DTG Printing: Everything You Need to Know

Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing continues to revolutionize the custom apparel industry. With cutting-edge innovations, DTG technology enhances quality, efficiency, and customization like never before. It offers a swift, cost-effective way for ecommerce retailers to produce and sell custom apparel globally. If you're an artist or creator ready to make your mark, you're in the right place.

In this post, we’ll delve into DTG printing, exploring how recent technological advancements are invigorating the custom apparel arena. Start your journey with Gelato today—sign up for free and unlock endless possibilities.

Main takeaways from this article:

• Direct-to-garment printing uses special digital printers to spray water-based inks directly on t-shirts. It produces high-resolution, visually sharp images by printing directly from digital files, minimizing set-up time and enabling t-shirts to be printed in any quantity.

• The technology is eco-friendly, suitable for small quantities, and doesn't require ownership of a DTG printer.

• The history of DTG printing dates back to the late 1990s, representing a shift from traditional printing methods.

• DTG printing technology has evolved significantly, offering intricate full-color prints, faster production, and design freedom.

• DTG printers range from entry-level to industrial models, all using water-based inks and capable of printing on various fabrics, especially cotton.

• DTG printing has advantages over screen printing when it comes to handling multiple colors, capturing image resolution and sharpness, reproducing photographic images, shortening set-up time, producing t-shirts in single units or small quantities, and promoting sustainability.

• Factors to consider when choosing between DTG and screen printing include the production process, design types, printing quality, cost, order quantity, longevity, and environmental impact.

• To get started with DTG printing, familiarize yourself with design software, experiment with colors, consider the material, invest in quality equipment, test DTG prints, and maintain your printer.

• Gelato offers a print on demand platform for DTG printing, enabling local production, faster customer reach, and reduced waste, costs, and carbon emissions.

Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing is an innovative method for producing t-shirts, utilizing advanced digital printers to apply eco-friendly, biodegradable inks directly to fabric surfaces. Unlike traditional methods, DTG transfers inks directly without the use of intermediaries like screens or paper.

Recent advancements in DTG technology have enabled printers to achieve exceptional color accuracy and sharper resolution, accommodating a wider range of fabrics, including cotton, polyester, and blends. Natural fibers like cotton still yield the best results, but improved pre-treatment processes now enhance print quality on synthetic blends.

DTG stands out for its environmental benefits; it uses sustainable inks and supports on-demand production, reducing waste by allowing printing in any quantity, from single units to bulk orders. The latest DTG printers are more cost-effective, making high-quality printing accessible to small businesses and entrepreneurs globally without the need for ownership.

These innovations ensure that DTG remains a versatile, sustainable, and efficient choice for custom apparel printing.

Direct To Garment (DTG) printing is irrevocably shifting the paradigm in the world of custom apparel. Its roots can be traced back to the late 1990s, when the first attempts to print full-color images directly onto textiles took place. It was a transition from the traditional and time-consuming methods like screen printing that were previously predominantly used. The implementation of the process wasn’t nearly as simple or as efficient as it is now. But, it was a significant moment symbolizing that the custom apparel industry was ripe and ready for technological innovation. 

In its nascency, the process was fraught with obstacles such as the high cost, technological limitations, and slow production speed. Despite these drawbacks, innovators and risk-takers saw the immense potential that DTG printing held. As technologies improved and evolved, so did the DTG printing process. Advances in ink development, printing equipment, and design software have made direct-to-garment printing a practical and scalable solution. Today, it is hailed as a groundbreaking technique creating ripples of transformation in the custom apparel industry.

Advancements in technology

Today, DTG technology is more efficient and accessible thanks to breakthroughs in ink development, printing equipment, and design software. Modern DTG printers offer precise, full-color prints with intricate detail and faster production speeds, eliminating the need for manual color separation and screens. This advancement empowers creators with unlimited design possibilities, completely transforming customization in apparel.

With these technological leaps, DTG printing offers unparalleled quality and personalization, making it a cornerstone of the modern custom apparel industry.

Understanding the advantages of DTG printing can help you make informed decisions in the custom apparel industry. Here’s how DTG is revolutionizing creativity and production:

High-Quality Prints: DTG printing delivers exceptional high-resolution prints with vivid colors and sharp details, making it perfect for intricate designs and color grading.

Ideal for Small Orders: DTG is optimal for low-volume orders and one-offs, providing flexibility and efficiency for startups and small businesses.

Fast Turnaround: Without the setup required in traditional methods, DTG allows for quicker order processing and delivery.

Unlimited Color Options: DTG offers limitless color possibilities without additional costs, enabling creative freedom for complex designs.

Eco-Friendly Practices: Using biodegradable, water-based inks, DTG is a more sustainable choice compared to traditional methods.

Complete Customization: Digital printing allows for fully customized designs, perfect for brands and artists experimenting with new concepts.

These benefits highlight why DTG is a game-changer in custom apparel, offering superior quality and personalization.

Direct to Garment (DTG) printing technology has advanced significantly, resulting in a wide range of high-performance printers. The best DTG printer for you depends on your business needs, requirements, and budget.

Entry-Level DTG Printers: Ideal for beginners or small businesses, these cost-effective options, such as the Epson SureColor F2100 and Brother GTX Pro, offer high-quality printing. They may have slightly slower speeds and a more modest color gamut but are perfect for starting out.

Mid-Level DTG Printers: For those needing faster turnaround times, models like the Anajet mPower and ColDesi's M2 provide enhanced print consistency and a broader color range, making them practical for growing businesses.

Industrial DTG Printers: Designed for high-volume production, industrial printers such as the Kornit Avalanche HD6 and Epson F3070 deliver top print quality, speed, and consistency, ideal for established industry professionals.

Regardless of type, all DTG printers use eco-friendly, water-based inks. These inks are formulated for both light and dark garments and provide artists with unlimited color options. DTG printing remains versatile, accommodating various fabrics with optimal results on 100% cotton, while also performing well on cotton blends and polyester.

Direct-to-garment printing works by applying inks directly to t-shirt fabrics, in contrast to methods that apply inks indirectly using screens or paper. It does this by using a modified type of inkjet printer that can print water-based inks known as aqueous inks. To apply these inks, DTG printing uses a four-step process:

1. Prepare digital art files

2. Pretreat and cure the t-shirt

3. Print on the t-shirt

4. Cure the ink

Let's break down these steps:

1. Preparing digital art files

DTG printers apply inks using a pattern based on a digital file. Direct-to-garment printing software works best with formats such as PSD and PNG that support transparent backgrounds, but it also accepts other common graphics file formats such as JPG and TFF.

Graphics design programs such as Photoshop that use these programs usually use color models based on red, green, and blue (RGB). In contrast, DTG printers use models based on cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYB). To manage this format difference, DTG printing software uses Raster Imaging Processor (RIP) software to convert RGB files into CMYK files.

2. Pretreating and curing t-shirts

According to All Print Heads, the type of ink used by DTG printers works best with natural fibers such as cotton, bamboo, and hemp. To ensure the ink displays correctly, DTG uses a pretreatment machine before printing a t-shirt. Pretreatment applies a liquid solution that keeps white ink from soaking into the shirt and discoloring it while also preventing it from smearing or mixing with colored inks.

After the pretreatment solution has been applied, it is cured with a heat press or air dryer to make the t-shirt printing surface flatter. Fibers such as cotton normally stick up. Curing flattens the fibers to provide a smoother surface for printing.

3. Printing on t-shirts

After pretreatment, t-shirts are readied for DTG printing by placing them on a flat platform called a platen. The platen holds the t-shirt in place to keep it flat and aligned in the right spot for inks to be applied. T-shirts can be aligned correctly to platens by lining up their neck collar, shoulder seams, or side seams on shirts that have them. Once a t-shirt has been aligned on a paten, it can be printed by feeding the paten into the printer.

4. Curing ink

After a t-shirt has been printed, the ink must be cured to affix it to the garment properly and ensure durability through repeated washings. Curing may be done with a heat press or forced air dryer.

When should you use DTG vs. screen printing? The short answer is that direct-to-garment printing is better if you need short print runs, sharp images, or sustainability, while screen printing can be better for larger print runs and durability. To understand the rationale behind this and determine whether DTG is better for your specific situation, let's briefly look at screen printing.

Screen printing: An overview

Screen printing, also known as silk screen printing, is a process of printing t-shirts that applies ink to shirts through a mesh partially blocked by a stencil to mark off the shape of the image. The placement of a mesh between the ink and t-shirt makes screen printing an indirect method of applying ink, in contrast to DTG printing.

During screen printing, a tool such as a blade or a squeegee fills the mesh holes with ink. The tool then does a reverse pass to press the ink through the areas not blocked by the stencil. Multiple colors require multiple stencils and screens. Screen printing became a popular method of producing t-shirts in the 1970s, and it remains widely used today. However, because it takes significant time to prepare stencils and screens, it is inefficient for smaller t-shirt print runs. Today it is increasingly reserved for larger print runs, while t-shirt manufacturers frequently turn to DTG printingtechnology for smaller print runs.

How does screen printing work?

The screen printing process can be broken down into seven steps:

1. Creating a design: This involves printing digital files onto transparent films made from substances such as acetate. The printed film becomes the basis of the stencil that is created later in the process.

2. Preparing the screen: Once a design has been created, a screen corresponding to the required design and fabric can be selected. To prepare the screen for printing, a light-sensitive emulsion is applied to it.

3. Exposing emulsion: After the screen has been prepared, the emulsion can be exposed to light. The light will harden the emulsion around the liquid areas representing the design shape.

4. Creating the stencil: After the emulsion has been exposed long enough to harden, it will cover the areas of the screen surrounding the design. It then can be washed away, leaving a stencil in the shape of the design.

5. Preparing the screen and t-shirt for printing: Now, the screen is placed on a printing press, and the garment is placed on a printing board under the screen. For multiple colors, some printers are set up to rotate screens.

6. Pressing ink through the screen: The screen is lowered onto the printing board, loaded with ink, and then swiped by a blade to press the ink through the stencil onto the t-shirt, which is repeated for multiple tees, and then the emulsion is removed for the mesh to be reused.

7. Curing ink: After printing, the ink must be cured to preserve durability. This can be done with a heat gun, heat press, flash dryer, or conveyor dryer.

Now that we are aware of how screen printing is done, you should consider a number of factors to decide between direct-to-garment printing and screen printing, including:

• Production process

• Types of design

• Printing quality

• Cost

• Order quantity

• Longevity

• Environmental impact

Here's what to consider in each of these areas:

Production process

The DTG production process gives it an advantage when it comes to shorter print runs. While screen printing can produce more t-shirts per hour, as many as 100 or more, this is offset by the preparation time it takes to set up. With DTG, you can take your digital design right to a printing service without setting up multiple stencils and screens.

Types of design

DTG printing technology works better for detailed designs with multiple colors than screen printing. Screen printing works well for a small number of vivid colors, but it can't capture multi-color detail or photographic quality. It's best used for larger, less ornate designs.

Printing quality

According to Forbes Advisor, DTG delivers better printing quality than screen printing. Because DTG prints directly from digital files, it produces designs in high resolution with sharp images. Screen printing produces bright colors but in large-scale detail, limiting the quality of your prints. Direct-to-garment printing lets you create high-quality prints with a complete range of colors and designs.

Cost

DTG printing technology costs less than screen printing for smaller print runs. Setting up screen printing is costly, and the cost is only offset by ordering in bulk. Additionally, the more colors you use in your screen printing designs, the more expensive the cost will be. Direct-to-garment printing has a low set-up cost and allows you to make a profit whether you're ordering a small batch of clothing or ordering in bulk. However, if you need hundreds or thousands of t-shirts printed at once, screen printing may be more cost-effective. You'll need to get actual quotes to weigh your options.

Order quantity

DTG printing provides more flexibility on order quantity. Screen printing often has minimum order requirements. Direct-to-garment printing has no minimum order requirements and can be used to place small or large orders.

Longevity

Screen printing can have an advantage in durability. Because screen printing uses thick ink layers and presses them into t-shirt fabric, it tends to uphold its original vibrancy and design through more washes. This also makes screen-printed t-shirts less vulnerable to sunlight than DTG print shirts. However, DTG prints are also long-lasting.

Environmental impact

DTG printing has an advantage in environmental friendliness. Screen printing is less sustainable and worse for the environment because it consumes more ink and often leads to overproduction, resulting in excess clothing being thrown away. Direct-to-garment printing uses less ink, reduces the amount of waste produced, and expends less energy than screen printing technology, making it more eco-conscious. DTG printing aligns with Gelato's commitment to sustainability. We use responsibly sourced materials and local production to reduce carbon emissions.

Are you excited to dive into the world of DTG printing? Here are some practical direct-to-garment printing tips to help get you started on the right foot: 

1. Understand your design software: Knowledge of popular graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop is crucial. Invest some time to learn how to create gorgeous, detailed designs.

2. Experiment with colors and textures: Direct-to-garment printing excels with designs that have many colors and complexities. So, go ahead and experiment with your palette. Complex gradients, large detailed images, and intricate designs can all be achieved effortlessly.

3. Consider the material: Direct-to-garment printing performs best on 100% cotton material. If you plan on printing on a blend, keep in mind that the ink may not adhere as well to the non-cotton fibers.

4. Invest in quality equipment: While this might seem evident, it's worth repeating. Quality machines will deliver superior results and stand the test of time.

5. Test prints: Before mass printing, always make a test print. This will ensure that your design appears exactly how you imagined on the fabric.

6. Maintenance is key: Regular maintenance of your DTG printer will ensure its longevity and keep it running smoothly. Regular cleaning can prevent clogs and other common problems.

By applying water-based inks directly to t-shirts from digital files, DTG printing produces sharper images in more colors than screen printing while shortening set-up time and enabling production in any quantity. DTG print t-shirts are more durable, but they're also less environmentally sustainable.

Gelato enables local production of DTG print t-shirts and customized product creation through the world's largest network for print on demand. Gelato produces personalized products in 32 countries, enabling creators and ecommerce sellers to scale their business and reach customers faster while reducing waste, costs, and carbon emissions. Get started with direct-to-garment printing today and sign up for Gelato's print on demand platform for free.

When it comes to Direct To Garment (DTG) printing, certain fabrics tend to yield better results than others. The preferred fabric for this method is 100% cotton. That’s because cotton's natural fibers absorb the water-based inks used in DTG printing more effectively, resulting in vibrant and lasting prints. Cotton blends, such as cotton-polyester, can also work, but they may not deliver the same level of color richness. Fabrics like polyester and other synthetic materials are generally not recommended for DTG printing as they don't absorb the inks well, leading to poor-quality prints.

DTG printing is considered more environmentally friendly compared to traditional printing methods like screen printing. One significant advantage is that DTG printing uses water-based inks, which are less harmful to the environment. Because DTG allows for on-demand printing, it reduces waste significantly. There’s no need for excess inventory, and prints are made only when an order is placed. This not only cuts down on waste but also minimizes the environmental footprint associated with overproduction.

Yes, DTG printing is highly capable of handling intricate and multi-color designs. One of the major strengths of DTG printing is its ability to print detailed images with a wide color range directly onto garments. Unlike traditional methods, which may require separate screens for each color, DTG printing doesn't have such limitations. This makes it ideal for complex designs with multiple colors and fine details, providing sharp and vibrant DTG prints that accurately represent the original artwork.

The market offers several types of DTG printers, each catering to different needs and scales of operation. Entry-level DTG printers are suitable for small businesses or hobbyists, offering ease of use and affordability. Mid-range printers provide a balance between cost and functionality, making them ideal for growing businesses. High-end DTG printers, like those used by Gelato, are designed for large-scale operations, featuring advanced technology for faster production speeds and higher print quality. 

These printers vary in terms of printing speed, resolution, and the types of inks they use, allowing businesses to choose the one that best fits their requirements.

The durability of DTG prints can be comparable to screen prints, especially with proper care. DTG prints typically hold up well to washing, although they may require more gentle handling compared to screen prints. Washing the garments inside out in cold water and avoiding high-heat drying can help maintain the vibrancy of DTG prints. While screen prints have traditionally been known for their durability, advancements in DTG technology have significantly improved the longevity of DTG prints, making them a better option for high-quality custom apparel.