What is DTG printing?
DTG — direct-to-garment — prints water-based ink directly into the fabric with a large inkjet printer. The ink sits in the fibre rather than on it, giving the softest full-colour print there is. It only works properly on cotton.
Why it matters
For photographic or many-colour artwork on light cotton in small quantities, nothing is softer or cheaper to set up. It is our default for samples of multi-colour designs.
On our floor
Each garment is loaded, printed and cured individually, so the time per piece is constant however many you order — which is why DTG stops making sense above a few hundred. Dark garments need pre-treatment and a white underbase, which adds cost.
Common questions
- Does DTG work on polyester?
- No. The ink bonds to cotton fibre; on polyester it prints dull and washes out. Use DTF or sublimation.
- Does DTG work on black shirts?
- Yes, with pre-treatment and a white underbase. It costs more than on white; for dark garments in quantity DTF is usually better.
- How long does a DTG print last?
- The life of the garment on 100% cotton, cured correctly and washed inside out at 30°C.
- What is the minimum order?
- 50 pieces. Single pre-production samples come as part of a quoted order.
Related terms
DTF printing
DTF — direct-to-film — prints your artwork onto a clear film with a white backing layer, coats it with adhesive powder, and heat-presses it…
pre-treatment
Pre-treatment is a liquid sprayed onto the garment before DTG printing. On dark garments it lets the white underbase sit on top of the…
underbase
An underbase is a layer of white ink laid down before the colours so that the design stays bright and opaque on a dark garment instead of…
hybrid printing
Hybrid printing screen prints a white underbase onto the garment, then prints full-colour artwork over it with a DTG head. Each method does…
Where this applies
Book a call
Twenty minutes with the people who make it — the garment, the quantity, the date.
Put it to work
Send us what you have — a garment, a logo, a rough quantity — for a quote within a working day, or book a call and we will talk it through.
Get a quote