All You Need to Know About Direct to Garment Printing

Direct to garment (DTG) printing is a newer shirt printing method. DTG is an alternative to screen printing, with the newer method being more efficient and faster. If you want to learn more about DTG printing, keep on reading.

What Is Direct To Garment (DTG) Printing?

Unlike screen printing, Direct to garment (DTG) printing does not use a screen or a stencil to create a design. DTG uses a printer connected directly to the shirt, removing the need for a screen or a stencil. This direct connection helps to make the process much faster and more efficient and saves up on costs as there is no longer to repurchase materials for stencils and screens.

Which Is Better: DTG or Screen Printing?

This all depends on the number of shirts that you need printed. If you need a small number of shirts, you should go with screen printing. However, if you’re placing a large order, then DTG is the way to go. The DTG process is faster and more efficient. Direct to garment (DTG) printing is an excellent way to save money and material costs because the shirts and ink don’t have to be prepared for the printing.

What Are the Benefits Of DTG Printing?

There are many benefits to choosing DTG printing. The first benefit is the speed of production. DTG printing is faster than screen printing to get your shirts out faster.

The second benefit of DTG printing is getting a better finish. DTG printing can print on a number of items, including pockets, collars, and hems. This is not possible with screen printing.

Another benefit of DTG printing is creating detailed and intricate designs. You do not have to worry about messing up the small details like you would for screen printing.

DTG printing also prints colors that stay vivid over time. You do not have to worry about the hues fading regardless of what exposure it may have to face. To make the print last longer, you can also pre-treat the fabric.

Lastly, DTG printing can print on dark shirts. Screen printing can print on dark shirts. However, it does not turn out so well. DTG does not have this limitation.

How Much Does DTG Equipment Cost?

While it can cost a bit of money, with the cheapest kits of decent quality being around $2,000, it is a good investment if you have a t-shirt printing business. In the long run, it will save you having to spend on screens and stencils, and even just the effort of screen printing.

However, if you only print T-shirts at home for fun, we recommend you do screen printing instead. You can also head to a printing shop that offers DTG printing and get your shirts done there.

Conclusion

Now that you know how DTG works, you can be a bit more confident about what method you want to choose for your T-shirt printing business. If you’re only printing a small number of shirts, you can choose to go with screen printing. However, if you are printing more than a few dozen shirts, DTG is the way. The equipment may seem a bit pricy, but the cost will quickly pay off in the long run.

For direct to garment printing in Denver, you can contact Certified Print Co. We offer custom t-shirts and apparel printing services for all occasions and needs. Contact us for custom printing today!