DIRECT-TO-GARMENT PRINTING

CUSTOM DTG PRINTING SERVICES

Direct-to-Garment (DTG) Printing uses a high-tech inkjet printer to print digital designs and images directly onto a garment. The result is a full-color, high-resolution design that lasts longer than other printing mediums. DTG printing is quickly becoming one of the most popular methods of branding apparel, for several reasons:

 

  • The process is relatively hassle-free compared to other methods of printing.
  • With DTG printing, you are not limited by colors. For no extra cost, you can incorporate as many different colors into your printed design as your heart desires.
  • DTG offers much quicker turnaround times than traditional methods.
  • There is no minimum order for Direct-to-Garment printing. This makes it the number one option for one-off prints and small run orders.
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T-shirt,Printing,Machine.innovation,Shirt,And,Textile,Printer,Machine.

At The Print Plug, we are able to utilize our top-of-the-line DTG printer to apply professional graphics and designs to a multitude of mediums, including:

 

  • Shirts
  • Pants
  • Hoodies / Sweaters
  • Canvas Bags
  • Mouse Pads
  • Koozies
  • Coasters
  • Plus More

Call The Print Plug today to find out how we can help breathe life into your custom apparel project. With a friendly and knowledgeable staff, you can rest easy knowing your DTG print job is in good hands. From the design process to the finished product, your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Call Now to Order

Or use our online quote request form

NO MINIMUM ORDERS!

ONLY NEED 1 SHIRT PRINTED? NO PROBLEM (PRICE BREAKS ON LARGER ORDERS)

WHY CHOOSE CUSTOM DTG PRINTING?

NO ORDER MINIMUM: Need only 1 shirt printed? The Print Plug can get it done! Direct-to-Garment is a great option for any size job, but has a unique edge over other decorating techniques - especially screen printing - is its capability to handle one-off and small-batch orders. This means that you order only the number of garments you need. For the most value, ask us about our volume discounts.

UNLIMITED COLORS: Unlike screen printing, which applies one color to a garment at a time, DTG printing easily prints dynamic images with as many colors, shades and pigments as you'd like. This makes printing full-color images with DTG a much cheaper option than screen printing.

QUICK TURNAROUND: On a time crunch? Need a last-minute shirt print job done? The Print Plug to the rescue! Direct-to-Garment Printing provides a quick turnaround capability. You can rest easy knowing that you will have the custom garments you need, just in time for that special event.

HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES: Need to print your son's baby photo on a shirt as a graduation gift? DTG printing is the way to go! Direct-to-Garment has the capability to print in much greater detail than screen printing.

LONG-LASTING DESIGNS: When DTG printing, ink binds directly to fiber of the garment. This allows the design to last much longer as it becomes part of the fabric.

CLEAN & GREEN: DTG is one of the most environmentally-conscious ways to decorate custom shirts. DTG Printers use an environmentally friendly and non-toxic water-based ink.

Call Now to Order

Or use our online quote request form

UNLIMITED COLORS!

DON'T BE LIMITED ON THE NUMBER OF COLORS YOU CAN INCORPORATE INTO YOUR DESIGN.

THE DTG PRINTING PROCESS

Let’s take a look at what the Direct-to-Garment printing process is and how it differs from traditional screen-printing techniques. DTG Printing is similar to any other print job, wherein a printer applies ink directly to a piece of fabric. While the concept is fairly straight forward, there are some things to consider in the overall DTG process:
Step 1:
First and foremost, you must ensure the quality of your image or graphic is high enough to translate well onto the garment. DTG printing calls for high resolution images. Vector files work best, but a high quality jpeg or png will work as well. In every case, you will want to visually approve a mock-up of your design digitally placed onto the garment, so that you have an idea of what to expect from the finished product.
Step 2:
Next, you must choose the right fabric for the job. In most cases, softer and natural fibers work best. Bamboo, cotton and linen are great options. Often, the fabric must be prepared in a specific way, including pre-treating the fabric to ensure that the ink bonds well to the garment. This step is especially essential if you are using dark colors in your design. The Print Plug pretreats every garment to ensure the best quality finished product.
Step 3:
The next step in the process is to send the garment through the printer. For dark garments, the printer must two passes on the garment. The first pass will lay a base layer of white ink; the second will lay the colored image on top of the white layer. This ensures the most vibrant result.
Step 4:
Once the garment has been printed on, the ink must be cured. This is done by placing the garment into a high heat environment. This will ensure that the ink binds correctly to the fabric. After several minutes, the ink should be fully cured and ready to go!
Caring for Your DTG Garments:
In general, garment made using DTG printing will be just as durable as one that has been made with traditional techniques. However, there are some things that the user can do to maximize their garment's lifespan. For example, avoiding washing with hot water and harsh detergents will increase your garment's projected lifespan.
Call Now to Order

Or use our online quote request form

NO SET-UP FEES!

SAVE MONEY WITH NO ARTWORK OR SCREEN FEES TO WORRY ABOUT!

WHAT FILE TYPES SHOULD BE USED FOR DTG PRINTING?

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)
HOW DO I KNOW MY DESIGN SHOULD USE DTG?

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.

WHAT TYPE OF PRINTER IS USED FOR DIRECT TO GARMENT PRINTING?

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.

HOW DOES A DIRECT TO GARMENT PRINTED SHIRT FEEL COMPARED TO A SCREEN PRINTED ONE?

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.

WHAT TYPE OF MATERIAL SHOULD MY DESIGN BE PRINTED ON?

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.

HOW DURABLE ARE DIRECT TO GARMENT PRINTS IN THE WASH?

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!

WOULD DIRECT TO GARMENT BE BETTER FOR SMALL OR LARGE ORDERS?

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.

ARE THERE REALLY NO MINIMUMS?

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!

HOW DO I ORDER DTG FROM YOU?

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

To place an order, call us directly at (986) 777-9466, ot fill out our quote request form; let us know the specifics of what you want and we can put together a proposal with a quote and mock-up. We will contact you as soon as possible to iron out all the details.