DTG, short for direct-to-garment, is a digital printing method that sprays water-based ink straight onto a garment, much like an inkjet printer prints on paper. There are no screens and almost no setup, so a single T-shirt can be printed with a full-colour, detailed design.
DTG is popular with brands that print small runs, test new designs or sell print-on-demand.
How DTG printing works
- Prepare the file. The artwork is sent to the printer as a digital file. Software controls ink amount and, on dark garments, the white layer.
- Pretreat (dark and coloured garments). A pretreatment liquid is sprayed on the print area and heat-pressed so the fibres lie flat. This helps the ink bond and sit on the surface instead of sinking in.
- Print. The garment is laid flat on a platen. Print heads jet water-based pigment ink onto the fabric. On dark garments, a white base is printed first, then the colours on top.
- Cure. Heat from a press or tunnel dryer sets the ink so it survives washing.
Why pretreatment matters
Pretreatment is the step most DTG problems trace back to. On dark garments, it allows the white ink to stay on the surface and give an opaque base. Too little gives dull, patchy colour; too much can leave a visible stain or stiff patch around the print. Light garments printed with colour only often need little or no pretreatment, depending on the ink system.
Which fabrics work best
DTG inks are water-based pigments that bond best with natural fibres. In practice:
- 100% cotton gives the most reliable results, especially with a smooth, tight knit such as combed ring-spun cotton. Learn why in our guide to ring-spun vs open-end cotton.
- Cotton-rich blends can print well but may look slightly less vivid.
- High-polyester fabrics are difficult for standard DTG inks. Heat during curing can also release dye from coloured polyester into the print, an effect called dye migration.
What DTG does well
- No minimums. Printing one shirt costs about the same per piece as printing ten.
- Full colour and detail, including gradients and photographs, at no extra cost per colour.
- Soft hand feel on light garments, because the ink is absorbed into the fibres.
- Fast design changes. Each garment can carry a different design.
Limitations
- Higher cost per piece at volume. Ink and print time per shirt do not drop much with quantity, so screen printing usually wins on large runs.
- Fabric range is narrower than DTF or screen printing.
- Dark garments need pretreatment and a white base, which adds time and cost.
- Colour matching is less exact than mixed screen-printing inks.
- Wash durability depends heavily on correct pretreatment and curing.
When DTG is the right choice
Choose DTG for small orders, sampling, print-on-demand and detailed, multicolour artwork on cotton. For large quantities of a simple design, screen printing is usually more economical. For polyester and mixed fabrics, DTF (direct-to-film) is often the simpler digital option.
Calvi Blanks offers printing and finishing alongside its blanks, so you can source the garment and its decoration in one place. Browse cotton blanks in our T-shirts collection, or find out more on our printing and finishing services page.
Frequently asked questions
What does DTG stand for?
Direct-to-garment: ink is printed straight onto the garment rather than onto a transfer or screen.
Is DTG printing good quality?
Yes, for detailed and full-colour designs on cotton, when pretreatment and curing are done correctly.
Does DTG wash out?
A well-pretreated and fully cured DTG print should last many washes. Washing inside out in cool water helps.
Can you DTG print on polyester?
Standard DTG inks are made for cotton. Polyester is possible with some specialist systems, but results are less reliable.
Is DTG cheaper than screen printing?
For small runs, often yes. For large runs of the same design, screen printing is usually cheaper per piece.