Direct-to-Garment (DTG) is a digital printing process where an inkjet print head deposits water-based inks directly onto a garment, similar to how a desktop inkjet printer works on paper — except the substrate is fabric.
How DTG works
The garment is pre-treated with a bonding agent (for cotton fabrics), placed on a platen, and run through a purpose-built printer. The water-based inks bond to the cotton fibres. A heat cure step locks the ink into the fabric. Total process time per shirt: 3–8 minutes depending on design complexity.
When DTG makes sense
- Quantity 1–24: no screen setup cost, so small quantities are economical. A single DTG tee costs $13–$18 on platforms like Printful; a single screen-printed tee requires a $40–$80 setup fee that’s only economical at 25+ units.
- Photo-quality or full-colour gradients: DTG handles unlimited colours at no upcharge; screen printing charges per additional colour.
- Print-on-demand fulfilment: Printful, Printify, and Gelato all use DTG as their primary fulfilment method for custom designs.
DTG limitations
- Durability: DTG inks wash out faster than plastisol screen inks. Expect 30–40 wash cycles at full saturation; screen printing retains colour for 50+ cycles. Using proper wash care (inside-out, cold, air-dry) extends DTG life toward the 50-cycle mark.
- White ink on dark blanks: requires a thick white under-base layer, which can feel “plasticky” if overdone. Premium DTG shops adjust under-base weight by design.
- Polyester: DTG doesn’t bond well to polyester fibres (dye-migration problem). For polyester garments, sublimation printing or DTF is the right method.
- Colour accuracy on black blanks: printing on black requires heavy white under-base, which softens colour accuracy.
DTG vs screen printing: the crossover point
At approximately 25 units, screen printing becomes cheaper per unit than DTG — the setup cost amortises across enough shirts that the per-unit screen price drops below DTG. See the full analysis at DTG vs screen printing.
The blank-quality caveat
DTG print quality looks dramatically different on different blanks. A Bella+Canvas 3001 (4.2oz, side-seamed, Airlume cotton) produces softer, more vivid DTG output than a Gildan 64000 (5.3oz, tubular). The DTG process deposits ink on the surface of the cotton fibres; finer, longer-staple cotton picks up ink more precisely. See blank tee comparison for the full breakdown.
Relevant pages
- Printful review — the largest DTG POD platform
- Printify review — lower-cost DTG POD with provider routing
- DTG vs screen printing — when to use which
- Blank tee comparison 2026 — how blank choice affects DTG output