What is direct-to-garment printing and how does DTG technology work?

What is DTG direct-to-garment printing?
How does DTG printing differ from other printing methods?
What results can be achieved with DTG technology?
What types of clothing work best with DTG?
Can I order DTG printing starting from just one item?
FAQ – DTG direct-to-garment printing

What is DTG direct-to-garment printing?

It is currently one of the most advanced methods of garment printing, known as DTG – Direct To Garment. Simply put: a T-shirt is placed on the printer table, and the device—in our case, the Kornit Apollo, one of the most advanced industrial DTG printers in the world—prints the design directly onto the fabric using the wet-to-wet method. In very simple terms, DTG technology works similarly to an inkjet printer, but instead of paper, we print directly onto the garment. Here you’ll find more information about DTG digital printing on the Kornit Apollo machine.

How does DTG printing differ from other printing methods?

DTG technology differs significantly from the methods used so far. You no longer print the design on additional media as with DTF printing, prepare screens as with screen printing, or spray the fabric with special preparations before printing. The print is applied directly to the T-shirt, which allows for a unique final result. Here you will find the differences between DTF and DTG printing.

What results can be achieved with DTG technology?

DTG printing produces a much softer and more natural effect than DTF, without noticeable thick layers of ink, without white outlines, and without a “oilcloth” effect. We can achieve beautiful tonal transitions, translucency, and highly detailed graphics with photographic quality—results that many techniques have not been able to reproduce so naturally until now. We also can’t forget about the color intensity we can achieve with this technology.

What types of clothing work best with DTG?

DTG digital printing works best on cotton clothing and blends with a high cotton content. This ensures that the prints are highly detailed, soft to the touch, and durable. The technology is ideal

Can I order DTG printing starting from just one piece?

The best part is that we can print T-shirts starting from just one piece. If you also need exceptionally fast turnaround because the deadline was “yesterday,” please contact us. For rush orders, we typically use B&C T-shirts, which we recommend. We have white and black T-shirts from this brand in stock. If you order a different color or brand, we source the T-shirts from our supplier, and the turnaround time is 4–5 business days.