Learn about one of the most modern garment printing methods: DTG digital printing (direct-to-garment). You'll learn what this clothing labeling method is and its pros and cons.

Direct printing is a relatively new technology - it appeared on the printing market in the 1990s. At first, not many printers used this innovative (for the time) method. Only recently did DTG printing become a viable alternative to traditional production methods, such as the well-known screen printing.

Why is it called direct printing?
DTG printing is based on a fairly simple principle - it can be compared to a regular inkjet printer that everyone has at home. In the DTG studio we don’t use a piece of paper, like a t-shirt, nor do we use a home printer, but rather a large industrial printer, suitable for printing on clothes.

As the name suggests, digital printing involves applying ink directly onto a T-shirt or other garment. The ink sinks deeply into the fabric, so the print won't be visible at all under your fingers.

Advantages of DTG digital printing
Direct printing offers many advantages over other traditional printing methods.

Multiple Color Options - You don't have to limit yourself to a few colors like screen printing does.
It can be used to print detailed designs such as photos.
High productivity and extremely fast turnaround times - We use up to 3 industrial printers in our studio, so even large orders can be processed in a short time.
Only prints 1 copy, extremely cost-effective - you can print up to one T-shirt with us; especially useful if you need samples or run a small business.
Very accurate color reproduction - DTG printing is ideal for color graphics.
It is not only suitable for printing on T-shirts or sweatshirts, but also suitable for printing on cotton bags.
The print is imperceptible to the touch, and because the ink penetrates the fabric, it won't chip or wrinkle, even after multiple washes.
What are the disadvantages of direct printing?
As with any method of printing on clothing, digital printing has some limitations:

Best results are achieved on natural fabrics (i.e. various cotton shirts, T-shirts, or bags). The maximum addition amount of polyester and other chemical fibers shall not exceed 20%.
Design positioning is restricted - the print must be placed on the front or back of the printed T-shirt, and it is not possible to print the pattern on the sleeves or the entire garment.

Why use DTG digital printing?
If you want to produce small batches of garments with your print, direct printing would be a good choice. It's perfect for corporate events, for example, when you need t-shirts with your company logo on them. Also suitable for all kinds of promotional clothing.

The design applied to the garment should be a digital image - so you can use a photo or create your design in a graphics program. It's also worth learning more about how to prepare your files for printing so that you're 100% satisfied with the result.

How to prepare a DTG printing project?
With digital methods, you have no limitations in terms of color range - you can use as many colors as you like in your design. DTG can handle detailed designs such as photos or graphics with lots of gradients. The most important thing is that the files you send us are in the correct format. For projects without a background, it must be in PNG format, for other projects like photos you should change the file format to TIFF and save the color profile.

By properly preparing your print file, you can ensure that the imprint on your T-shirt or bag will look exactly like the design on your computer. With direct printing, there is absolutely no loss of quality, and the precise reproduction of every detail means you will always receive a high-quality product.

Digital printing – the best way to get started
If you are just starting in the clothing business, or you run a small local shop and don't currently need to keep a large amount of inventory in your warehouse, then printing with DTG is the best option. Digital printing can also come in handy if you just need to try out a new design, or need to create a small number of promotional t-shirts for an event.

This way you can easily introduce new designs into your store without having to worry about being left with a hundred unsold t-shirts because they don't fit your customers' tastes. DTG printing is a simple solution to grow your business sensibly without having to worry about capital investments from the start.