How to start a tshirt printing business

T-shirt printing is a significant side hustle for anyone looking for additional cash due to its high likelihood of success. You can start this business immediately thanks to your originality and creative flair.

Nowadays, shirt printing in Singapore is practically required. Thanks to their distinctive capacity for self-expression and marketing, there is a vast market for them; for the vast market, the customer got cheap t-shirt printing.

Ideas alone won't cut it; you also need fabric and printing equipment to transfer your drawings or messages to it. Let's examine the two most popular techniques: -

1. Screen Print

A mesh screen, ink, and a squeegee are used in the process of screen printing to imprint a stenciled image onto a surface (a rubber blade). The basic procedure is to use a stencil on a mesh screen before pressing ink to form. The design is then imprinted on the substrate.

Screen printing's fundamental procedure entails making a stencil on a mesh screen before pressing ink to form and imprint the design on the substrate underneath.

Although metal, wood, and plastic can also be used, paper and fabric are the most typical surfaces for screen printing. There are several explanations for why this technique is so well-liked, but the vast array of colors that may be used is by far the strongest.

Despite being the oldest, this approach is the most popular. Squeegee, inks, and frames are needed. The ability to reprint a design is screen printing's main benefit. Printers often keep a design in storage for a fee so that their customers can reprint it as needed in the future.

Complex machines with many legs can handle larger orders, greatly reducing the time and labor required to complete the job. However, a novice could employ the conventional approach.

However, this approach works best for bulk orders of comparable designs. It can be applied by either those making significant financial investments or those already well-known in the industry. This technique produces sturdy, long-lasting prints.

1. Printing using Heat Transfer

Heat transfer is a printing technique that enables you to imprint a design onto an item of clothing or an object. This is no doubt a cheap t-shirt printing technique. Thermal printing, thermal wax transfer and transfer printing are some of the other names by which it is referred. We can transfer an image produced in wax to an item or garment using this process.

This approach is frequently used because it is simple and affordable. This approach uses a far less difficult procedure. A design must be printed, and the borders removed using paper created specifically for the task.

Once the design has been cut out, a heat press machine must be used to fuse it to the fabric. So, along with your design you will need a heat transfer press and transfer paper. This technique is suitable for printing a single design only due to its high cost. Furthermore, its prints are readily faded.

Initially, you can utilize the heat transfer approach to spread the word about your ideas and use social networking sites as a marketing strategy. A gradual transition to screen printing may earn you respectable earnings as your prints gain popularity and more customers, opening the door for further business growth.

1. Vinyl Graphics

Transfer printing is used to produce t-shirts with vinyl graphics. This produces an appearance and texture distinct from screen printing and feels bolder and more dimensional. In many cases, vinyl is thought to be more resilient than ink.

The vibrant colors and robust fabrics work best for t-shirt designs that you want to stand out. Each extra color raises the price, similar to screen printing. Vinyl printing is not viable for large orders because each graphic needs to be transferred shirt-by-shirt.

1. Direct-to-garment

A more recent option that uses the flexibility of inkjet printing is direct-to-garment (or DTG) printing. Similar to inkjet printing on paper but with fabric, this technique sprays ink onto the garment.

The DTG process enables highly customizable designs with minute detail and various color options. Small batches of shirts work best for this. It becomes less practical the more you print. Dark clothing is also not permitted. Shirt printing in Singapore has gained quite a stardom in the past years.

Conclusion:

T-shirts are a basic item in wardrobes all over the world. In addition, it is anticipated that by 2025, the global market for custom T-shirt printing will surpass $10 billion.

Finding a specialization for your store may be helpful if you're an eCommerce business owner hoping to launch a successful online T-shirt business. If you create a truly unique T-shirt shop, either in terms of brand image or the products that are available, your chances of success will be greatly boosted.

Dylan Rao is professional content writer from Singapore and working for www.luminousprinting.com.sg.