dtg printed custom t shirts
DTG prints water-based ink directly into the fabric, with no screens and no setup. That makes it the right answer for short runs and photographs, and the wrong answer for anything above about fifty pieces.
Send the weight, colour, fit and quantity. We return a unit price per quantity tier within 24 hours.
There is no screen because the print head lays ink like an office printer. So the first shirt and the hundredth cost the same per piece, which is exactly what a 20-piece order needs.
The trade is speed and ink cost: DTG runs slower and the ink is expensive, which is why the per-piece price is three to four times a screen print.
On a dark garment the printer must first lay a white underbase, then the colour. That means pre-treatment, a longer cycle and a heavier hand feel.
Durability also drops on dark colours: the white underbase is what fails first, typically showing as fading after 15–25 washes rather than 50.
Short runs, samples, one-off personalisation, photographic designs, and any job where the artwork has more than four colours. At 100 pieces, DTG costs roughly $3.45 more per shirt than a one-colour screen print — on 100 shirts that is $345, more than the blanks cost.
Light, smooth, 100% cotton surfaces print best. Heavier fabrics absorb the ink well; very light jersey can show the print sinking in.
Avoid fabric softener on samples before printing — it interferes with the pre-treatment and the result will not be representative.
| Method | Direct to garment, water-based ink |
|---|---|
| Setup | None |
| Per-piece | $4.00–6.00 depending on size and colour count |
| Best blanks | 100% cotton, light to mid colours, 160–260gsm |
| Weakest point | Fading on dark colours after 15–25 washes |
Only below roughly 50 pieces. Above that the screen print’s setup is amortised and wins clearly.
Yes, with a white underbase and pre-treatment. It works but the hand feel is heavier and it fades sooner.
It fades rather than cracks, because the ink sits in the fibre. Fading is the failure mode to watch.
Around 15–25 washes on dark colours, longer on light ones. Screen printing reaches 50+.
A fabric swatch and a sewn sample come before the bulk run, and finished goods are photographed before packing.