What is direct to garment printing?
Direct to garment printing is a process by which garments are printed directly from a computer using advanced inkjet technology. While the inks and hardware are different than your desktop printer, the artwork used and the method of printing from your PC are virtually the same. Gone is the need to generate or reduce your our artwork to a small number of colors to meet the limitations of printing by screens.
Why DTG over other traditional methods of t-shirt decoration?
Digital direct to garment printing allows a much wider range of colors, tones and effects than traditional screen printing at the same time it produces much higher quality output than you can get through transfers. Direct to garment inks are water based which means that the prints have a much softer “hand” (softer to the touch) than plastisol screen prints. Most importantly, direct to garment printing allows you to offer your clients on demand instant prints from one off designs and prints to small and medium sizes production runs. There are no film and screen setups involved and control over inventory are just a few examples of the benefits of DTG printing
How much does it cost to print a t-shirt?
This is a very difficult question to answer as there are so many variables to consider. How much area of the garment does the image cover, is it on a light or dark shirt, are you printing using the One Pass technology and what ink saturation levels give you the desired print results? Typically the average size A4+ image printed on a t-shirt will range from 10-35 cents on a light colored shirt and the same image will cost $1.00-1.50 on a dark garment – these are ink costs, other factors like labor and garment cost need to be calculated in as well. To help you with projection of ink cost on specific jobs the DTG Print Pro software also incorporates a user adjustable ink cost calculator.
How many colors can I produce using a DTG printer?
Direct to garment printers use process inks in cyan, magenta, yellow and black to generate the colors you send from your computer. These colors allow for the generation of millions of colors. Additionally, DTG direct to garment printers also include white ink which is used as a base on dark garments to allow for the reproduction of this same range of colors on dark textiles. Think of it like your desktop inkjet printer – only printing on t-shirts instead of paper.
Do the prints stand up to washing?
Yes, with proper curing in your heat press after printing you will get excellent washfastness out of your DTG printed garments. Better grade t-shirts will be more washfast than lower grade garments. The ink technology used in direct to garment printing is nearly a decade old and very proven. With proper treatment after printing you can rest assured that your customers will be very satisfied with the wear of the images you print for them.
Can you print on items other than t-shirts and other garments?
Yes – there are many products that can be printed easily and profitably on your DTG printers, mouse pads, aprons, cotton carry bags just to name a few.