In the past century, the apparel industry has witnessed a dizzying number of changes in the way companies source, manufacture and decorate garments. From hand cutting film for screen-printed letters to designs that are ready to use in less than 30 seconds, there’s no doubt that the digital age has launched commercial decoration into a realm that industry veterans could only have dreamed of just two decades ago.
Follow the timeline of industry innovation in the form of apparel design, software solutions and decoration techniques to grasp how far this industry has come — and where it’s heading next.

Combining digital and analog garment printing techniques opens up a plethora of possibilities.

When you are a start-up screen-printing shop, there are a lot of different equipment choices. Some printers are on a shoestring budget and others want the best screen-printing equipment. No matter where you fall, many screen printers start out with a manual screen-printing press. This makes a lot of sense given the lower price point and typically smaller footprint of a manual press when compared to automatic alternatives. A solid manual press can last a life-time. In fact, some screen printers go years before getting their first automatic. While manual printing still has a place, it may be time for you to add an automatic press.

The below information will provide guidance on what to look for in your first automatic and help guide your thinking about incorporating automatic screen printing into your shop.

Not all inks are created equal. Lately, there’s been a lot of buzz regarding “eco-friendly” inks. Without going into too much detail on the make-up of these screen printing inks, I’d like to give a brief guideline of what to look for when switching to or using “eco-friendly” inks.

Producing amazing designs all day, every day is no easy feat. These hacks can help keep your creative juices flowing.

Philadelphia-based Rush Order Tees decided to put decorating techniques to the test in an ultimate comparison between screen printing and direct-to-garment (DTG) printing. As digital printing has gained popularity and affordability in recent years, the company decided to take a look at the frequently asked question: How does DTG printing stack up against traditional screen printing?
In order to answer, both methods were compared in the form of a 10-round “fight.” Each round covered a different facet of custom apparel printing, including vibrancy, color matching, durability, and more.

Rounds 7-10 are reviewed below.

Combining digital and analog garment printing techniques opens up a plethora of possibilities 

There's never been a better time to hop aboard the water-based inks train