🎽 DTF + DTG Printing — Full-Color, Short Runs, Soft Hand
Direct to Film and Direct to Garment printing for short-run apparel, complex multi-color designs, and photo-realistic graphics. No screen setup, no color limits, soft hand finish.
When DTF and DTG Beat Screen Printing
Short runs, photo-quality, no color limits, no screen-burning bottleneck.
Direct to Film (DTF) and Direct to Garment (DTG) are the two digital apparel printing technologies that have reshaped short-run custom apparel over the past few years. Where screen printing requires burning a separate screen for each color and works best at quantities above 24 pieces per design, DTF and DTG let us print one shirt as economically as fifty. They handle unlimited colors, photographic gradients, and complex multi-color designs without any setup time. For event tees, rosters with individual names, prototype runs, custom one-offs, and small-business product lines, DTF and DTG are almost always the right call. We use both technologies side-by-side in our shop because each fits a different use case.
DTG (Direct to Garment) prints water-based ink directly onto a cotton or cotton-blend garment, similar to how an inkjet printer hits paper. The ink soaks into the fibers, leaving zero perceptible hand — the print feels exactly like the shirt itself. DTG is the gold standard for soft, premium prints on light-colored cotton tees and is perfect for fashion-quality merchandise, art reproductions, and any design where the priority is feel rather than maximum durability. White or dark garments require a white-ink underbase plus pre-treatment for the colors to read correctly, which adds a small step but produces stunning results on darks too. Cotton content matters: 100% cotton or high-cotton blends print best, while polyester-heavy garments do not work with DTG.
DTF (Direct to Film) is a different process and frankly a more flexible one for many applications. We print your design onto a special PET film with CMYK plus white inks, dust the wet print with adhesive powder, cure the film, and then heat-press the transfer onto the garment. Because the print sits on a flexible polymer transfer, DTF works on any fabric — cotton, polyester, blends, performance fabrics, fleece, even nylon and canvas tote bags. The print is more durable than DTG for high-wash applications, holds vibrant color on dark garments without pre-treatment, and stretches without cracking. It has a slightly thicker hand than DTG but still much softer than vinyl HTV. DTF is our go-to for sports jerseys, performance apparel, hats, and any garment where the substrate is not pure cotton. Tell us your project and we will route to whichever technology fits the application best.
DTF + DTG Capabilities
Full-color, short-run apparel decoration with no setup costs and no color limits.
Unlimited Colors
No screen-burning bottleneck. Print full-color photographs, gradients, and complex multi-color designs at the same per-piece price as a single-color graphic. Perfect for art reproductions and photo apparel.
No Minimum Order
One shirt costs about the same per piece as fifty (within reasonable bounds). Ideal for one-offs, prototype runs, custom gifts, and event tees where bulk pricing breakpoints do not apply.
Soft Hand Finish
DTG soaks into the fibers with no perceptible hand — the print feels like the shirt. DTF has a slight raised feel but stays much softer than vinyl HTV and stretches without cracking through normal wear.
Variable Names & Numbers
Per-piece variable data for team rosters, individual gifts, and personalized merchandise. No setup fee per name — the printer just prints the next file in the queue at the same per-piece rate.
Works on Any Fabric (DTF)
DTF transfers bond to cotton, polyester, blends, performance fabrics, fleece, nylon, and canvas. The right choice for sports jerseys, athletic wear, and any garment where the fabric is not pure cotton.
3-Day Turnaround
Standard DTG and DTF turnaround is 3 business days, with rush options available. Faster than screen printing because there is no screen burning, ink mixing, or pre-press setup — we just print and press.
What We Print With DTF + DTG
Apparel, accessories, bags, and headwear in any quantity from one to thousands.
How to Order DTF / DTG Printing
Three days from your file to wearable, washable, color-rich apparel.
Send Art & Garment Choice
Upload a PNG with transparent background at 300 DPI, sized to print dimensions. Tell us garment style, color, sizes, and quantity. We will quote within hours and recommend DTG or DTF based on the fabric.
Approve Mockup
We send a digital mockup with your design placed on the actual garment color and a preview of how the print will read. Adjustments to size and placement are free until you approve.
Print & Cure (or Press)
DTG runs through pre-treatment, prints, and cures in a tunnel oven. DTF prints the film with white ink under the design, dusts and cures the adhesive, then heat-presses to the garment at 320F.
Pickup or Ship
Garments folded, counted, and delivered. Local Dallas pickup is free. Optional fold-and-bag service available. Reorders run from your archived file with same-day quote turnaround when art is unchanged.
File Requirements
PNG with transparent background, 300 DPI, sized to print dimensions. CMYK or RGB are both fine — we color-manage. White base is auto-generated for DTF. For DTG, art should be at the actual print size (e.g. 11"x14" for full-front).
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about pricing, turnaround, files, and capabilities.
What is the difference between DTF and DTG?
DTG (Direct to Garment) prints ink directly onto the garment fibers, similar to inkjet printing on paper. It produces the softest hand and works best on 100% cotton or high-cotton blends. DTF (Direct to Film) prints onto a polymer film with adhesive backing, then heat-presses to the garment. DTF works on any fabric including polyester, blends, and performance fabrics, and is more durable for high-wash applications. We use DTG for cotton tees where soft hand matters most, and DTF for sports jerseys, hats, bags, and any non-cotton fabric.
How does DTF/DTG compare to screen printing on cost?
DTF and DTG are more economical for short runs (1-24 pieces) because there is no screen-burning setup cost. Above about 24-36 pieces of a single-color design, screen printing becomes cheaper per piece because screen setup is amortized across more shirts. For multi-color and photographic designs, DTF/DTG remain competitive even at higher quantities since screen printing requires more screens per color. We will quote both methods on your project so you can see the breakpoint and choose what fits the budget.
How durable are DTF and DTG prints?
Properly washed and dried, both processes survive 50+ wash cycles before noticeable fade. DTF tends to be slightly more wash-durable than DTG and holds up better in commercial laundry environments. DTG fades a bit more naturally with the garment. For maximum life: wash inside-out in cold water, tumble dry on low or hang dry, and avoid bleach or fabric softeners. Industrial laundry programs (uniforms cleaned commercially) are usually better suited to screen printing or embroidery, but for normal consumer use both DTF and DTG hold up beautifully for years.
Can you print on dark garments?
Yes, both DTF and DTG handle dark garments with a white-ink underbase. For DTG on darks, the garment requires pre-treatment (a clear primer that lets the white ink bond to the cotton) before the white base prints, then color on top. For DTF, white is automatically printed under the design on the film, so no pre-treatment is needed and dark garments are just as easy as light. Color saturation on darks with both methods is excellent — modern white inks have improved dramatically over the past few years and dark prints look just as vibrant as light prints.
What file format do you need?
PNG with transparent background at 300 DPI is ideal. We can also work from PDF, AI, EPS, or TIFF files. For photo prints, RGB or CMYK both work since we color-manage on press. The art should be sized to actual print dimensions (typically 11 by 14 inches for a full-front graphic on an adult tee). We will scale within reason but starting at the right size produces the cleanest result. If you only have a low-resolution image, we offer art prep and upscaling services as a separate fee.
How fast can you turn around a DTF or DTG order?
Standard turnaround is 3 business days from art approval. Rush turnaround of 24-48 hours is available with a 30% surcharge depending on schedule. Same-day rushes are sometimes possible for local Dallas pickup if we have machine availability and you arrive with the file early in the morning. Bulk orders of 100+ pieces typically take 5-7 business days because of press time and packaging, but the per-piece print itself is just as fast as a single tee — the bottleneck is volume packaging.
Photo-Quality Apparel, No Color Limits, Short Run
Whether you need one shirt or a hundred, DTF and DTG deliver full-color, soft-hand, wash-durable prints with no setup costs.