Source: diolka.co.za | wikihow | fibre2fashion.com | contrado.co.uk | sewguide.com | Unsplash