DTG (Direct-To-Garment) Printing

DTG Printing is an ideal choice for printing high-quality, full-color designs directly onto various items. Whether creating custom apparel for business or a unique piece for personal use, DTG printing can assist in achieving your goals.

DTG (Direct-To-Garment) printing is a process that uses modified inkjet technology to spray water-based inks onto apparel. It allows for intricate full-color designs with minimal setup. Unlike screen printing, the DTG process requires minimal setup time and is less labor-intensive, making it ideal for small-quantity orders.

As a cost-effective way to create detailed designs, DTG is a go-to printing method for many businesses and entrepreneurs worldwide.

KEY POINT: There are no order minimums, allowing people to order as few or as many products as they like. 

HOW IT WORKS

Although DTG printers and their models may vary, a few basic steps should always be followed when it comes to the DTG printing process.

Pre-Treatment Process

Pretreatment for DTG shirt printing is essential. With it, multi color designs in DTG inks are going to adhere better to the garment. On top of that, it’ll prevent the ink from washing off and enhance the vibrancy of colors.

Here are two ways it’s applied:

  • Hand spraying. Involves manually pre-treating with a sprayer, which should be done as evenly as possible, using a smooth back-and-forth motion. 

 

  • Pre-treatment machine. A device that you put your shirt into and have it pre-treated automatically.

Printing Process

After the pre-treatment has dried, it’s time to place the garment in the DTG printer and begin the digital printing.

All garments – except white ones – have a white underbase applied first to enhance the vibrancy of the final print.

As soon as the underbase is printed, the DTG printer adds the rest of the colors. Like an inkjet printer, it uses a mix of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

Curing Process

When the DTG shirt is printed, it needs to dry for the final time to cure the ink. This helps the garments resist washing and prevent dulling after just a few washes.

Here are two ways DTG-printed apparel can be cured:

  • Conveyor dryer. Typically, most industrial manufacturers cure ink using a conveyor dryer.

 

  • Heat press. A good option for small businesses with only a few products to cure. If there are more, it becomes a rather labor-intensive and time-consuming endeavor.