What is 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 fibre instead of soaking in; on light garments a lighter pre-treatment sharpens the print and improves wash durability.
Why it matters
It is why DTG on black works at all, and why it costs more than DTG on white. Skipped or applied unevenly, the print looks patchy and washes out.
On our floor
Applied by machine for consistency, then heat-set before printing. Dark garments carry a small pre-treatment surcharge on our rate sheet.
Common questions
- Does every DTG print need pre-treatment?
- Dark garments always; light garments benefit from a lighter version.
- Can you see pre-treatment on the garment?
- A faint rectangle can show on some dark fabrics before the first wash. It disappears with washing.
- Does pre-treatment affect softness?
- Slightly on dark garments; the print softens after the first wash.
- Is it used in DTF?
- No — DTF's adhesive is on the film. Pre-treatment is a DTG step.
Related terms
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…
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…
cotton
Cotton is the natural fibre behind tees, hoodies, polos and most everyday garments — soft, breathable, absorbent, and the fibre DTG and…
Where this applies
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