Direct to Garment Printing
Direct to Garment, or DTG printing, is a process by which a digital image is printed directly onto your apparel using cutting-edge printing technology and inks. This process allows us to print any quantity order with highly detailed full color designs at an affordable price. Must call in to request this print method.
Most Popular Apparel for DTG Printing
The Direct-to-Garment Printing Process
Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing is a method of printing on apparel using specialized inkjet technology. This process offers advantages over traditional printing methods depending on the characteristics of the project.
The DTG process involves printing directly onto apparel with ink that’s specially formulated for the fabric. The steps involved in the process are as follows:
Step # 1: Artwork preparation
Once artwork has been submitted, it’s checked to identify and correct any issues that may negatively impact the printed result. This includes a check for compression artifacts, color profiling, and color correction to ensure that it pairs well with the selected garment color.
Step # 2: Fabric pre-treatment
Before DTG printing, the garment is pre-treated with a solution that helps the ink bond to the fabric. This is commonly done using a machine that sprays liquid onto the fabric.
Step # 3: Printing
The design is printed onto the garment using an inkjet printer that has been specifically designed for DTG printing. Specialized inks created for fabrics are used and produce high-quality prints in a wide range of colors.
Step # 4: Curing:
After the design has been printed, the garment must be cured to set the ink and make it permanent. This is typically done using a heat press, which applies heat and pressure to the garment to fix the ink in place.
Direct-to-Garment is an alternative printing process that’s relatively simple and offers advantages over other methods. Get all the details in our blog post: DTG vs Screen Printing.
Best File Types for DTG Printing
Image quality is among the most important factors in generating high-quality, custom apparel with Direct to Garment Printing. Vector files are infinitely scaleable and produce the highest quality images among the two types of images. Therefore the file types that will produce the best results are:
- .svg
- .eps
- .ai
Direct to Garment FAQ
In our experience, Direct to Garment is the best option in several circumstances. Smaller order sizes make it more cost-effective, while DTG excels when printing designs with many colors or complex images. For more information, check out our Help Center article: Screen Printing vs. Direct to Garment.
We recommend using 100% cotton with Direct to Garment Printing. Alternatively, blends with a high proportion of cotton can work well. Finally, we advise avoiding polyester fabrics.
Unfortunately, DTG printing can only be used with materials that have flat surfaces.
Our DTG-printed apparel can be produced and shipped quickly. With rush shipping, we can deliver custom-printed tees as quickly as 2 business days and 6 days using our, free standard shipping option.
No, custom-printed apparel has no minimum.
Direct to Garment Design Examples
From the beginning, our service was built with the customer in mind so that your ordering experience will be as easy and effortless as possible! Our online design studio makes it easy for you to customize apparel for your business, school, nonprofit organization, family reunion, and more!
