Digital Textile Printing VS Screen Printing
With evolving fashion trends, the art of making digital textile prints and screen prints progresses every passing day. The sheer possibilities of turning extra-ordinary garments from both kinds of printing processes are endless. Needless to say, there are other methods to decorate a garment, but these two kinds of printing methods are more prevalent.
Digital Textile Printing and Screen printing are two different printing techniques used to create printed textiles and garments. Due to a lack of knowledge, people confuse both printing techniques. However, these printing techniques differ a lot in terms of process, utilization, and final output.
Let’s clear all the ambiguities related to Digital Textile Printing and Screen Printing!
About Digital Textile Printing and Screen Printing
Screen Printing has been in use for centuries. The early Egyptians made use of this technique to create prints. Thereafter, due to the advent of industrialization, the screen printing technique was employed to create printed textiles and garments in bulk.
Screen Printing is a much older technique. Whereas, Digital Textile Printing is a new-age technique that employs the use of modern equipment and technology. One can also say that Digital Textile Printing is an evolved form of Traditional Screen Printing.
Difference between Digital Textile Printing and Screen Printing
The most prominent differences between Digital Textile Printing and Screen Printing are the process and technology. Digital Textile Printing, with the help of computing and ink-based printing methods, deposits the ink on the fabric. The design chosen for printing is fed into the computer and converted into a compatible format. The computer derives the exact colors to be used in printing from the given design, and then the print is achieved on the fabric.
The final print output is printed directly on the textile in one layer. This process is similar to a colored printing process on paper. Digital Textile Printing deposits a thin layer of ink with crisp image details. It is apt to generate high-precision and immaculate photographic details. Since the design is in digital format, one can print a variety of designs. The possibilities are limitless!
On the other hand, Screen Printing is a conventional way of printing that uses stencils to apply color on the surface. Each layer of the design is individually applied on the surface, unlike the digital textile printing method. Different screens are used for different layers. The end output results in a thick and vibrant print.
Best utilization of Digital Textile Printing and Screen Printing
Screen Printing definitely has some limitations but it is apt for creating unique effects of prints because of thicker ink deposition. It also provides immaculate color vibrancy.
Digital Textile Printing is a printing method that supports crisp image printing, which gives a photographic look. It is an economic way of high-definition printing on fabrics. This printing method allows you to create unique textile prints without having to spend much. Due to the digital method employed in this kind of printing, each color can be differentiated.