We are proud to offer more printing methods than most printing companies, with seven different printing methods in total. We will work with you to recommend the best options for your garments so you can achieve the exact look you had in mind.
We print everything in-house using our state-of-the-art machines, so we have complete control over every step of the printing process. As well as guaranteeing quality control, our comprehensive service means our print team can add your logo to almost any garment.
When you raise an enquiry with us, we will be able to recommend the best printing options for your clothing. Here is a little about each of the printing methods we use.
Screen Printing
Why choose screen printing:
Screen printing is the most traditional, and at Red Oak Corporate Wear we believe most skilled, method of printing garments. Few companies use this technique because the process is very specialist and requires highly experienced printers to achieve perfect results.
Screen printing is great for large area prints and offers a low-cost option when you need large quantities of product. Screen printing is good for detailed logos or designs, offering a long-lasting design that can be Pantone colour matched for precision.
How it works:
Designs for screen printing must be split into separate colours, using programs such as Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw. Each colour is stencilled onto its own mesh screen using light reactive chemicals. The stencil forms very fine 'open' areas on the mesh. The screen is positioned over the garment in the desired print position. Then, wet ink is placed on top of the screen and the ink is spread across the screen using a squeegee. This forces it through the 'open' areas of the mesh, resulting in a printed version of the stencil on the garment. Once heated, the ink is permanently cured on to the clothing.
Sublimation
Why choose sublimation:
Sublimation provides a smooth finish on light-coloured synthetic fabrics such as polyester and acrylic. It offers a fantastic print life, practically lasting forever. Sublimation is great for detailed logos and designs because there’s no limit to the number of colours you can use. It’s also good for smaller orders as there’s no minimum order quantity.
How it works:
If you choose sublimation, your design will be printed onto transfer paper using special ink toners. The transfer paper is then placed on the garment and heat pressed, which turns the ink into gas. Under pressure the gas particles merge with the garment fibres, providing a softer, smoother finish than prints that lie on top of the garment.
Vinyl Cad Cut
Why choose vinyl cad cut printing:
Vinyl cad cut printing is an affordable way to print even the smallest of quantities. There are no set-up costs involved (unless your artwork needs rewriting) and the process is fast and low-cost. Only solid colours can be printed using this method and logo colours are more limited, but we can print on any colour garment. This method is particularly cost effective for small to medium quantities and won’t fade over time.
How it works:
To begin the vinyl cad cut process, we add an outline to the logo or text using Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw. This is then printed through a digital cutter, which cuts the design onto a single-colour sheet of material such as vinyl, flock or foil. Once printed, we use a process known as weeding to pick out the excess vinyl by hand. After the uncut areas are removed, the remaining sections are applied to the garment using a commercial heat press and silicone paper.
Digital Transfer Print
Why choose digital transfer printing:
Digital transfer printing delivers the highest quality precision imaging, almost to a photographic level. The maximum resolution for digital transfer printing is 1440 x 720 dpi, so it’s a great printing method for detailed logos and designs. With no set-up costs (unless the artwork needs rewriting), it’s also ideal for producing outstandingly smooth and accurate coloured designs on low order runs.
How it works:
If you choose digital transfer printing, your design will be sent to a digital printer using a software program such as Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw. The design is then printed onto white material and an integral electronic cutter is used to cut around the print. The print is heat pressed onto the garment using a commercial heat press and silicone paper.
Heat Seal Transfer Printing (Laser)
Why choose heat seal transfer printing:
Heat seal transfer printing - also known as laser printing - provides a long-lasting finish that won’t fade over time. It can only be used on white garments but is a great option for printing multiple print colours. Heat seal transfer printing is a cost-effective printing method and, so long as the artwork doesn’t need rewriting, comes with no set-up costs. It can be used for detailed designs and logos, with high quality logos providing high quality prints.
How it works:
Heat seal transfer printing takes high-resolution images and prints them on commercial-quality transfer paper, using industry-standard formats such as BMP, TIF, GIF and JPEG. The higher the quality of image provided, the better the result. The transfer paper is applied to the garment using a commercial heat press and silicone paper.
DTG Printing
Why choose DTG printing:
Direct to Garment (DTG) printing is the latest addition to the printing options we offer. A recent innovation in garment printing, DTG printing prints directly on to the garment and can handle complex designs in any colour. DTG printing can be used on both light and dark garments and is best for small to medium order quantities.
How it works:
If you choose DTG printing, a DTG printer will print your design directly onto your chosen garments. Our high tech DTG printer is like an inkjet printer and provides a fast and precise finish.
Pad Printing
Why choose pad printing:
Pad printing is most often used to print 2D images onto 3D objects. This makes it an ideal printing method for printing on irregularly shaped items such as hard hats.
How it works:
Pad printing uses an offset gravure printing process, which transfers the image onto the item via a silicone pad.