Direct to Garment vs Screenprinting:
Writer/Editor: Thomas Brown
Main difference between direct to garment and Screen Printing:
Although mainly similar in their results, direct to garment and screen printing differ in a few key ways that should be considered before making a final choice on which method you choose to turn your concepts into a reality.
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These are:
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1. Startup costs
2. Color options
3. Design Options
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Startup Costs:
Screen Printing
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Screen printing is the process of transferring a design onto a garment through a mesh, or silk screen. These screens can be pricey, ranging from $20 to $50 per screen, depending on its size. Because of this startup cost, screen printing small quantities of 50 or less can often be pricier than direct to Garment, increasing your per-unit cost, especially if you have multiple colors.
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Direct to Garment
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Direct to garment technology prints images directly from the printer onto the shirt the same way a paper printer prints onto paper. Because of this there are no startup costs, and it can be very cost effective to print small quantities as low as 25 units for very cheap. This allows for overall lower per-unit costs. ​​​
Color Options:
Screen Printing
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In order to print multiple colors, screen Printing requires a different screen for each color, meaning that the startup costs will increase if your design has multiple colors. Replicating certain colors or textures can be extremely challenging and costly. However, plastisol ink creates brighter and clearer colors as opposed to water-based ink used in Direct to garment
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Direct to Garment
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Because DTG transfers images directly onto the garment, printing a design with an unlimited amount of colors and textures is extremely cost-effective. Photorealistic images with high pixel rates come at the slight cost of brightness of colors when compared to screen printing, with water-based inks carrying less vibrancy than plastisol inks. Additionally, DTG works best on cotton or cotton blends
Design Options:
Screen Printing
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Although almost any design can be printed with both techniques, there are limitations as well. Screen printing inherently offers larger designs, with the typical size being 20x24 in. Once the screen costs are accounted for almost any colors and textures can be achieved, but pixels range from 300-600 DPI (Drops Per Inch)- resulting in lower resolution capabilities.
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Direct to Garment
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DTG offers extremely high resolution, photorealistic images, up to 1440 DPI. These images are usually limited to 15x17 in, and cannot accommodate tricky surfaces like collars and ridges. For information on how to address this, see our article on . Any image in your camera roll can be printed, extremely realistically.
Summary:
Screen Printing
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Bright color capabilities​
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Larger Size
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Per-unit lower with large quantities
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Higher Startup costs
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Lower Pixel Rates
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Costs increase with more colors
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Direct to Garment
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Photorealistic images
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Low start-up costs
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No color limits​
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Low per-unit costs
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Smaller size
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No ridges or collars
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Limited to cotton/cotton blends
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Both methods have distinct advantages, before deciding which one to go with, do your research, or ask a professional who knows which one is the best option for YOUR printing goals.