Cotton Vs Polyester: Which Is Better For Screen Printing?

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There are many reasons why screen printing is so popular these days. First, it is a simple service where you can experiment with different designs. All you need to do is create a photo and send it to the service that will print it over a t-shirt, hoodie, or some other piece of clothing.

Modern technology is allowing us to have a very fast process where printers are providing the high-quality texture of images that are printed. Another reason why this is popular is that you can get a cheap piece of clothing with a great design. For example, you can buy a printed t-shirt for under $20. Besides that, you will have a chance to choose the image on it.

On the other hand, it can be a profitable business as well. The price of a professional printing machine can be as low as a few thousand dollars. If you want to learn more about screen printing supplies, check out some products you can find here.

When it comes to materials, it is not a surprise that the most common options are cotton and polyester since most t-shirts and other clothes are made of them. We are going to compare these two materials and provide more details about the best solution for screen printing.

Cotton For Screen Printing

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This is the most popular option in the industry for a very long time. The biggest supplier and manufacturer of cotton clothes today is China. You will find this material in a lot of different types of clothes like t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, pants, socks, but also other products like fabrics, curtains, blankets, and more.

One of the main reasons why it is the most popular material is that it is natural, man-made, and quite durable. It is simple to keep it clean and fresh. Also, it is very affordable, especially if you order it from China. There is a chance that you will find a package where a single t-shirt only costs a few dollars. That represents an excellent potential for people interested in starting a screen printing business because profit is guaranteed.

There are many benefits of using cottons, such as the simplicity of the printing process, great results, low price, high quality, and the fact that most people are interested in wearing cotton clothes since it is clean, comfortable, and convenient.

On the other side, you have to be aware of the potential downsides. Finding a good supplier can be challenging, and that can affect your screen printing business. If the cotton t-short is made with low-quality cotton, the potential issues are fibrillation, shrinking, and piling. Also, the results of the images that are printed want be so good as well.

Polyester For Screen Printing

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The most common use of this material is in sportswear. The main reason for that is related to the biggest difference between cotton and this material, where cotton will absorb sweat and make your clothes wet, while that is not the case with polyester.

Also, it is energy-efficient and great for the environment since you can get this material by using various processes, including the recycling of plastic and some other products. Another excellent feature is resistance to damage, cold, water, and many other things. It is offering a greater lifespan as well. Moreover, it is lightweight, and there won’t be any signs of fading for a long time.

When it comes to downsides, we have to mention the low resistance to heat. This material can easily burn even on lower temperatures. Also, the shrinking can be even higher when compared to cotton. However, it depends on combination of materials used in the production.

Main Differences

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The biggest difference is that cotton is natural and man-made, while polyester represents an artificial material created by the use of chemical processes. That is the main reason why most people are interested in the first option. Also, we have to mention the difference for people with sensitive skin or allergies, where cotton is proven to be a much better solution.

Besides that, the second option is providing better features for athletes. When it comes to the best choice, it is up to your preferences. Moreover, the selection of the manufacturer can be even more important. Both of these options will offer great quality if you find the right one.

What Is The Best Choice?

It also depends on your preferences but also on the style that you want to use for screen printing. The demand in your store is also very important. Furthermore, there is no reason to choose only one of these options.

You can simply create separate lines where you will offer both of them. The second one should be focused on sports design. There is a third option available as well, which represents a combination of these two materials with the result where the clothes will get the best from both of them.

How To Start a Screen Printing Business?

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There are various models available. You can create a website, or use an existing platform where you will promote your business. Also, you can choose between an option where you will start a new brand, or work as a service where you will print various images on demand. Both of these options are offering a great chance to start a profitable business.

The key is to work on promotion and make sure that you can provide the right quality and reasonable shipping time. Therefore, it can be an issue if you are buying supplies from China or some other place overseas since the shipping time can be longer than a month.

Last Words

As you can see, both polyester and cotton have some pros and cons, and the selection of a supplier is very important for that. Also, the features of these materials could affect the selection of images along with the processes. The durability of images without fading is very long in both cases. In that matter, the best solution is to always provide both of these options in your service.