Spreadshirt's Printing Techniques
Flex, Flock, Digital Printing … In the following video Christine will give you an introduction to the printing techniques which are offered at Spreadshirt.
Plot Printing: Flex and Flock
Plot printing is an extremely durable and fade-resistant t-shirt print. A vector graphic serves as the master copy, which can have up to three colors. We offer a wide range of colors which are defined by the color of the print foil. There are two types of plot prints: flex and flock.
Flex: Flex is a smooth, thin, somewhat rubbery layer on the fabric. We have a wide range of colors to choose from. Check out this FAQ article with our full color range for flex and flock.
Specialty Flex: This special kind of flex foil glitters and sparkles in the light with small, reflective metal particles mixed into the color. The colors include:
- glitter with smaller glittery particles and sparkle with rougher, larger particles
- glow in the dark and silver reflective
Flock: Flock is a fleecy, soft layer on the fabric. It has a velvety feel, like a thin layer of plush fabric. Flock also has a slightly different color palette than flex.
Digital Printing: Digital Direct and Digital Transfer
If your design has more than three colors or color gradients (i.e. a photograph), we recommend using digital printing. Please note: digital printing is not as long-lasting as plot printing. Pixel graphics serve as the master copy. Here are the two digital printing methods.
Digital Direct:
Your design is printed directly onto the fabric. Every color is rendered, even white. Dark shirts can also be printed with Digital Direct, as they are first primed with a layer of white before printing.
Digital Transfer:
Here your design is printed onto a foil, which is then pressed under high temperature onto the shirt. With Digital Transfer, the colors start softening after a few washes and the design fades. White or bright shirts can only be printed on with this printing method.
