Screen printing vs DTG vs DTF.

How each method works

Screen printing pushes ink through a fine mesh screen onto the shirt. Each color gets its own screen. Setup takes real work, so it pays off when the same design runs on a lot of shirts.

DTG (direct to garment) is an inkjet printer built for shirts. It sprays water based ink straight into the fibers. No screens, so full color art and gradients print in one pass. Dark shirts get a pretreatment and a white base layer first.

DTF (direct to film) prints the art onto a clear film, coats it with an adhesive powder, then heat presses it onto the garment. No screens here either. The transfer sticks to fabrics DTG can't handle.

We run all three on our screen printing and apparel floor in Hutto, so we don't push one method because it's the only one we own.

Quantity and minimums

Our apparel minimums are 12 garments for a one color print and 24 for two colors. Past that, quantity is the biggest lever on price.

• Screen printing: the price per shirt drops as the count climbs. Screens and setup cost the same for 24 shirts or 240, so bigger runs spread it thinner.
• DTG: very little setup, so the price per shirt stays flatter. Good for small runs of busy art.
• DTF: also little setup. Good for small and mid runs, mixed garments on one order, and art that has to land on polyester.

Rule of thumb: the bigger the run and the simpler the art, the more screen printing wins. The smaller the run and the busier the art, the more DTG or DTF wins.

Colors and art requirements

Screen printing is priced by color because every color is another screen. One to four solid colors is the sweet spot. Spot colors can be matched to your brand colors, which matters for logos. Photos and gradients can be screen printed with halftones, but that adds screens and prep.

DTG and DTF print full color with no added cost per color. Photos, soft shadows and fades all work. Fine detail holds well on both.

What to send us:

• Screen printing: vector art (AI, EPS, SVG or a vector PDF) with fonts outlined.
• DTG and DTF: a high resolution PNG with a transparent background, 300 dpi at the size it will print.

The full list of file rules is in our guide to print ready files. If the logo only lives as a blurry JPG, our designers can rebuild it. Graphic design runs $65 per hour, and the job ticket takes 20 files at 100MB each, originals only.

Fabric

• Screen printing works on cotton, blends, fleece hoodies, canvas totes and most polyester with the right ink.
• DTG is at its best on 100 percent cotton or high cotton blends. On polyester it looks washed out and doesn't hold up, so we won't recommend it there.
• DTF sticks to almost anything: cotton, polyester performance shirts, blends, nylon jackets and bags.

If the order mixes cotton tees with dry fit shirts for the same team, DTF or screen printing keeps the logo looking the same on both. Tell us the garments on the ticket and we'll say which way fits.

Feel and durability

Screen printing leaves a layer of ink on the surface. Small prints feel like nothing. Big solid blocks feel a little heavier. A good screen print lasts as long as the shirt does.

DTG feels the softest because the ink sits in the fibers, not on top. It fades slowly over many washes, a bit faster on dark shirts.

DTF feels smooth with a slight film. It stretches without cracking and keeps its color well. Large solid areas feel heavier than a screen print of the same size.

Care is the same for all three. Wash inside out in cold water and tumble dry low or hang dry. Skip the iron on the print.

Cost direction

We don't post shirt prices because the garment, the count and the art change the number a lot. Every job is quoted on the ticket. Here's which way the cost moves:

• Screen printing: setup up front, then the lowest cost per shirt at volume. More colors means more screens and more cost. A second print location adds a second setup.
• DTG: no screens. Cost follows print size and shirt color. Dark shirts cost more because of pretreatment and the white base.
• DTF: no screens. Cost follows print size. Strong value on small runs and on fabrics DTG can't print.

The garment itself is often a bigger share of the price than the print. A premium tee and a basic tee can be far apart before any ink goes down.

Turnaround and rush

Your first proof comes back in 1 to 2 business days after you open the ticket. Standard apparel turnaround is 7 to 10 business days from proof approval and payment. Rush runs down to 1 to 2 days when the date is tight.

Timing is the same whichever method we pick. The fastest way to speed it up is to approve the proof the day it lands. Put your in hand date on the job ticket and we plan the run around it. Pickup is in Hutto, or we deliver locally or ship.

Three common jobs and the method we pick

• 48 crew tees, one color logo on the chest, company name on the back. Screen printing. Two locations, one color each, and enough shirts to spread the setup. It's the lowest cost per shirt and the print will outlast the tee.
• 15 family reunion shirts with a full color photo. DTG on cotton. A photo would take a stack of screens, and DTG prints it in one pass with a soft feel.
• 30 dry fit shirts for a 5K team, plus a few cotton tees for volunteers. DTF. It sticks to the polyester and the cotton, and the logo looks the same on both.

Plenty of jobs sit in between. A 24 shirt order with a three color logo could go either way. We look at the count, the art and the garment, then quote the method that gives you the best shirt for the money.

When embroidery beats all three

Polos, caps, jackets and work shirts that customers see up close usually look better stitched than printed. Embroidery lasts for years and reads as premium. Most crews and offices end up with printed tees for daily wear and embroidered pieces for the front of the house.

Our embroidery vs screen printing guide for uniforms covers that call in detail. To see what we stitch, start on the embroidery page.