For a small apparel order with full-color artwork, DTF is worth asking about. For a larger run using the same design, screen printing is worth pricing. The useful comparison starts with your actual garments, print size, artwork, and quantity.
At Imprint, we offer DTF printing applied to apparel and screen printing. You can send us the order details before choosing a method. We will review the design and confirm the garment, printing approach, and price with your quote.
What changes between DTF and screen printing?
DTF means direct to film. The design is printed onto film, prepared with an adhesive, and applied to the garment using a heat press. The carrier film is removed after application. Epson describes the film, powder, and heat-press equipment in its film-printing guide. Our DTF service covers the finished, decorated apparel order.
Screen printing uses prepared mesh screens. Ink passes through the stencil onto the garment. The artwork is separated into ink colors, and the screens are lined up so those colors register together. The print then needs the correct cure for the ink being used.
That difference changes preparation and production. DTF can reproduce a full-color design without preparing a screen for each ink color. Screen printing can also reproduce multicolor artwork; the separation and setup need to suit the design.
An inked screen above a multicolor graphic on a black shirt at the shop.
Compare the order you need
A smaller batch: ask about DTF, especially when the design has several colors or photographic detail.
One repeated logo across a larger run: ask us to price screen printing with the actual garment and placements.
A large filled graphic: discuss the print size and feel before approving either method.
A particular fabric or garment color: have the exact style checked for the proposed decoration.
These are starting points for a quote. A full-color design does not automatically require DTF, and a larger order does not automatically require screen printing.
Quantity affects the quote, but there is no universal cutoff
Screen preparation happens before the run. When more garments use the same setup, that preparation is spread across more pieces. With DTF, the print area, artwork preparation, application, garment, and quantity still belong in the finished-order price.
At Imprint, our screen printing minimum is 36 pieces per design. That is our order minimum. It does not mean screen printing becomes cheaper than DTF at exactly 36 pieces.
Consider two example requests:
20 staff shirts with a detailed full-color design: send the artwork and ask us to review DTF with your chosen garment.
120 shirts with one repeated two-color logo: screen printing is worth quoting. Include every placement so a small front logo and a large back print are both accounted for.
Those are example order briefs. To compare methods fairly, keep the garment, quantity, print dimensions, and locations the same. Compare the complete totals and what each quote includes.
Look at the artwork at its finished size
A photograph, shaded illustration, and two-color logo ask different things of a printing process. Send the best original file you have, along with the intended print dimensions. Small lettering and fine gaps need to be checked at the size they will appear on the shirt.
Point out any background you want removed and any colors that need particular attention. If you have a brand color reference, include it. A screen display is useful for discussing the design, but it does not replace reviewing how that artwork will print on the selected garment.
You do not need to turn a detailed image into a guessed ink count before contacting us. We can review how it would be produced and discuss any artwork changes before approval.
Print feel depends on coverage as well as method
A small chest logo and a solid graphic covering most of the front put very different amounts of print on a shirt. Describe the finish you want: a light everyday tee, a bold merch graphic, or work shirts that will be worn regularly.
At Imprint, we use halftones in suitable DTF artwork to break selected areas into printed dots and open space. Reducing continuous transfer coverage can help us work toward a softer, more screen-print-like feel. We review the artwork at its intended print size so important lettering, edges, dots, and gaps remain suitable for production.
If feel is a deciding factor, ask to see a relevant finished sample when one is available. Compare a similar print size and garment. A tiny sample does not tell you how a much larger design will feel, and a photo cannot show that by itself.
Check the exact garment style and color
Tell us the garment style, color, and fabric if you know them. Cotton, polyester, and blends are broad categories; a recommendation for one shirt does not automatically apply to every item in that category.
Transfer manufacturers give product-specific application guidance. For example, STAHLS lists compatible fabrics and warns about dye migration, where garment dye can move into the print. The actual garment and transfer combination needs review, even when the general fabric type appears on a compatibility list.
Send all the styles together when the order mixes tees, hoodies, or other garments. We will review the combination rather than assume one recommendation covers everything.
Which lasts longer?
The method name alone does not establish how long your finished print will last. The garment, materials, correct application or curing, and care all matter. ScreenPrinting.com’s production guide, for example, explains why screen-printing ink needs the correct cure and checks afterward.
Ask for the care instructions that apply to your order. If the shirts have a specific use, such as regular workwear or an occasional event, include that in the request so we can discuss the materials and finish.
Send one clear brief for a useful recommendation
Your total quantity, grouped by design.
Garment styles, colors, and sizes, or a note that you need help choosing.
The best artwork file you have and the intended print dimensions.
Each location: front, back, sleeves, or other requested placements.
Your budget and the date you need the finished order in hand.
Production timing needs to be confirmed with the order. Choosing DTF does not by itself confirm a faster completion date. Include the deadline at the start so it can be reviewed with the garment and printing method.
Request your quote with those details. Our St. Petersburg shop can help compare the options for the order you actually need.
Have something in mind?
Tell us what you’re making. We’ll help work out the garments, artwork, and next step.