Starting your own custom-printed clothing business is a hassle, right? You never know which printing technology is for your brand unless you make some serious, questionable financial choices.
But no new startup has money or time to waste away, but then how can you make an informed choice, especially when it comes to direct to garment printing vs screen printing? Well, to say which one is better right off the bat would be foolish, as both printing methods cater to different demands.
However, for more in-depth analysis, consider reading this blog till the very end to decide for yourself which one you should opt for and which one you should stay away from.
Introduction: DTG vs Screen Printing
DTG, also known as the direct-to-garment printing method, vs Screen printing has been the topic of debate for years now. Both of these techniques aim to print only on specific parts of garments. Additionally, many manufacturers and even DIY lovers utilize these techniques to make custom-printed t-shirts, hoodies, and other casual clothes.
But let’s understand what these printing techniques are and how they work!
> Direct-To-Garment:
DTG is a sophisticated printing technique that involves pre-treatment of garments with a bonding agent/glue, and then ink is jetted onto the garment. The ink is then soaked into the fiber content of the garment and, due to the bonding agent, binds strongly to the garment. Think of DTG as printing on paper, but a lot more complex.
Later, when garments are printed. They are placed into a dryer to evaporate extra pre-treatment and to cure the ink for further durability. This step ensures prints last for a long time and feel smooth to the touch.
> Screen Printing:
Screen printing is another very popular technique that involves pushing ink through a custom-prepared stencil onto garments. This stencil is first made according to designs, and depending on the complexity of the designs and colors, these stencils can increase in number accordingly. Additionally, when the ink layer is applied, it is a lot thicker than DTG printing, which results in screen-printed clothes having a tactile feel.
Screen printing, once set up, becomes a fast and efficient tool for bulk print orders.
Factors To Consider Before Making a Printing Choice
There are many factors that differentiate DTG and Screen Printing, let’s go through them one by one.
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Quality:
Both types offer great printing quality, but they also have their strong suits and weaknesses. Direct-to-garment printing remains unmatched for intricate designs and photo-realistic prints thanks to its higher resolution ink-jetting.
Whereas, screen printing provides consistent results where vibrant color accuracy is concerned and can produce thicker layers, which mostly only works best for simple and less complex designs.
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Durability of Prints:
Durability of printed designs is the top concern when any entrepreneur is thinking about choosing a printing method. When drawing a comparison, Screen printing is the clear winner as its prints can endure many washes without fading.
DTG, on the other hand, although durable, fails to keep up with the longevity of screen printing. To get somewhat the same durability, one needs to take care of DTG prints extensively, but there are some companies that are trying to close this gap in direct to garment vs screen printing.
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MOQs: DTG vs Screen Printing
Perhaps one of the key differences and often the decision-determining point is the MOQ handling capabilities of direct-to-garment printing and screen printing technology. DTG is ideal for small batches and even single personalized garments, making it perfect for limited edition clothes and custom on-demand orders.
Screen printing, although extensive and quite expensive at the start, takes the lead when large bulk orders are concerned. Many manufacturers, such as PLCM, have streamlined their production in such a way that DTG becomes equally viable as screen printing.
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Production Time:
In the clothing industry, there are two types of enumerations, one being money, while the other is time, and considering the importance of time, DTG printing technology takes the lead when small-to-medium batches are concerned, due to minimal setup time, and screen printing becomes more viable when large orders are concerned. However, for businesses needing quicker turnaround times, direct-to-garment printing is often the best choice.
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Sustainability:
Nature preservation has become a hot topic, and the clothing industry is often blamed for this concern. Traditional screen printing, since it requires multiple stencils and manual work that comes with huge waste usage, is considered harmful to the environment, whereas DTG is a bit more sustainable approach.
Conclusion: Should You Get DTG Printing or Screen Printing?
Choosing between DTG printing vs screen printing depends on your business model. You can not say for sure which one is better than which.
There are bulk making capacities of screen printing that make it superior, but also, when we talk about complex designs and intricate patterns, DTG automatically takes the lead due to being a machine-controlled technique.
However, like many startups, you won’t have thousands of customers to please. So you can just opt for DTG, get quick and durable results, and make a name in the market. When you get into the big league, you can experiment with screen printing.
Plan Your Custom Garments with Us!
Private Label Clothing Manufacturers are the only USA-based manufacturers with steep prices and challenging quality. We believe that if we serve you right, it will automatically serve us right back for our business. From DTG to screen printing and sublimation to heat transfers, we are equipped with every printing technology for your garments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I print complex designs with screen printing?
Technically, you can, but should you do it? Probably not. See, screen printing gets overtly expensive depending on the complexity of designs, it involves more and more stencils or screens, which in the long run seems kind of foolish. In contrast, DTG is excellent for printing complex designs onto garments.
Is it expensive to set up screen printing in the USA?
Yes, it gets very expensive in countries like the USA. A typical home setup would require a few thousand dollars, and with higher demand, it can go up to tens of thousands of dollars. However, if you manage to play around smartly, you can make this investment back in no time. Just remember to always stick to simple designs for screen printing.
Which is more affordable, direct-to-garment printing vs screen printing?
It depends on your business operation. If you are someone who is making thousands of custom printed tees and hoodies, then DTG would actually prove to be detrimental for your business, similarly to how screen printing, due to the initial investment, would cripple a starting business. In the printing world, it’s all about balancing your needs.
