Direct-to-Garment (DTG)

Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing is a digital printing method that applies artwork directly onto the garment using specialized water-based textile inks.

It’s an excellent option for single items and very small orders, especially when the artwork contains lots of colors, gradients, fine details, or photographic images that would be impractical to reproduce with traditional screen printing.

At Pork Chop, we currently use DTG primarily for orders of 1–6 pieces on cotton and cotton-rich garments.

 

Why Choose DTG?

DTG is a great option for:

  • Single custom garments
  • Very small orders
  • Full-color artwork
  • Photographs and photographic-style images
  • Gradients and fine detail
  • Artwork with many colors
  • Cotton and cotton-rich garments
  • Designs that would require multiple screens to traditionally screen print

Because DTG is a digital process, there is no need to create a separate screen for each color in the artwork.

That makes it especially useful for highly detailed or full-color artwork when only a few garments are needed.

 

Garments for DTG Printing

DTG works best on garments with a high cotton content.

100% cotton garments generally produce the best and most consistent results, particularly when printing with white ink on dark garments.

Cotton-rich blends may also work depending on the garment.

We do not offer DTG printing on polyester garments. For polyester, performance fabrics, and many synthetic garments, we will generally recommend DTF printing instead.

Some fleece, coated, water-resistant, heavily textured, or heat-sensitive garments may also not be suitable for DTG.

 

Setting Up a DTG Order

To provide an accurate quote, please send us:

  • Your artwork – High-resolution PNG artwork works particularly well for DTG. We recommend approximately 300 DPI at the final print size whenever possible. Photoshop, Illustrator, AI, EPS, and PDF files are also welcome.
  • Print size and placement – Let us know where you’d like the artwork and approximately how large it should be.
  • Garment type and color – We’re happy to make garment recommendations, or you can browse styles at SanMar.com and SSActivewear.com.
  • Quantity – Let us know how many garments will receive the same design.

Our maximum standard print area is approximately 15″ wide by 18″ tall, depending on the garment and placement.

 

How DTG Pricing Works

Unlike traditional screen printing, DTG pricing is not based on the number of colors in the artwork.

Instead, pricing is affected by factors including:

  • Print size
  • Ink coverage
  • Garment color
  • Garment type
  • Quantity

A photograph containing dozens of colors, for example, does not require dozens of separate setups as it would with traditional spot-color screen printing.

This is one of the reasons DTG works so well for complex artwork in very small quantities.

 

The DTG Printing Process

DTG works somewhat like a highly specialized inkjet printer designed for garments.

The garment is loaded onto the printer and the artwork is printed directly onto the fabric using water-based textile inks.

For dark-colored garments, there is an additional step before printing.

Pretreatment on Dark Garments

Dark garments require pretreatment before white ink can be printed.

Pretreatment is an evenly applied solution that helps the white ink bond properly to the garment and provides the foundation for the colors printed over it.

The pretreatment must be applied and cured before the garment is printed.

After printing, the finished design is heat-cured to set the ink.

You may occasionally notice a temporary rectangular or slightly darker area around a freshly printed design caused by pretreatment and pressing. This typically disappears after the garment is washed.

 

DTG Print Feel

Because DTG ink is printed directly onto the garment rather than applied as a separate transfer, it can produce a very soft, natural feel—particularly on lighter cotton garments.

Dark garments require a white ink underbase, so those prints will have slightly more feel than a print on a white or light-colored shirt.

Large areas of heavy ink coverage will also feel different from smaller or more open artwork.

 

DTG vs. DTF or Screen Printing

Each printing process has its own sweet spot.

  • DTG is especially good for 1–6 cotton garments with full-color, photographic, or highly detailed artwork.
  • DTF is often the better option for small multi-color orders beyond our DTG capacity, as well as polyester, blends, and many performance fabrics.
  • Screen printing is generally the best choice once quantities reach our standard screen printing minimums and becomes increasingly economical as quantities increase.

Not sure which method is right for your project? Send us your artwork, garment information, and quantity and we’ll recommend the process that best fits the job.

Depending if DTF, DTG or traditional screen printing will suit your needs best, will pick the best printing process for you based on the shirt color and graphic provided by you! Request a quote today!

 

Pork Chop Screen Printing