Digital Versus Hybrid Printing: What Are They and Who Should Consider It

The screen printing industry is undergoing a printing transition for how t-shirts, hoodies and other garments are decorating. New digital printing technologies are successfully implanting themselves in the decorated garment marketplace as alternatives to traditional screen printing. There are many types of digital printing, and with direct-to-garment (DTG) thoroughly in the industry and well known. This article will focus on two newer - and less adopted - digital printing technologies. The first is “hybrid printing” and the second is Direct-to-Film (DTF). 

What Is It?

DTF printing is a digital printing method that allows you to transfer high-quality, full-color images directly onto textiles like t-shirts, hoodies, and even canvas bags. Unlike traditional screen printing or heat transfer methods, DTF printing doesn't require screens or intricate color separation processes.

At its core, DTF printing relies on a unique combination of specialized pigment based ink, specially coated PET film and a DTF printer. Just like heat transfer vinyl (htv) or traditional screen printed transfers, DTF transfers require a heat press for application. An abbreviated step-by-step process sees the printer printing directly onto the DTF film. A powdered adhesive is applied on top of the wet ink and both are then heated until the adhesive melts. Finally, the transfer is placed on the garment and heat pressed onto the textile, resulting in a durable and vibrant print. 

Who Should Consider It?

DTF is a compelling option for businesses seeking efficient and flexible printing solutions. While DTF can work for everyone, it is finding fantastic success with lower volume printing, typically up to 300 pieces, as DTF printing offers the ease of executing one-off prints like DTG, but without the hassle of pre-treating and the ability to go on any garment. This means shops can eliminate minimum order requirements, offer limitless online store options without carrying inventory and customize each garment for the individual, like with a name and number drop on a jersey or t-shirt. This versatility proves invaluable, especially for applications such as jerseys, names, and numbers, where individualization is paramount. 

DTF’s technology and print process also allow you to swiftly provide finished garments to customers, underscoring its appeal for enterprises prioritizing quick turnaround times and responsive customer service. The time between accepting a hundred piece order and finishing the job can literally be an hour.

By eliminating the preparatory and cleanup work associated with traditional screen printing processes, DTF printing streamlines production workflows, saving both time and labor costs. This efficiency is particularly advantageous for businesses operating in fast-paced environments where agility and responsiveness are crucial for maintaining competitiveness.

What Are the Negatives?

DTF printing, while offering advantages, presents notable drawbacks that businesses should consider. Firstly, the process is more labor-intensive, involving the cutting of transfers followed by heat pressing, which increases production time and labor costs. 

DTF printing becomes less cost-effective for longer production runs, with each transfer costing approximately $0.35 per print. While this cost is so much less than DTG, it seems expensive compared to screen printing long runs of thousands of pieces.

Lastly, the biggest current complaint of DTF is that DTF transfers do not match the softness of screen printing, potentially lowering the perceived quality of the final product. While there are ways to mitigate this, a DTF transfer does feel different than screen printing.

What is it?

Hybrid printing combines a screen printed white underbase and digitally prints the colors on top. After screen printing the white, the pallet rotates under the hybrid digital squeegee print head and CMYK is printed, oftentimes wet-on-wet over the white ink.

By using a digital print head to decorate your garment, printers can get screen print photorealistic images and complicated high color t-shirts jobs from only making a few screens. Hybrid printing can also print “variable data.” This means that a hybrid screen printing setup can change wording and even the final design image from t-shirt to t-shirt without stopping or slowing down production.

Who Should Consider It?

Hybrid printing is a great choice for screen print jobs up to 500 pieces, especially with variable data. By printing these jobs digitally, you harness the low costs of screen printing with the ease and convenience of digital printing. It is ideal for those not wanting to deal with the hassle of printing high color jobs. Instead of the hours needed in pre-production, labor and the other screen printing processes for a 8+ color job, hybrid printing can get it done in less time. 

What Are the Negatives?

Hybrid printing, although promising in its fusion of diverse printing methodologies, presents substantial challenges. Firstly, its implementation demands a significant investment, necessitating a large automatic screen printing press with a minimum of 16 stations. This upfront cost typically amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars, posing a formidable financial barrier for most.

Furthermore, the spatial requirements for hybrid printing are considerable, mandating ample space, electrical and pneumatic requirements for large-scale equipment. Such spatial demands can strain existing infrastructures and limit the feasibility of adopting hybrid printing for those with small spaces.

Moreover, the operational expenses associated with hybrid printing are notably high, primarily due to maintenance costs. Maintenance entails a sophisticated understanding of digital inkjet machines, coupled with frequent servicing to ensure optimal performance. Hybrid printing has high maintenance demands and inflexible environmental conditions, including humidity and temperature. Invariably, any malfunctions necessitate costly interventions from factory technicians, further escalating operational expenditures.

In Summary

Businesses seeking agile, cost-effective, and customizable printing solutions, especially those with lower volume production needs and a focus on personalized merchandise, should consider integrating DTF printing into their operations. By harnessing the capabilities of DTF technology, these enterprises can enhance their production efficiency, expand their product offerings, and deliver exceptional value to their customers with unparalleled speed and customization options.

While hybrid printing offers innovative possibilities, its negatives, including exorbitant upfront costs, space constraints, and substantial maintenance expenses, underscore the considerable hurdles associated with its adoption. Businesses contemplating hybrid printing must carefully evaluate these drawbacks to make informed decisions regarding its integration into their operations.

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