What is DTG printing?
Direct-to-garment printing, or DTG, sprays textile ink straight onto a garment and then fixes the print with heat. It is commonly used for one-off and small orders because each design is printed from a digital file.
DTG is a strong option for detailed, multicolor artwork that would be awkward to separate into screens. It is less useful when the supplier cannot load the requested product or placement, or when a larger run makes screen printing cheaper.
Fabric support depends on the supplier's printer, ink, pretreatment, and curing process. Cotton is common, but some DTG systems also support polyester and blends. Check the exact color and fabric instead of relying on a general rule.
Before ordering, check the artwork template, printable area, garment color, white-ink rules, and seams or pockets near the design. Order a sample if color, softness, placement, or wash durability matters.
Questions to ask before choosing DTG
- Does this exact product, color, and placement support DTG?
- Identify the printer, ink, pretreatment, and fixing workflow used for the selected garment.
- Verify material, fabric treatment, and garment-color support for that documented system.
- Check the provider's file format, resolution, transparency, underbase, and color-handling rules.
- Review the exact platen or template, printable area, seam clearance, and available placements.
- Ask how print coverage, pretreatment, and underbase affect the finished surface on this product.
- Use the provider's care instructions and request named test evidence for any durability claim.
- Compare the actual setup, production, delivered cost, and repeat-order terms for your quantity and destination.
Frequently asked questions
Can DTG print on polyester?
Some documented systems can. Epson's July 27, 2023 guidance supports polyester and polyester/cotton blends on its SureColor F2270 with the named polyester pretreatment. Confirm the exact printer, ink, pretreatment, garment, and provider instead of treating polyester support as universal.
Does every DTG garment need pretreatment?
No single rule covers every garment and system. Pretreatment and white-ink requirements depend on the printer, ink, substrate, garment color, and producer workflow. Use the documentation for the exact combination being sold.
How many washes does a DTG print last?
There is no supported universal count. Ask for a result that names the ink or printer, pretreatment, garment, cure, laundering method and condition, measured result, and source. AATCC TM61 defines accelerated laundering tests but does not supply a method-wide DTG lifespan.
Where suppliers offer this method
These counts show how many suppliers currently offer products printed with DTG, based on how suppliers label their own listings. We do not guess a product's method from its category.
DTG
Several suppliers currently list products made with this method. Some other listings do not name their method clearly.
| Suppliers offering it | Products available | Unique products |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 917 | 541 |
References
- SureColor F2270 User's Guide (opens in a new tab) Epson
- Can I print on a polyester garment? (opens in a new tab) Epson
- Digital Direct (opens in a new tab) Spreadshirt
- Screen printing (opens in a new tab) Spreadshirt
- TM61: Colorfastness to Laundering, Accelerated (opens in a new tab) AATCC
- Printing Industry eTool: Screen Printing (opens in a new tab) U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- EMT16X Commercial Embroidery Machine brochure (opens in a new tab) Melco