Vector graphics work best, but we can work around the quality of your design and alter it to fit the order (fees may apply). The reason vector graphics are most commonly used is because they can be infinitely resized without losing any resolution or color quality, which is ideal for projects that need high quality images. DTG printing is a digital process; all we need is a high resolution art file that we can send to the printer and we will be able to print the shirt. Common file types for vector graphics include .ai (illustrator), .eps (encapsulated postscript), and .svg (scalable vector graphics). A high resolution PNG (portable network graphics) with a transparent background is preferred, and we can work with the art you give us (fees apply for reworking).

• .Ai (Adobe Illustrator)
• .eps (Encapsulated Postscript)
• .svg (Scalable Vector Graphic)
• .png (High Resolution Portable Network Graphic)

If the design is very intricate, or uses a high multitude of colors, Direct To Garment printing is your best choice. With DTG, there are absolutely no color restrictions. It’s just as easy to do a one-color print as it is to print 50 colors on a shirt; so this is our go-to method with orders that include complicated artwork. For these reasons, any photographs should be printed on a shirt utilizing DTG as well. If your order is a small quantity of garments or a “one off”, DTG printing is the way to go as well, since it avoids the set up and screen fees that traditional screen printing has.

Direct to garment printing (DTG) is the process of printing on fabrics using specialized ink jet technology. DTG printers typically have a letterpress printing plate which holds the garment in place while the printer inks are jetted onto the textile by the print head. In essence, DTG printers are large inkjet printers with very large print heads. A shirt gets loaded onto the printer, a design file gets sent to the printer, the printer feeds the t-shirt in and the printer prints directly onto the shirt. After the shirt is printed, the shirt is cured to evaporate the water and dry the ink.

Direct to garment printing will feel softer to the touch than screen printing as DTG uses thinner, water-based ink in comparison to screen printing. Screen printing typically uses plastisol ink, which is an ink that produces a design with a thicker coating. As a result of the type of inks used, DTG water-based prints have next to zero hand feel compared to a coating of plastisol ink from a screen printer.

Typically cotton works best for DTG printing; pre-shrunk cotton or 100% ring spun cotton are preferable. Cotton / polyester blends also work well. Ring spun cotton has a tight weave, so these t-shirts last longer and feel softer to the touch. They also provide the best results for printing directly onto the garment because they produce a more flat/smooth finish.

It is critical that DTG items are pretreated to preserve the quality and longevity of the printed design. Pre-treating an item is done with a specialized liquid coating and a heat press. This process helps create stronger bonds between the garment fibers and the ink. Pretreating a garment also flattens any loose fibers on the fabric, which provides for a smoother surface; the fiber chemically reacts with the inks to promote drying and curing. Without proper pre-treatment, designs will appear faded, or even worse, not stick to the garment at all!

Direct To Garment is best used for specialized orders, such as “one offs” or orders lower than 24 items. Designs that utilize DTG printing are preferably ones that involve complex and dense images, or images with lots of gradients and a vast palette of colors. DTG is not typically time or price effective for bulk orders like other printing alternatives, such as screen printing.

Unlike screen printing, direct to garment printing does not require a minimum order. With DTG, there is very little setup that needs to take place, making smaller orders economically feasible. Have just a couple of shirts you want printed for a special occasion? We can do that for you, thanks to DTG technology!

You can either call us directly at (986) 777-9466 or fill out our quote request form.