Garment Printing Machines

Garment printers are a quick and easy way to print graphics and designs onto fabrics of any kind. Garment printing has been in use for many different years, with different levels of technology. Screen printing was the first kind of garment printing, which dates back to the 1700s or even earlier. Modern garment printers use a different form of technology than the original screen printing, and it is safer for the environment as well as much less messy and expensive to produce.

There are several different kinds of garment printers. There are small-scale garment printers, large-scale garment presses, and the more old-fashioned style of screen printing. Each of these machines enables designs to be embedded into different kinds of fabric. Cotton fabrics yield the best results, but other fabrics can be used as well.

Screen printing has been around the longest. In screen printing a mesh stencil is created with the design woven into the fabric. The screen is laid over the fabric to be dyed and the ink is pressed through the mesh over the fabric. This is usually done by squeezing the ink through the mesh screen onto the fabric below. The ink is allowed to dry and then the fabric is washed. There are machines designed to facilitate this process and to accomplish it quickly. However, with the technology of garment printing, screen printing is becoming an outdated process.

Digital garment printers enable the ink to be “printed” directly onto the fabric. A computer is used in conjunction with these printers to eliminate the use of a screen. The printer can be used to make many different designs, and the drying process occurs much sooner. Usually the printers are used in conjunction with a press that fuses the ink with the fibers making them impossible to wash out. Digital garment printers can be purchased in large or small sizes.

Garment presses are usually large-scale versions of garment printers. They combine all of the processes used in garment printing into one machine. A computer is attached to the machine so that the design can then be printed onto the fabric. Soon afterwards a press is laid over the fabric to fuse the ink into the fibers of the cloth. The all in one garment presses make garment printing much faster and easier. Most companies that use garment printing will use these large machines.

Garment printers are a much easier way to print onto fabric than screen printing. Not only that, but they are also better for the environment. Screen printing often uses chemicals and man-made materials to create the graphics on the fabric. The ink used in screen printing is also synthetic which can be bad for the skin and the environment when the fabrics are no longer needed. Digital garment printing uses water based inks for the most part, which makes them safer for many different tasks. There are also less parts used in digital printing, which makes less energy used and less space taken in landfills when the machines break.

The digital printers take a design created on the computer and uses inkjets just like a paper printer to translate the digital design into reality on the fabric. In fact, the fabric is used just like paper. It is laid flat under the printer and the designs are sprayed onto it. The fabric is then pressed together using heat to keep the design in place. Most digital garment printers use software called Raster Image Processor to design and print the designs onto the fabrics. Currently the best fabric for digital printing is cotton blends of at least 80 percent cotton. Other fabrics do not retain the images as well.

Many fabric companies use digital printers because they cost a lot less than other forms of fabric transfers and design. The reason for this is because the digital ink used for the process has one of the lowest costs of all ink types. The machines also save on energy and time because they are capable of completing the process themselves all at once. This cuts down on machine costs as well as manpower. Once ink blends are found that can handle every kind of fabric then digital printing will be the number one way to add graphics to fabrics.

There are also smaller digital garment printers that can be used for smaller tasks. Many small businesses and home businesses dealing with fabrics such as clothing designers, curtain and upholstery business, and other similar businesses would benefit from the use of a digital garment printer. Usually the smaller printers can handle around 30 complete design transfers in an hour, which makes them very useful and handy for their size. The small printers also have a very reasonable price tag which appeals to anyone.

Digital printers have many different capabilities. Almost any kind of fabric printing can be done with a digital printer. T-shirts, other clothing, curtains, bedspreads, sheets, upholstery, and many other fabrics can be designed with a digital garment printer. The only draw back to the printers is that the fabrics have to be almost completely cotton to transfer properly. However, that is likely to change in the near future, opening up a whole new world for garment printing.

Garment printers usually cost anywhere from $11,000 to over $200,000 depending on the size and capabilities. Small businesses can use the smaller printers for their needs, and larger manufacturing companies can use the larger printers for their higher amount of need. One of the great things about digital printing is that there are many different options for every price level and business size.

The main difference between a digital garment printer and another kind of garment printer is cost and process. The other forms of printing are messier and slower. They also tend to cost more because of this fact. Digital printing is faster and prints differently from any other kind of printing which makes it a worthwhile investment for anyone in the fabric industry.