DTG Printing

DTG (Direct-to-Garment) printing uses a specialized large-format inkjet printer that lays ink directly onto the fabric, the same way a desktop printer lays ink on paper. The garment is loaded onto a platen, pretreated with a primer (especially for dark shirts), then printed in a single pass.

DTG excels at full-color photographic designs. There are no setup fees per color, no screens to burn, and minimum order quantities can be as low as 1. The print has a very soft hand-feel because the ink soaks into the fibers rather than sitting on top.

The trade-off: DTG is slower than screen printing per piece, ink and pretreatment cost more per unit, and the prints work best on 100% cotton. Polyester and blends can produce inconsistent results. For runs of 1–24 pieces with detailed art, DTG is usually the right call. For 50+ pieces with simple art, screen printing wins on price.