Screen Printing Vs Digital Printing (DTG) : Which is Better?

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!

Understanding 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.

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.

Process with xTool Screen Printer

Traditional screen printing process

Pros of Screen Printing

• Prints are long-lasting and withstand multiple washes
• Offers brighter and more vivid colors
• 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 of Screen Printing

• 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

Understanding 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.

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.

Pros of Digital Printing

• Ideal for intricate designs with a variety of colors
• Minimizes preparation time, perfect for urgent projects
• Perfect for personalized designs
• Typically uses less ink, reducing wastage
• Maintains the natural feel of delicate materials
• Delivers uniform quality across all prints, even in complex designs

Cons of Digital Printing

• Digital prints may fade quicker than screen prints with frequent washing
• Less effective on dark or thick fabrics compared to screen printing
• Less cost-effective for large quantities
• Print size and placement can be restricted by printer limitations

Screen Printing Vs Digital Printing: What's the Difference?

After exploring each printing technique, let’s put screen printing and digital printing head-to-head for a more detailed comparison.

Vibrancy

Vibrant designs are eye-catching, a key goal in apparel design. On comparing two similar designs, one from screen printing and the other from digital printing, we see a noticeable difference in their vibrancy.

Screen-printed designs appear more vivid, particularly on dark fabrics. This is due to the use of plastisol inks in screen printing, which are thicker, more viscous, and opaque, creating a pronounced base on the garment.

On the other hand, digital printers commonly use water-based inks. Although these inks are also vibrant, their semi-transparency on darker backgrounds makes them look dull.

Color Range

Screen printing, while capable of producing vibrant, high-opacity colors, is limited by the number of screens required for each color. This makes it best suited for bold, solid colors and simple designs.

Digital printing, on the other hand, offers a virtually unlimited color palette. It can reproduce full-color images, gradients, and intricate details with precision. However, while digital printing can achieve a wide range of colors, it may not always reach the same level of opacity as screen printing for certain colors.

Design Complexity And Detail

DTG outshines screen printing in detail and design complexity. Since it prints using tiny dots, the design remains fully close to its digital form, with all small details, curves, and edges intact. Additionally, it blends colors in a single pass.

Whereas, screen printing is better for simpler designs with fewer colors. In case, you are using advanced techniques, like laser engraved stencils</