How long does a DTG printer last?

DTG prints can still survive 50+ washes and be acceptable to the customer – certainly “good enough” for most customers! The bottom line about quality: DTG prints are typically made for customers that have different demands than customers that place high-volume screen print orders.

Is DTG digital printing?

DTG, or Direct to Garment printing, is when a digital image is printed directly on the fabric of your garment. The process uses a specialized digital printing machine that applies water-based inks that are quickly absorbed into the fibers of the fabric. You can think of a DTG machine as a large photo printer.

How much does a direct to garment machine cost?

A professional DTG printing machine can cost between $10,000 to $500,000.

Does direct to garment printing fade?

A quality DTG print can potentially get dozens of washes before it starts fading. Done correctly, screen printing doesn’t have this durability problem. Sure, if the ink isn’t applied or cured properly, even plastisol can fade or deteriorate.

Is direct to garment the same as screen printing?

Screen printing will produce a vibrant, durable design with more saturated colors than the DTG process. DTG printing produces a slightly more faded design with a single layer of ink, but with no limits on the number of colors you can use.

Why is DTG expensive?

In screen printing, a screen setup cost is involved and can be quite costly with more colors. This makes DTG highly disadvantageous to compete with screen printing. Since it is more expensive to print DTG, it is better to close 50 small orders with custom artwork rather than 5 large orders with simple designs.

How does DTG hold up?

DTG garments are not really meant for everyday use but can hold up well if they are laundered with care and not abused – which includes following the general washing and drying guidelines for the fabric and taking extra care to use laundry detergents that are not harsh on colors (and certainly never using bleach).