Start with the artwork and the number of shirts you actually need. A two-color crew logo and a photo with soft shading ask different things of a printer, even when they go on the same shirt.
Screen printing and direct-to-garment printing, or DTG, put an image on fabric in different ways. That affects setup, how the artwork is prepared, and which orders make sense for each process. Here is what to compare before choosing.
What is the difference between screen printing and DTG?
Screen printing pushes ink through a mesh stencil onto the garment. The artwork is separated into printable layers, and the press applies those layers using prepared screens. A design with more ink colors or more print locations takes more setup.
DTG uses an inkjet printer to apply a digital image directly to the garment. It does not need a physical screen for each color, which makes it useful for photos, gradients, and designs with many color changes. Garment preparation and curing are still part of the job. Kornit, a DTG equipment manufacturer, explains the two processes here.
Compare the design before counting colors
A logo made from two solid colors is straightforward to discuss: show the printer the art, identify the placements, and confirm the shirt color. Screen printing is worth considering when you are repeating that design across an order.
A photograph is a different conversation. Its shading may contain thousands of tones, so counting the visible colors is not a useful quote method. DTG can reproduce that digital image without making a screen for each shade. For screen printing, ask how the shop would separate and reproduce that image, and whether the result fits your design.
Send the best original file you have. A screenshot of a logo does not become more detailed just because it is printed digitally. Include the intended print size so the printer can judge small lettering and fine details at the size people will see them.
Why quantity changes the cost comparison
Screen preparation is work that happens before the run. When more garments use the same setup, that work is spread across more pieces. DTG removes that particular screen-making step, but the garment, print area, preparation, and production time still affect the quote.
There is no single quantity where one method becomes cheaper for every design. Compare complete quotes for the same garment, artwork, placements, and quantity. At Imprint, our screen printing minimum is 36 pieces per design.
Two examples show why the brief matters:
72 crew shirts with one repeated logo: ask about screen printing and confirm whether the front and back use different numbers of ink colors.
12 shirts with a detailed photo: ask which digital process the shop actually offers, how the file will be prepared, and whether it suits your selected garment.
Those are example order briefs, not prices or automatic method recommendations.
DTG and DTF are different processes
The names look similar, but direct-to-film printing, or DTF, adds a transfer step. The design is printed onto film and then applied to the garment with heat. DTG prints directly onto the garment. Kornit’s DTF process guide describes that film-and-application workflow.
At Imprint, you can request screen printing, DTF printing applied to apparel, and embroidery. If you have a smaller order or full-color artwork, send it over so we can review it for DTF.
Check the garment and finished print, too
Ask about the exact shirt style, fabric, and color. A recommendation for one cotton tee does not automatically carry over to a different blend, dark hoodie, or coated garment.
For print feel, look at a relevant finished sample when one is available. The size and coverage of the design matter as well as the method. A large solid graphic and a small chest logo will not feel the same.
Be careful with promises of a fixed number of washes. Ink, garment, preparation, curing, and care all affect the result. Kornit’s comparison makes that distinction; the method name alone is not a lifespan guarantee.
What to send for a useful recommendation
The artwork and intended print size.
Garment style, color, and quantity, with sizes if you have them.
Every placement: front, back, and any sleeves.
Your budget and the date you need the finished order in hand.
You do not need to solve the production process before asking. Request your quote with those details, and we can talk through the options we offer for your order.
Have something in mind?
Tell us what you’re making. We’ll help work out the garments, artwork, and next step.