Print methods, compared
There's no single best way to put a design on a shirt. Each method trades off cost, feel, durability, color detail and what fabrics it works on. Here's how the common ones compare.
At a glance
| Method | Best for | Fabrics | Colors / detail | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen printing | Larger runs of the same design | Cotton, poly and blends (with the right inks) | One screen per color, so fewer colors is cheaper | Ink sits on top; soft with water-based inks |
| DTG (direct to garment) | One-offs and short runs, full color, photos | Best on 100% cotton or high-cotton blends | Unlimited colors, fine gradients | Very soft, ink goes into the fibers |
| DTF (direct to film) | Full-color designs on almost any fabric | Cotton, polyester, blends, nylon | Unlimited colors, sharp detail | A thin, flexible layer on the surface |
| HTV (heat transfer vinyl) | Names, numbers, simple text and shapes | Cotton, polyester and blends | Solid colors, one layer per color; no gradients | Smooth layer on top |
| Sublimation | All-over and photo prints on light polyester | High-polyester, white or light colors only | Unlimited colors | None: the dye becomes part of the fabric |
| Embroidery | Logos, left-chest marks, hats, a premium look | Most fabrics, especially heavier ones | A handful of thread colors; small text is hard | Raised stitched texture |
Screen printing
Ink is pushed through a fine mesh screen onto the garment, one screen for each color. Setting up screens takes time, so it's most economical when you're printing many shirts with the same design. The results are bright and very durable. Plastisol ink sits on top and feels a little thicker. Water-based ink soaks in and feels softer.
Watch out for
- Every added color adds a screen and cost.
- Photos and soft gradients need halftones (tiny dots), which not every shop does well.
- On polyester, dye from the fabric can bleed into light ink. Shops use low-bleed inks to prevent it.
DTG: direct to garment
DTG works like an inkjet printer for shirts. Water-based ink is sprayed straight onto the fabric. There's no setup per design, so one shirt costs about the same as ten, and it handles photos and gradients well. Dark shirts need a white underbase printed first, plus a pretreatment spray.
- Best on 100% cotton. On high-polyester blends, colors can look dull and wash out faster.
- Colors are a little less punchy than screen printing on dark garments.
DTF: direct to film
The design is printed onto a special film. Adhesive powder is added and cured, then the film is heat-pressed onto the garment. DTF works on nearly any fabric, including polyester and blends, and keeps fine detail and full color. Many at-home print partners buy ready-made DTF transfers from a print service and only need a heat press.
- It leaves a thin layer on the surface. Big solid areas feel heavier than DTG.
- Very thin lines and tiny isolated dots can peel. Keep details at least about half a millimeter across.
HTV: heat transfer vinyl
A cutting machine cuts the design out of a sheet of colored vinyl. The extra vinyl is picked away by hand (called weeding), and the rest is pressed onto the shirt. HTV is great for names, numbers and bold text, and it's the most common way people start printing at home.
- Solid colors only, one layer per color. It can't reproduce photos or gradients.
- Thin strokes and tiny gaps are hard to cut and weed. Keep strokes about 1.5 mm or thicker.
- Specialty vinyls (glitter, metallic, reflective, puff) give effects other methods can't.
Sublimation
Special ink is printed onto paper. Under heat it turns into a gas and bonds with polyester fibers. The print has no feel at all and won't crack or peel.
- It needs polyester. The more polyester, the more vivid the result. On cotton it barely shows and washes out.
- It only works on white or light garments, because the ink is transparent and there's no white ink.
Embroidery
The design is stitched with thread. It looks premium and lasts, and it's ideal for logos on polos, jackets and hats. Designs are converted to a stitch file (called digitizing), so fine detail and very small text don't translate well.