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Screen Printing Vs Digital Printing: Which is Better?

by Winnie Li Posted on January 05, 2024
screen printed t shirts

We love to decorate and stylize our clothing to make it uniquely ours, expressing our individual style through the designs we choose. In the market of apparel decoration, there are various methods to imprint these creative designs. Among them, two methods shine in terms of their feasibility and use case: screen printing and digital printing.

But which one is the right fit for your brand? Is it the modern, detailed approach of digital printing, or the classic, vibrant touch of screen printing? It is the right selection that makes all the difference.

In this article, we’ll put both printing methods – screen printing and digital printing – side by side to showcase their differences. We’ll also get into the nitty and gritty of each technique and explain its best use case. Let’s find out which printing process will bring your visions to vibrant life!

In This Article

  • What Is Screen Printing?
  • What Is Digital Printing?
  • Screen Printing Vs Digital Printing: A Detailed Comparison
  • Screen Printing Vs Digital Printing: Quick Answers
  • FAQs on Screen Print Vs Digital Print

What Is Screen Printing?

Screen printing, also known as silkscreen printing, is a centuries-old technique for decorating and styling materials.

In screen printing, a stencil (made of silkscreen or polyester) is designed based on the artwork you want to print. Once the stencil is ready, it’s placed over the material. Ink is then spread over the stencil, and a squeegee is used to push the ink through the mesh and onto the material. After the ink is applied, it’s left to dry. The final result is a vibrant design on the surface.

screen print on shirts

The traditional screen printing process can be quite labor-intensive and time-consuming, especially the stencil creation part, which takes days. However, if you follow the innovative screen printing method, introduced by xTool, the process just takes a couple of hours.

xTool offers pre-coated stencils that can be accurately laser engraved. Once the stencil is prepared, the xTool screen printer allows for a very straightforward printing process that involves just three steps. To learn more about this method, check out our detailed guide on how to screen print at home.

set up the frame

Step 1: Set up the frame 

engrave the stencil

Step 2: Engrave the stencil

spread the ink

Step 3: Spread the ink

Projects Best Suited for Screen Printing

The screen printing process is quite effective for these kind of printing projects:

Simple Designs: It excels with textual designs, logos, or monograms – the ones that involve a limited color palette.

Batch Production: If you’re looking to produce a large number of garments with the same design, screen printing is your ally. It is cost-effective for bulk orders, as the setup cost is distributed over a larger quantity; you can use a single stencil to create a batch of products.

Vibrancy in Colors: Need that extra pop of color? Screen printing is unmatched when it comes to vibrancy. It is an excellent choice for kids’ clothing or youthful fashion lines, where bright and bold colors are often desired.

Textured Effects: Screen printing allows for unique textured effects with specialized FX inks that are not easily achievable with digital printing.

Pros

  • Prints are long-lasting and withstand multiple washes
  • Easy color matching with Pantone
  • Offers brighter and more vivid colors, ideal for eye-catching designs
  • Economical for large quantities due to lower cost per unit
  • Suitable for a wide range of fabrics and other materials
  • Allow for unique textures and tactile effects on prints
  • Ensures uniform quality across all prints in a batch

Cons

  • Not ideal for designs requiring a wide array of colors
  • Modifying a design after setup is difficult and costly
  • Requires more manual effort than digital printing
  • Not the best choice for extremely detailed or photographic images
xtool screen printer

xTool Screen Printer

Reinvent Screen Printing with Laser

Learn More

What Is Digital Printing?

Digital printing is a modern printing method that involves directly transferring a digital image onto a material. Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing is a specific type of digital printing used mainly for apparel, especially t-shirts. The process is similar to how your regular inkjet printer prints on paper. The only difference is that instead of paper, there’s the capability to print on fabrics.

direct to garment printing

The process begins with your digital design, which can be a photograph, text, or any graphic. This design is processed by a computer and then sent to the digital printer. Unlike traditional printing methods that use stencils, digital printing prints the image directly onto the material. The printer applies tiny droplets of ink, adjusting the color and pattern to match your digital design. As a result, you obtain a print with high levels of detail.

Projects Best Suited for Digital Printing

Digital printing gives promising results when used for these projects:

Customized Designs: If your project calls for highly personalized designs, digital printing is your way to go. You can customize the design without bearing the cost of changing screens, as in screen printing.

Detailed and Realistic Designs: Digital printing excels in reproducing intricate designs with a wide color palette. From elaborate graphics to photorealistic images, it captures every detail with clarity.

Lightweight Fabrics: For materials like fine cotton, digital printing is perfect. It applies ink directly without adding extra weight or altering the fabric feel, maintaining the natural comfort of lightweight fabrics.

Rapid Production: Need a quick turnaround? Digital printing is fast and efficient, ideal for projects with tight deadlines. It is suitable for on-demand production needs.

Pros

  • Ideal for intricate designs with a variety of colors