What is DTG Printing?
DTG printing technology is one of the newly developed printing methods with the help of the latest printing technology. In many ways, it works like an inkjet printer you see in the office that transfers ink directly to paper. Of course, in this case different types of ink are used, and the medium is fabric and not paper.
Advantages of DTG printing
DTG offers a number of advantages over other printing methods, including:
Low setup cost: To set up a DTG printer, you need to upload the design, and then you can use it. This is different from other, more time-consuming methods that require making templates and other tools before you can start printing.
Easy to use: Other printing methods include creating templates, cutting shapes on vinyl, or drawing designs on special paper. These tasks often require skills that many people don’t have. However, with the DTG shirt printer, you just upload the design, insert the t-shirt, and you’re good to go.
No minimum order: The lower setup costs make the minimum order unnecessary. If you want, you can even ask for it to be printed with color photos on t-shirts and other fabrics.
High-quality prints: DTG printing technology can print complex multi-color designs with impressive accuracy. It’s so accurate and detailed that you can even use it to print color photos onto t-shirts and other fabrics.
More environmentally friendly: Compared to methods such as dye sublimation and screen printing, the DTG printing process is more environmentally friendly. New technologies developed for DTG are also becoming more and more environmentally friendly.
Improved technology: Unlike most other printing methods, some of which are thousands of years old, DTG printing technology is new. Therefore, we can expect to see an improvement in results as the technology evolves further. In addition to better print quality, further developments may also reduce costs.
Disadvantages of DTG printing
No one method is perfect, and DTG printing does have some drawbacks. These disadvantages include:
Pre-treatment of dark fabrics: Dark-colored garments need to be pre-treated before printing. Pretreatment works similarly to priming drywall, preventing the ink from immediately sinking into the fabric to prevent mixing. However, the pre-treatment process can sometimes leave stains on the fabric that can be washed off.
Colors on dark fabrics are not too bright: When printing on dark fabrics, the colors are usually not as vibrant as they are on lighter fabrics. In some cases, this may lead to a reconsideration of the design or the use of light-colored fabrics. It is also difficult to match the exact Pantone color, resulting in mixed results.
Requires a high cotton content: You usually need to use fabrics with a high cotton content to get good results. A cotton content of 80% or more is usually recommended. Luckily, this is usually not a problem for t-shirt prints, as most t-shirts have a high cotton content.
Not the best choice for large orders: While digital direct injection is great for small orders, it is not the best choice for large orders. On the one hand, using DTG shirt printers for high-volume printing is time-consuming and may require a lot of manpower. On the other hand, the cost makes digital direct injection not cost-effective for high-volume orders.