What is DTG Printing?

DTG (direct to garment) printing is a digital printing method in which a design is printed straight onto a finished garment or product with an inkjet printer, while the item is held in position on a tray called a platen. Cotton Incorporated describes the technology as a digital inkjet printer combined with a platen, and notes that products such as socks, hats and shoes can be printed too (CottonWorks). Because no screen or film is needed, set-up is short; Epson says DTG can be used for single pieces and for batch production.

DTG is the finished-product branch of digital printing. It is not industrial digital fabric printing, which prints rolls of fabric.

How DTG printing is done

Epson describes a four-step flow:

1. Design: The artwork is prepared in printing software.
2. Pretreatment: If needed, a pretreatment liquid is applied to the product and allowed to dry completely before printing.
3. Printing: The product is placed on the platen and the printer prints the design directly onto it. White ink is used on dark garments.
4. Curing: The ink is fixed with heat; Epson mentions heat press and heat tunnel settings.

Temperature, time and pressure come from the ink and pretreatment manufacturer’s instructions, so this entry gives no numerical values.

DTG at a glance

DTG compared with DTF and other methods

A short summary of the difference from DTF is in the DTF printing entry, and all the methods are compared in the textile printing methods guide.

What to specify when ordering

1. Weigh quantity and number of colors together: For multicolor, photographic, low-quantity designs, DTG or DTF stands out; for few-color, repeat designs, screen printing can lower the unit cost as quantity grows. The threshold varies by company, so get at least two quotes against the same specification.
2. State the fabric: Give the fiber ratio, weight and base color. If you do not know the weight, calculate it from a sample with the fabric GSM calculator; for choosing a T-shirt fabric, see T-shirt fabric types.
3. Approve the sample before and after washing: ISO 105-C06 measures color change and staining in washing, and ISO 105-X12 measures rubbing fastness.
4. Carry the care instructions onto the label: Epson suggests turning the item inside out and washing in cold water; agree the instructions for your product with the print supplier.

Print shops that do DTG can be found among textile printing services, printing ink suppliers among textile printing inks, and machines and service among textile printing machine suppliers.

Frequently asked questions

Does DTG printing wash off?

There is no one wash count that holds for every DTG print. Epson says durability depends on garment quality, pretreatment and other factors. Color change and staining are measured to ISO 105-C06 and rubbing fastness to ISO 105-X12; damage to the print layer, such as cracking or peeling, is not expressed by those ratings, so write a separate acceptance criterion.

What fabrics can be DTG printed?

Epson recommends cotton and cotton-polyester blends and says DTG gives its best result on cotton. Polyester can be printed if a special polyester pretreatment is applied, but for the best result on polyester Epson recommends DTF. Suitability varies with the machine and ink, so rely on a sample print.

What is the difference between DTG and DTF?

DTG prints directly on the product; DTF prints on film and transfers it with a heat press. According to Epson, DTG needs pretreatment with white ink and on polyester, DTF does not; DTG gives its best result on cotton, while DTF can be applied to almost any fabric and gives a more raised feel.

Is a DTG print breathable?

A printed fabric does not stop sweating either; the body cools down by perspiring. Epson calls DTG breathable and soft to the touch but gives no measured value, and no independent source measuring the effect of the printed area on air and water-vapor permeability was found. If this matters for your product, have a printed and an unprinted sample measured to EN ISO 9237 (air permeability) and EN ISO 11092 (water-vapor resistance). The fabric’s moisture management is set by fiber, structure and weight; see breathable fabrics for summer.

At what quantity does DTG make sense?

There is no single threshold. Because no screen or film set-up is needed, DTG can be used for a single piece and for small runs (Epson). As quantity grows, compare the unit cost with methods whose set-up is done once; the decision depends on quantity, number of colors, fabric and base color.