Digital vs Screen Printing: Does It Matter to Your Brand?

Ready to take your branding to the next level? When you’re thinking about the printing process, you might be debating digital vs screen printing because you don’t actually know the differences. 

But if you have your designs ready, or are looking to get inspired so you can make your brand the most visible, you need to know the difference. Both screen printing and digital printing have advantages, but one will likely work much better for you and your needs.

Screen Printing

You might have seen an example of screen printing with someone making a t-shirt. You can watch layer after layer of ink or paint being added to create the final product. A screen, like a stencil, is used to apply each layer of color. 

The process is more labor-intensive at the start, but it can provide a specific vintage feel that may work perfectly with your brand. The colors will be what you see on the screen in your initial design, and the softer feel adds a lot to some images.

Digital Printing

Digital printing is what you would expect. It is all done over the computer, converting what you need into a printable form that is then made. It is fast and generally more common today.

Your Design

When you’re trying to decide between the two, it mostly comes down to your design. If your design is big with soft lines and very specific color choices, you might lean toward screen printing. There is a great look with screen printing that adds even more to your design than what was first there.

If your design is complicated and requires great precision, digital is a better choice for you. Complex and small designs don’t always come out as well with screen printing. And if you want to change things to your design or have it be more customizable, digital printing is the best choice.

If you’re still unsure which to go with, there is a final criterion to help you out. The other big consideration with digital vs screen printing is your budget.

Cost

A screen printing machine or screen printing kit generally isn’t cheap. If you’re hoping to break into the business and do a lot of screen printing, you might want to get things done by an expert anyway so you know what it’s like. Screen printing comes with a pricey setup, so it becomes a better deal the more things you print.

Digital printing doesn’t deal with the setup costs so if you just need 20 posters, you should go with digital. But if you want hundreds of T-shirts and the colors need to be exact, you may find branding advantages in screen printing.

Digital Vs Screen Printing

The battle of digital vs screen printing isn’t about which one is better. It’s about which one will allow your design and brand to shine the best. Consider your design, how many you want, if it needs to be customizable, and your budget.

Then you can make the best choice for you and your brand. And if you found this helpful in starting the printing process, check us out for more great tips.