When deciding whether to digitally print or screen print a design, it’s important to know the differences.
The process of digital printing involves formatting an image onto a computer, and printing directly onto the material – like the printer that you might have at home.
Screen printing involves a mesh stencil (the screen), created to transfer your design onto your product, one layer of colour at a time.
Let’s consider the pros and cons of each method.
Digital Printing
High detail and colour- Digital printing works well if you want to print a design that is rich in detail or colour, such as photographs.
Easy adjustments- Because digital printing is formatted through a computer, it is easy to adjust your design- handy if you are making personalised products, or if your design does not turn out as expected and needs changes made.
Screen Printing
Fewer colours, but greater selection – Screen printing involves applying a single colour at a time, so it is better suited to transferring images with only a few colours. However, screen printers can mix colours together to create an exact shade, suitable if you have a trademark or signature colour.
Time consuming, but vibrant- Screen printing is a time-consuming process because it involves more steps, and the thicker layers of ink take longer to dry. However, thicker ink means vibrant colours! Screen printing is the way to go if you want to achieve fluoro or metallic colours, or if you are printing on a darker coloured product.
Sagamore’s screen printing room has been in operation since 1965, and its digital printing room since 2009.
Sagamore was one of the first companies to install UV curing, which allows ink to dry under a UV light, allowing us to create finer detailed designs, such as small text.
