Printing Techniques

The printing industry is gaining significant attention in this day and age. The process of printing an image or design onto different surfaces has been made more innovative and eased the process. Opening up new possibilities for print to take place on more than just one kind of surface or medium. Printing has evolved from hand-printing to machines to satisfy our printing needs and make things more convenient. Businesses have benefited in terms of convenience, fewer tasks steps, and even cost, particularly when the printing industry went online. Since the 2020 pandemic, the globe has taken a far more digital, productive, and contactless path, notably in the UAE.

The UAE is well-known for being a growing startup hub. Small and medium-sized companies have thrived as more resources have become available to them to concentrate on their operations. When it comes to promotions and marketing, the UAE has done all possible to spread the word about its business! They rely on numerous means to distribute information, such as leaflets, brochures, banners, and business cards! Some organisations wear personalised corporate gear like t-shirts, hoodies, and hats when organising promotional events or attending foreign seminars.

Printed and customised items have supported the success of many small and medium-sized enterprises in the UAE. If you’re looking for a site to purchase personalised items, you should also check into the various printing procedures that will work best for you and your company.

Currently, these are some of the most popular ones in the printing industry:

1. Direct-to-Garment Printing:

Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing is a method of printing on textiles that use specialist aqueous inkjet technology. This method is seen in printing t-shirts. DTG printers generally feature a platform intended to keep the garment in a fixed position, and the printhead jets or spray the printer inks onto the cloth. The inks used are suitable for printing on natural textiles like cotton, bamboo, hemp, and linen since they are water-based. Furthermore, pre-treatment is often given to the garment before printing. The pre-treatment is heat-pressed into the custom t-shirt, which causes the shirt’s fibres to lay flat. 

Often used for:

T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, and other apparel.

2. Screen Printing:

Screen printing is used to print textiles, wood, glass, and signs, among other things. In this printing process, a small mesh or substance is used to transfer an image onto another surface. To effectively print the picture, the mesh is stretched out to form a screen, and ink is forced against it. Screen printing is commonly used to print images on clothing and other fabrics, and may also be utilised on paper and metal. Screen printing is best for repeat items in bulk quantities. It’s not the best cost-effective option for smaller quantities unless you need a lot of the same image, then it’s a highly cost-effective method of printing T-shirts and other products.

Often used for:

Printing logos and graphics onto clothes, and posters.

3. Offset Lithography Printing:

Offset or “litho” printing involves transferring the image to metallic surfaces. It involves printing plates, usually made from aluminium, which each contain an image of the content to be printed. These plates are then transferred (offset) onto rollers or rubber blankets before being printed on any form of paper. Due to the general time and money necessary for set up, plates, and ink before printing, offset isn’t cost-efficient for small quantities and is often utilised only when extremely high volumes are required.

Often used for:

Rough-surfaced media e.g. wood, canvas and cloth. It can also be used for books, paper, stationery and more

4. Direct-to-Film Process:

Direct to Film (DTF) is a process used for t-shirt printing, that uses a heat-press mechanism to transfer prints onto fabric or other substrates. Unlike the DTG process, which is exclusively applicable to cotton fabrics, the Printer DTF method is applicable to cotton and poly mixes. Implementing Printer DTF in your printing business does not require a big investment. DTF printers are typically fitted with several coloured ink tanks. These tanks make it possible for printers to work in CMYK mode. Additionally, the ability to print on practically any surface is one of the main reasons why the DTF printer is gaining popularity.

Often used for:

T-shirts, apparel, textiles

Works well on cotton and poly blends.

5. Heat Transfer Printing:

Heat transfer, also known as thermal printing, is a printing technique that allows you to print a pattern directly onto an item of clothing or an object. This printing process may be used to generate an image by layering wax dye onto an item or using pre-painted graphics on a wax sheet. The process involves two different types of inks, which are ribboned together and heated to produce an image on the opposite side at the same temperature as the original object. The right professional can use heat transfer printing to create high-quality, realistic, and colourful pictures. This is one of the best methods for transferring pictures onto apparel.

Often used for:

Fabrics (both natural and synthetic), mugs, plates, ceramics, metals, glass and wood.

6. Sublimation Printing:

Sublimation printing is a type of printing that includes first printing on a particular sheet of paper and then transferring that image to another material (usually polyester or a polyester mix). After which, the ink is heated until it dissolves into the cloth. Although sublimation t-shirt printing is more expensive than other methods, it is more durable and does not crack or peel over time, unlike other t-shirt customization methods. Sublimation printing allows you to pick a design that may span from seam to seam. This is becoming increasingly popular for smaller batch orders and designs that rely on details.

Often used for:

T-shirts, banners, table covers, id cards, sportswear and flags.

We understand how important it is to choose the right printing technique for your business. To get products printed and customized, it is crucial that you find the best t-shirt or product printing and customization vendor that can help you with the right process and material.

Humd is a printing marketplace that employs the right printing techniques to help you with your printing and customization requirements. We have vendors skilled in all kinds of printing processes, experienced in working with different printable materials and surfaces.  We provide printing and customization solutions for customers for quick and hassle-free online shopping. Irrespective of the organisation or order size, we cater to all your marketing and promotional product needs. Humd also provides a platform for vendors to manage their end-to-end business more effectively, converting their daily operations from offline to online.

Head over to our website to learn more about us.