Introduction
The freedom to customize designs is a critical aspect of the printing business. High-design personalization makes your brand stand out, while print quality solidifies your reputation.
To guarantee these qualities, you have to use the best printing technique you can come by.
You can narrow your options between two popular choices: sublimation and screen printing. Sublimation is a prime pick for design quality and durability as it infuses ink onto the substrate. But, screen printing also stands as a noteworthy alternative delivering similar qualities.
This guide will help you decide which technique to use. Ultimately, you’ll better understand each method and why it’s best suited for your business needs.
What Is Sublimation Printing?
Sublimation printing is a method relying on the thermal transfer of dyes.
Distinct from other techniques, sublimation does not paste the design on the surface. Its reputation lies in its unique process of embedding the inks into the material fibers.
However, like other methods, it employs a two-phased printing process using transfer sheets and heat presses. It’s the go-to technique for printing seam-to-seam designs on synthetic or blended fabrics.
How does sublimation printing work?
The word “sublimation” is a physical process. It is when a solid matter converts into a gas without turning into a liquid phase.
This becomes possible by applying maximal heat to vaporize the ink dyes. First, you print your digital design on a transfer sheet via a sublimation printer. Next, you will feed the fabric and the transfer sheet into a heat press machine to “sublimate” the ink.
The extreme heat melts the dyes, allowing them to seep into the fibers. Once the ink cools and solidifies, you’ll have a smooth and breathable print feel. This process is possible only with sublimation ink and does not work with regular ink.
In the end, you gain a vivid, glossy design that is fade-proof and long-lasting.
What can you do with sublimation printing?
Sublimation printing is a well-rounded companion. You can use it on polyester or poly-blend fabrics or other hard substrates. It is the go-to for printing on laptop sleeves, mouse pads, and athletic jerseys.
Sublimation has better design versatility as it can do all-over prints on shirts. A sublimation printer for t-shirts is ideal for printing on light-colored synthetic fabrics. DTF printers can also print T-shirts, but there are differences between DTF and sublimation.
Additionally, dye sublimation printers produce designs on mugs, ceramics, and glass. It’s remarkable to find a technique that works with both soft and hard substrates. This elevates the method’s versatility that’s suitable for an all-rounder printing biz.
What Is Screen Printing?
Screen printing is a household name in the printing industry. Its basic process and principles remain unchanged for centuries.
Screen printing is a manual technique compared to automated sublimation printing. It involves using a silkscreen and manual ink pressing to imprint designs.
This method is best suited to printing bulk orders and natural fabrics. This traditional technique also works with hard substrates, such as sublimation printing.
How does screen printing work?
Screen printing is also termed as silk screening, and the reason lies in its basics. Silk screening uses fine mesh screens where design templates are stenciled.
Stencils block parts of the mesh to prevent the ink from passing through. This allows you to customize the stenciled parts to create your design template.
The most common stenciling involves pasting masking tapes or vinyl to block parts of the screen mesh. But, you can also use glue or lacquer as screen blockers. A light-sensitive emulsion, which creates ink-resistant spots, is also available.
Once the stencil is set, grab your ink and squeegee. Place your screen mesh on top of your substrate of choice and begin the manual printing.
You must roll and squeeze the ink into the mesh to create the design imprints. A more intricate design requires several design element stencils. It also needs separate ink rolling based on color. Finally, let the ink dry and harden.
What can you do with screen printing?
Screen printing creates striking designs on shirts and other surfaces. You likely have several screen-printed shirts in your closet.
The method is most popular for textile printing besides printing artistic rigid surfaces. Many prefer screen printing since it creates a bold texture for its prints.
Screen printing is ideal for printing on cotton and natural fabrics, giving them a breathable feel. It is the best choice if you’re in the souvenir business.
Sublimation vs. Screen Printing: 10 Key Differences
Here’s a more comprehensive comparison between these popular printing methods.
1. Print Quality
Sublimation and screen printing guarantees great quality for their respective applications.
Sublimation prints are popular for their crisp and vibrant design transfers. Even with complex digital designs, the transfers are not distorted. Additionally, sublimation prints are breathable and comfortable.
Screen printing produces the best-textured prints on cotton. While the prints can be heavy, they stay striking, especially with special inks. The only caveat is that they can’t be as colorful as sublimation prints.
2. Durability
The final print output is very different for the two methods. As mentioned, sublimation produces peel-resistant prints as the ink bonds with the fibers. A sublimation print does not fade or crack, so it stays sharp longer.
While screen printing develops a bold texture, it is less durable than sublimation prints. The ink still bonds well with the natural fibers of cotton, so it remains strong. But, screen-printed designs are vulnerable to cracking and peeling over time.
The thick inks are not full-on wash-resistant and can peel through several wash cycles.
3. Print complexity
Automated printing always has the upper ground when it comes to design complexity.
Sublimation printers can print seam-to-seam, regardless of the complexity of the digital design. Dye sublimation printers will print high-resolution designs without any visible distortions as printed. Whether you need single-color or festive designs, sublimation printers have you covered.
Such advantages are absent from screen printing. Creating multi-color designs means producing separate stencils for every color and element. This renders the method impractical for creating complex images. Hence, screen printing is only ideal for simple or bold patterns.
4. Number of colors
Sublimation is a more well-rounded technique around digital design printing. Dye sublimation printers can create intricate patterns out of countless color combinations.
Sublimation printing produces accurate gradients of different colors that screen printing can’t match. Although it does not work with white ink, it remains limited to light-colored textiles.
Screen printing is tied to one or three colors. You have to roll each color by hand, thus limiting color customizations. However, it can print in different garment colors, which should work as an advantage.
5. Special effects
While sublimation offers wide color customization, it lacks special effects and texture. Unlike screen printing, the method is exclusive to working with an exclusive ink type.
In silk screening, dedicated inks create special textures. Some have rubbery finishes, while others offer rugged textures. Two of the most common special effects are high density and frosted prints. You can also add glitters for a more striking look.
6. Fabrics and materials
Sublimation is for synthetic fabrics; screen printing is for natural fibers. This is a notable contrast between the two.
Sublimation suits synthetic garments like polyester, spandex, or nylon. While you can sublimate on cotton, it will not render the best result.
Meanwhile, screen printing is best for cotton or cotton blends. The hand feel of natural fibers makes it adaptive for inks to stick to.
But, both techniques work with hard substrates like ceramics and metals. Sublimation printing is often used to transfer designs on mugs or tumblers. Screen printing is also suitable for hard substrate printing using specialty inks.
7. Eco-friendliness
Eco-friendliness is sublimation printing’s department. It’s a technique with minimal waste and a waterless process, thus preventing contamination. Sublimation inks are non-toxic and biodegradable too.
In contrast, plastisol ink for screen printing is non-biodegradable and toxic. The availability of water-based screen printing inks is also sparse. On top of that, many recognize screen printing to produce more production waste.
8. Cost efficiency
Sublimation printing is suitable for both small and large-scale printing. It’s one of the most cost-efficient techniques catering to any printing volume.
Screen printing is most suitable for bulk printing to maximize a design template. Printing below 25 pieces of garments isn’t a sound cost-to-profit margin. Sublimation is cost-efficient for any volume, while silk screening is for large orders.
9. Items required/Upfront investment
The upfront investment for sublimation and screen printing notes an obvious gap. Sublimation printing may need more capital, but succeeding production costs are more reasonable.
When you do a sublimation printing business, you open your doors to on-demand orders. This means you can produce any volume and order materials suitable to the demand.
In screen printing, you’ll have to invest more in inventory since supplies sell in bulk. Your money will tie up to inventory, with bulk demands coming in slower.
10. Set-up time
Sublimation printing’s set-up time is shorter. The design creation alone is effortless compared to silk screening’s tedious stenciling.
You’re done with printing and heat-pressing in minutes, be it large-scale. The screen printing’s manual process constrains its set-up time. You must squeeze the ink by hand and wait for it to dry.
Whether simple or complex designs, sublimation printing does it quicker.
FAQs
Q1: How should we choose a sublimation printer?
Choosing a sublimation printer must hinge on speed, quality, and after-sales support. Find the printer with the fastest production speed to maximize production cost.
Also, invest in reliable brands to ensure quality. And don’t compromise on support, as your equipment may break down at some point.
Q2: What is the difference between an inkjet printer and a sublimation printer?
Inkjet printers are more common and suitable for paper and textile printing. However, they produce less durable transfers than dye sublimation printers.
A sublimation printer offers better-quality prints on textiles and rigid surfaces.
Q3: Can sublimation printers print white?
Sublimation printers do not use white ink or toner. White spots in a design will remain transparent for that reason. Hence, working with light-colored garments is only advisable for sublimation printers.
Q4: Which method produces more vivid colors?
Sublimation is famous for printing more vivid colors. The color accuracy is significant, and the designs are glossier. The colors are also sharper to the slightest detail.
Q5: Can I use any fabric for sublimation printing?
No. Textile sublimation is not as versatile as other methods. Sublimation on cotton is possible but doesn’t compare to sublimation on synthetic fabrics.
Sublimation printing gives the best result when printed on synthetic garments like polyester. Thus, it’s only advisable that you print on synthetic cloth.
Q6: Is screen printing more cost-effective for large orders?
Yes. Screen printing is ideal and more practical for large orders.
Printing a single design for large orders makes more sense. You don’t want to create numerous stencils only to print small orders. Additionally, suppliers do not sell screen printing materials in small quantities.
Q7: Which method is more versatile in materials?
Both sublimation and screen printing work with soft and hard substrates. They have equal versatility.
Sublimation is exclusive to synthetic textiles, while screen printing is for natural fabrics. Both work with ceramics, plastics, and metals.
Q8: What are the disadvantages of sublimation printing?
Sublimation printing has its drawbacks. They come in the form of high initial set-up costs and synthetic fabric exclusivity.
Sublimation printers and heat press machines can be expensive, and sublimation inks are also more costly than other ink types.
