Get advice to help you create your t-shirt graphics. Discuss t-shirt design software, special effect techniques, or other topics related to creating a t-shirt design on your computer. If you'd rather hire a graphic designer to do the work for you, please post in our Referrals and Recommendations section here.
Ever hear of color separations? Ever heard of 4 color process printing? Ever hear about dot gain? How about spot colors? Pantone?
Those are just some terms involved in the graphic design process for screen printing. Most people think that because they can manipulate images in photoshop then they're considered a graphic designer. I'm not saying that this is the case with you but just know that there is a whole other process that is created after you create your design. There is a lot of stuff that isn't suited for screen printing and mostly it's the stuff some people call "designing."
If you're any good then all that I've said doesn't matter and you'll be able to translate your design for screen printing very well
Yes,totally agree with you! Graphic designing difffers from designing for printing. If you have done
the graphic design and already finish your design,but you can not send it for printing.No matter which
kind of printing like screen printing,DTG,heat transfer,etc.., your design is low resolution and is not suitabe
for printing.You have to convert your original design into vector file which is compatible with your printing.
During the vector conversion process, you might have to seperate the colour into several layers if you use
screenprinting. Just a thought.There are many difference between graphic designing and doing graphic designing for T-shirt printing.
Well said both of you. It's a world of difference. Getting all those fancy fades and effects to translate to a film positive- to a screen- to a shirt is an art and science all to itself, why do you think dtg technology took off like it did? It allowed folks to create high end graphics on t-shirts and sidestep all -well almost all- the prep work.
I agree if you are a silk screener or embroider, but as far as DTG printing you can pretty much print any design that you come up with. The amount of colors and detail that come from DTG prints are pretty impressive…
__________________
Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life.
-Confucius
I've always thought of Graphic Design as that pretty stuff you see in magazines, posters, corporate literature, etc...
I think your question is worded incorrectly. I think you mean, "what is the difference between Graphic Designing for T-Shirts versus other Media?"
Technically, the substrate involved(fabric) has it's own specifications and limitations when it comes to print processes, ink formulations and prep/finishing procedures. Also, Garment printing usually requires a more involved Separation process than the other media types. Also, if you're interested in generating profits or keeping your job, you will need to design in such a way as to maximize thoroughput on the machines. There's other concerns but I'm hungry and am going to look for some fried chicken somewhere...
Concerning DTG, from where I stand, I don't really see the impact of it on the industry yet. The print count per minute just isn't there yet. A friend of mine uses it for super custom short run jobs and makes good money per project but couldn't make a living with it only. Granted, the images coming from the DTG units are impressive but limited. Photorealistic prints that don't exceed the borders of the shirt do fine but anything else is meh...
__________________
Weigh the world and pry asunder all things to their inmost core.
You will find them made of wonder, everything is something more.
You are all correct. In my experience, I have ran into many "designers" that didn't know that first thing about a color separation or how the design actually gets printed, whether on a shirt or on a brochure (I work for a printing company too). Many people think they can copy a picture off a webpage and it will print just like that on their printed piece. In my opinion those people are brought to us by the makers of the cheap programs, such as publisher and printworks..etc....sorry didn't mean to rant! Lol! Those programs have been the source of many headaches!
Anyhow, there is a difference and it sounds like you could learn a lot on this forum from many experienced people so keep asking questions.~
–noun the art or profession of visual communication that combines images, words, and ideas to convey information to an audience, esp. to produce a specific effect.
You always have design for the size and media you are going to print to, Magazine, business cards,packaging, T-shirts the like.....each have something different in the way you output it.
Both are designing only. The only diff is that if it a low res design it cannot be printed on a t-shirt or for that matter on anything cos there might be chances of pixalation which will make the printed design look pathetic.
Differences what? 
