Screen printing involves making a black and white hardcopy of the print image on a vellum paper or transparent film. Next a screen is selected and coated with a UV sensitive emulsion. The hardcopy is then placed on the screen and exposed in ultraviolet light for about 3.5 minutes. Once exposed the screen is power washed removing the emulsion hidden by the black image on your hardcopy, then the screen is placed in a rack to dry.
Now you can finally start the screen print process.
for each color in your design, there will be a separate screen needed.
the screen is loaded onto the actual screen printing turnstyle and the non print areas are masked off with tape. Ink is then loaded onto the screen evenly across the top of the design.
The garment is loaded onto the pallet and the screen lowered onto the garment. Next pull the squeegee from top to bottom applying even pressure. The ink will transfer thru the open mesh area and onto your garment.
Finally the garment must be ran thru the curing oven to dry. There is still a lot more involved in screen printing, but you get the idea!
A lot of work to print a one color shirt design.
Sublimation printing is a digital process transfer type printing.
The art is created in say Corel or Photoshop. Next the transfer is printed in reverse image on a special transfer paper suited for the substrate you are printing on. Next the transfer is placed image down on the substrate in a heat press at 400 degrees F for 15-60 seconds(Dependent upon the substrate). The transfer paper is removed and the item cooled. That is basically it! Sublimation inks are actually a dye that switches to a gas form at 400 degrees f and adheres to a special poly coating on the substrate. This coating is the key to this process.
Another alternative is the direct to garment printer. It works the same as sublimation but without the transfer paper process. It too requires heat to cure the inks. Start up is quite a bit higher than sublimation, but the savings can be seen very quickly. Return on your investment can be as short as 1 yr.
Screen Printing is an Analog Process that requires screens and different colors of ink on a manual process.
Digital Dye Sublimation is a digital process. No screens or setups are required. No film positives are required. You print out your images on a high-release ink jet paper. Then you heat press the garment.
Sublimation is only good for 100% Poly Shirts which are a big part of the wicking or moisture management market. Cotton cant be done with dye sub. That being said you would be surprised how far some dye sub shirts have come. We have some on our site.
If you are looking for short run full color production dye sub may be for you. If you need cotton then it just wont do.
Good luck.
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Chris @ Vapor Apparel www.vaporapparel.com 1.843.747.4200
I know this is an ancient post, but where do you guys get good poly tees for sub printing? Does it have to be 100% poly or can it be a blend? If blend, how much cotton can you have for it to work?
dye sub requires light (preferably white) background) - print on transfer paper at about 5 to 7 cents a sq inch, heat pressed. screen requires 4 or more screens at $25 each, setup registration, etc, but ink costs are very low. If doing one offs on white - 12x12 dyesub a little over $7, screen $100+. however if your are doing 20 plus items the screen starts getting the advantage on cost. I doing 500, then screen is far cheaper than dye sub. dye syb is a dye, needs a light colored background - screen is a pigment ink and can be done on any background color. what you use is dependent on your need.
Re: Does any one know how this is done. 
