Mastering Print Techniques for Your Apparel Line

Unlock the potential of your apparel line with expert tips on understanding print techniques and what you need to think about when starting your fashion brand.

If you are starting a new fashion brand or if you are moving your print work over to us from another company it’s important that expectations align with what is possible when printing,
re-branding and re-labelling “stock” products.  This blog is designed to help you in decision making and advise on potential issues faced when producing retail and fashion apparel.

Understanding Print Techniques

Print techniques refer to methods that produce high-quality, vibrant, and durable prints on apparel. These techniques include screen printing, direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, and heat transfer printing. Each method has its own set of advantages and is suitable for different types of fabrics and design complexities.

To ensure that your apparel line stands out, it's crucial to understand the strengths and limitations of each printing technique. For instance, screen printing is excellent for bulk orders and simple designs, while DTG is ideal for intricate, multi-coloured prints on small batches.

Choosing the Right Fabrics

The type of fabric you choose plays a significant role in the quality of your prints. Natural fabrics like cotton and linen generally hold prints better than synthetic fabrics like polyester. However, advancements in printing technology have made it possible to achieve excellent results on a variety of fabric types.

It's advisable to order plain stock samples from reputable brands before committing to a large order. This allows you to test how well the fabric holds the print and whether it meets your quality expectations. Brands such as Gildan, Fruit of the Loom, and American Apparel offer a range of fabric options suitable for different printing techniques.

ADVICE: ORDER PLAIN STOCK SAMPLES FIRST

Maximising Visual Appeal with Colour and Design

Colour and design are critical elements in making your apparel visually appealing. When choosing colours, consider how they will look on the fabric and whether they align with your brand's identity. It's also essential to think about the placement of your designs on the garment to maximise their impact.

When we produce your order we do it to a set of instructions and specification which is added to the job sheet by your sales rep. Your sales rep can advise you on options such as garment colour, sizing, print colours and positioning but anything on top of this, it is your responsibility to inform us. For example - print positions for back, front, left chest etc are all done to our standard positioning guide unless you specify otherwise.

There are so many elements to any job that we cannot foresee every eventuality or predict what you may or may not expect unless you inform us and we get it added to the job sheet.

ADVICE: CHECK THAT YOUR ORDER CONFIRMATION CONTAINS ALL THE INFORMATION REQUIRED TO MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Ensuring Durability and Quality

Durability and quality are paramount when it comes to printed apparel. Different print techniques offer varying levels of durability. Screen printing, for example, is known for its long-lasting prints, while DTG printing may require special care to maintain its vibrancy over time.

Print quality is extremely subjective. what one person thinks is great quality, another thinks is not. We have a standard that we believe is good quality but on occasions this has been brought
into question. A lot of the time this is again due to expectations when concerning different print techniques when printing onto stock products.

We recommend producing samples before proceeding with a bulk order. This allows you to assess the print quality, including aspects like embroidery, finishing, and stitching of labels. If any issues arise, they can be addressed before the full production run, ensuring that the final product meets your quality standards.

ADVICE: SUPPLY US WITH PRINTED SAMPLES SO WE CAN TRY TO MATCH THIS AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE.

Be aware of the pitfalls

• Heat press marks - from transfers or printed neck labels - can usually be removed using a damn cloth and rubbing the affected area. Some polyester and other manmade fabrics can have a permanent mark so we advise ordering printed samples to check this before committing to a bulk order.
  
  
• Residual tag threads - from the original brand label if we are relabelling - can usually be pulled free or cut more closely to the garment.
  
  
• Decoration position discrepancies - there can be differences from garment to garment in the position of any print or other decoration - this is unavoidable due to the print process but can be minimised by taking more time in positioning garments (time = more labour cost)
  
  
• Print registration - this is where the colours on a print can be slightly out of registration. We do our best to get this 100% but it can vary slightly from garment to garment. most end customers will not notice this and to run a whole job perfectly would require us to order extra garments which adds to the cost.
  
  
• Pantone colours - we mix inks to a pantone recipe supplied by the ink manufacturer. This is sometimes a shade darker or lighter to the actual pantone reference. 
  
  
• Pressure marks from embroidery - when we fix your garments to the embroidery machine it sometimes leaves a circular pressure mark on the garment. This can be removed by washing or rubbing some damp material around the mark and then drying. 
  
  
• The “feel of the print is too thick/thin - some people prefer a heavy print, others prefer a soft feel or thinner print. As standard, printing onto darker garments requires an underbase white which will make the print feel thicker. Printing onto light or white coloured garments does not require a white underbase so the print feels a lot softer/thinner. Vinyl transfers come in various thickness and feels. This can also vary from garment to garment on a print run.  Please let us know which you would prefer on all garment variations in an order.