direct to garment printer
Web-to-print innovation has ushered in a major shift in today’s printing industry, with the introduction of direct to garment printer that have altered printing processes and enhanced productivity.
The print business has shifted from traditional screen printing and embroidery to more digital direct-to-garment printing as technology has advanced and the demand for more detailed and complicated prints on t-shirts has increased. Although screen printing and embroidery are still popular, the DTG printing sector is growing in popularity due to its fast delivery and high-quality artwork printing.
Question 1: What’s the best fabric to DTG print on?
Cotton is the greatest material for direct to garment printer since it is a natural fabric that absorbs the water-based ink used in DTG printers, but not all cotton is created equal. With DTG, it’s critical to use blank tank tops, blank shirts, or blank hoodies with as smooth a surface as possible to avoid stray fibers interfering with the print. Avoid any cotton that has been carded open end or C.O.E.—these are the heavy, scratchy, inexpensive tees. Check out our most recent post comparing how different varieties of cotton print with direct to garment printer.
Printing on fabrics like our triblends, heathers, and flowy is doable, but it takes a lot of testing for a print company to get the parameters just right. If you want to do DTG printing on textiles other than 100% cotton, consult with a print company that is familiar with the type of blend you want to print on.
Advantages of DTG printing
Screen printing has a faster turnaround time.
There are no setup fees, making this a good alternative for low-volume runs (up to 100)
A good choice for projects that require a variety of colors.
Great for reproducing full-color images properly.
It is not necessary for artwork to be layer/color separated or in vector format.
Question 2: When is it best opportunity to use DTG printing?
In the following cases, direct to garement printer should be preferred over screen printing:
- Your artwork is vibrantly colored. Unless you are doing very huge volumes, this might be costly to achieve with screen printing. If you want to execute a limited run of a design with a lot of colors (like a photograph), printing the work with DTG will undoubtedly save you money. Every color in your artwork must be burned into a screen when screen printing, which takes time and money. With DTG, you don’t have to worry about the quantity of colors.
- You do one-time printing or fulfillment. If you have an e-commerce platform and do not want to keep inventory, you should consider fulfillment printing. Businesses like Family Industries can connect to your website’s API and fulfill orders as they come in. Because each print is unique, DTG is the best option in this scenario.
- You have a low-volume rush job. Because there is no production set up, DTG is usually faster than screen printing when printing small numbers. DTG eliminates the need for your printer to burn screens or mix ink. They simply load a garment and print it.
Question3: What’s the price difference between DTG and screen printing?
DTG often has a higher per unit cost, but it is more cost effective when performing small runs or fulfillment printing. Price will vary depending on the printer, but a DTG print should cost between $12 and $14. When reselling, a decent rule of thumb is to strive to double your margin. The beautiful thing about canvas is that the fabric and fit are retail quality, so you can easily sell them for roughly $30.
Question 4: Any tips to keep in mind for artwork?
The most important thing to remember is that your colors may not turn out exactly as intended. Various fabrics and hues absorb ink differently, and there are numerous configuration variables that might influence the output color. If matching the precise Pantone color of your artwork is critical to you, DTG can help. To acquire an exact shade, you simply need to work with your printer to test and figure out the proper settings, which may take more effort up front. Color vibrancy is something to keep an eye out for with DTG because changing the parameters can sometimes be a quick cure for your printer.
Question 5: How does a DTG print hold up after washing?
When you initially receive a shirt with a DTG print, it will have some shine from the pre-treatment. After the pre-treat comes off in the first wash, the print will look more natural and the “waxy” appearance will disappear. If done correctly, DTG should last just as long as screen printing. If a DTG print deteriorates after washing, it was most likely not properly pre-treated or cured. If you are experiencing this problem, contact your printer.
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