What Is DTG Printing? Direct-to-Garment Printing Explained

DTG printing — direct to garment — is a method that uses modified inkjet technology to spray water-based ink directly onto fabric, allowing full-color, photo-quality designs to be printed on a single shirt with no minimum order. At DTLA Print, DTG is available from 1 piece and works best on 100% cotton and high-cotton-blend garments decorated in-house at our downtown Los Angeles facility.

If you have ever sent a document to an inkjet printer, you already understand the basic principle. The main difference is that a DTG machine holds a garment on a flat platen instead of a sheet of paper, and the ink is specially formulated to bond to fabric fibers rather than paper fibers.

How Does DTG Printing Work?

The process starts with pre-treatment. Cotton fabrics are sprayed with a pre-treatment solution that opens the fibers and helps the ink bind to them during curing. Without pre-treatment, DTG ink on cotton would wash out within a few cycles.

After pre-treatment, the garment is loaded flat onto the platen and fed under the print head. The machine reads your artwork file and fires tiny ink droplets precisely across the surface, layer by layer, building up the full-color image from cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks — plus a white underbase for printing on dark garments.

After printing, the garment goes through a heat tunnel or heat press that cures the ink, bonding it permanently to the cotton fibers. The result is a soft, breathable print that sits flush with the fabric rather than sitting on top of it the way a vinyl or screen-print might.

What Fabrics Work Best for DTG Printing?

Fabric composition matters more for DTG than for any other decoration method. The short answer: 100% cotton and high-cotton blends work best; polyester-heavy fabrics do not.

For the sharpest DTG results on custom t-shirts, choose a 100% ring-spun cotton blank like the Bella + Canvas 3001 or the Gildan Softstyle. These fabrics accept the ink evenly and produce the most vivid, photo-quality output.

How Does DTG Compare to Screen Printing?

Screen printing and DTG printing are the two dominant methods for decorating t-shirts, but they serve very different use cases:

• Minimum order: DTG starts at 1 piece. Screen printing requires a minimum of 12 pieces at DTLA Print.
• Color complexity: DTG handles unlimited colors, gradients, and photographic detail with no additional cost per color. Screen printing charges a setup fee per ink color.
• Cost per unit at volume: Screen printing becomes more cost-effective at higher quantities (25+ pieces) because setup costs are amortized over more units. DTG cost per unit stays roughly constant.
• Feel on fabric: DTG prints have a soft hand that blends with the fabric. Screen printing has a slightly raised, tactile feel, especially with thick ink deposits.
• Best use: DTG is ideal for samples, small runs, personalized one-off prints, and any design with photographic complexity. Screen printing is ideal for large uniform runs with simple artwork.

For full-color designs on large runs — more than 24 pieces — DTLA Print can advise on which method produces the better cost-to-quality ratio for your specific artwork. Browse the DTG printing collection to see available garments and styles.

What Are the Minimums and Turnaround for DTG at DTLA Print?

• Minimum order: 1 piece — no minimum for DTG
• Standard turnaround: 10–14 business days from proof approval
• Rush turnaround: available from 3–5 business days
• Artwork proof: free digital proof included before production
• Artwork touch-ups: free — submit a rough file and DTLA’s team will prepare it for print

DTG is also available alongside other decoration methods on the same order. For example, a run of 50 t-shirts might use screen printing for the 45 standard sizes and DTG for the 5 oversized sizes that fall below the screen print minimum. A DTLA representative can advise on the best split for your order.

For bulk custom t-shirt orders combining multiple methods, see the bulk custom t-shirts collection.

How Long Does DTG Print Last?

When properly cared for — washed inside out in cold water and dried on low heat — a DTG print on 100% cotton retains its color and detail through 50 or more wash cycles. The heat-cure step during production is critical: it bonds the ink permanently to the fibers. Prints that are not fully cured will begin to fade or crack after the first few washes.

DTLA Print uses calibrated heat presses and tunnel dryers to ensure full cure on every garment. All orders are quality-checked before shipping.

How to Order DTG Printing at DTLA Print

1. Choose your garment from the DTLA Print catalog — any 100% cotton or high-cotton blank works well.
2. Submit your artwork file (PNG, PDF, or AI). DTLA offers free artwork touch-ups if your file needs preparation.
3. Approve the free digital proof — see exactly how your design looks on the garment color before printing.
4. Production begins in DTLA’s downtown Los Angeles facility.
5. Receive your finished prints within the agreed turnaround window.

Ready to print? Request a free quote and the team will respond within one business day.

Frequently Asked Questions About DTG Printing

What is DTG printing?

DTG printing, short for direct-to-garment printing, uses modified inkjet technology to spray water-based ink directly onto fabric. It allows full-color, photo-quality designs on a single shirt with no minimum order and no per-color setup fees.

How is DTG different from screen printing?

DTG sprays ink directly onto the garment using inkjet heads, with no minimum and no per-color setup. Screen printing pushes ink through a mesh stencil, requires a setup fee per color, and becomes more cost-effective at higher quantities (25+ pieces) with simpler artwork.

What fabrics work best for DTG printing?

100% cotton and high-cotton-blend fabrics produce the best DTG results. Polyester-heavy fabrics do not absorb water-based inks well, resulting in faded prints. Fabrics with more than 50% polyester are generally better suited to sublimation or DTF printing.

Is there a minimum order for DTG printing at DTLA Print?

No. DTLA Print offers DTG printing from 1 piece, with no minimum order. Every print includes a free digital proof before production begins.

How long does a DTG print last?

When washed inside out in cold water and dried on low heat, a properly cured DTG print on 100% cotton retains its color and detail through 50 or more wash cycles. DTLA Print heat-cures every garment to ensure the ink bonds permanently to the fibers.