Printing Info & FAQ's

DTG Digital Printing

DTG (direct to garment) digital printing is an excellent choice for custom, one-off printing or small runs as there are NO setup costs and NO minimum quantities. Printing one t-shirt has never been so affordable!

DTG Printing FAQ’s

What ink do you use?

We use high quality, environmentally friendly water based pigmented textile inks. Our Brother GT-381 inks are certified by Oeko-Tex® Standard 100. Our Kornit water based inks are also completely non-hazardous, non-toxic and 100% biodegradable. They contain no animal by-products and completely vegan friendly.

What does the print feel like?

The print feels smooth, natural and soft to touch. With DTG printing the ink pigments bond deeply in to the fabric instead of sitting on top. In the case of dark garments where we need to pre-treat and print a white base it feels slightly raised, a bit like a screenprint.

Can you print on to dark colours?

Absolutely. We can print on any colour you like as we have white ink. Because we need to pre-treat dark garments they may feel a little sticky, have shadowy area or a slight vinegar smell, all these will dissapear with the first wash so dont worry. We also need to cure the prints with a heat press so there are often visiable heat press marks on dark garments, these will also wash out.

Can you print photos on to garments?

Yes, we can produce over 16 million colours! We can also print up to 1200dpi so its perfect for printing photographs.

Are you restricted to certain fabrics?

DTG printing works 100% natural fibres such as cotton, bamboo or hemp. Almost all our garments are 100% cotton although some are 80% cotton 20% poly and most marle colours are 85% cotton 15% poly. 

Will my print look better on certain colour garments?

Whilst we take care to make every print look as good as it possibly can, the answer to this is question is yes. Some colours look better on certain colour garments. We can advise you on this and if we think something may be an issue we'll contact you before we print - we want you to be happy with your order.

How should I wash my garment?

We suggest the following to ensure the prints longevity: Turn garment inside out. Wash in cold water. only. Warm iron inside out (if required). Don't dry in direct sunlight or in the dryer. You'll also receive garment care instructions with your delivery.

Do you do bulk printing?

Absolutely. As well as DTG for small runs and one-off's we also offer screen printing. The differences between DTG and screen printing is explained below. You can also check out our Bulk Orders info and pricing page and we'll get back to you with a price.

What is the difference between DTG and screen printing?

Each process has its pros and cons, here’s a brief guide to the main differences between digital printing (DTG) and screen printing.

Set Up Costs

With DTG there is no set up cost because there is barely any set up/preparation involved. This is why there are no minimums and why DTG is the preferred choice for one off prints and short runs.

With screen printing there is a lot of preparation and labour involved in setting up screens and film, mixing inks, test printing etc. Set up costs are unavoidable and it is not economical for one off prints or short runs. Screen printing is however the preferred option for bulk orders. The exception may be if your artwork contains a high resolution photographic image or similar.

Print Quality

DTG prints at a high resolution and is perfect for full colour designs with a lot of detail and also photographic images. It prints up to 1200dpi and fine details are preserved.

Screen printing typically prints between 72-160dpi and therefore the finer details may be lost in the process.

Colour Matching

DTG can produce over 16 million colours. All artwork is converted to RGB and although the colours are bright and vibrant, it is not possible to get an exact match to a Pantone colour. You also can't print fluoro colours like you can with screen printing.

Screen printing allows precise colour matching and also produces a much more vibrant colour on dark garments due to the thicker ink and application.

Feel and Longevity

A DTG print on white or light garment feels smooth and soft, in fact you can’t feel it at all. The ink pigments bond deeply in to the fabric instead of sitting on top. On dark garments however, the print is slightly raised due to the white under base and therefore feels more like a screen print. A DTG print is NOT as durable as a screen print and needs more care when washing.

A screen print sits on top of the fabric and is therefore raised and sometimes slightly rough depending on the ink used. It is a much more durable print that you get with DTG and also has better washability.

For more info on screen printing you can check out our Bulk Orders page.

Ready to start creating your own awesome custom tee? Let's GO!