Get A Shirt Printed Near Me? The 191 Correct Answer

How long does it take for my shirts to be printed?

Not sure how long it takes to print t-shirts? Do not worry. We have the answers below:

1. Typical standard turnaround time for printed shirts is 2 weeks (10 business days).

That’s right, you give us the green light to print your t-shirts and we’re off to the races! Sometimes your clothes can be ready earlier, but always allow 10 business days if you are not paying for a rush order.

2. You can pay for rush order if you need your clothes ASAP.

Need your clothes like yesterday? Give us a call and we can let you know how quickly we can turn your clothes inside out and get them ready for you.

Here are some frequently asked questions:

1. Does the 2 week shipping cost include?

great questions. Simple answer, no. It does not include shipping. Our turnaround time is the time that models are approved, we order your clothing, have your clothing printed and the shipping label created. From there it goes to the delivery service. If you want your clothes delivered by a certain date, just let us know!

2. How do I receive my order?

It depends on you! You can pay shipping or come by our store to pick it up. Collection is free and shipping is determined based on the weight, quantity and need for rush or expedited for your package(s).

3. So you’re saying the sooner the better?

Exactly! Once you know what shirts you want, the quantity you need and have your artwork ready and approved, send it all to us and then we can get your clothes to the press and print! The sooner you send us the information, the quicker we can get your shirts to you. But don’t feel rushed. We always recommend knowing when you need your shirts and then working backwards to see what time frame you are working with.

Do you have any questions or would you like to have your clothing order sent? Feel free to contact us. We are ready to start your clothing order today!

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Wondering how much money you can make selling t-shirts?

That depends on two factors:

Costs

pricing policy

Both of these factors affect your income. Ideally, you want to make enough money to ensure a sustainable income and beat the competition.

So, if you’re a creator looking to create your own merchandise but unsure how to price your product, stay tuned.

So in this article, I’m going to give you a simple guide to pricing your retail t-shirts:

No more confusion when pricing your t-shirts!

Sell ​​merchandise for free with Sellfy Start for free

Step 1: Assess your spending

How much should I charge for a t-shirt?

This question has probably crossed your mind when thinking about selling merch. The truth is that before you can add a profit margin for a t-shirt business and start selling, you must first assess the cost. So let’s go through them.

production costs

The cost can vary depending on how you create and sell your t-shirts.

When you use Sellfy’s print-on-demand (POD) service, it’s very simple:

The cost of production (also called prime cost or base price) is included in the price you pay for each product.

(also called cost or base price) is included in the price you pay for each product. Shipping is handled by Sellfy and paid for by the customer (including taxes, if applicable; Sellfy has advanced VAT and tax settings).

You also don’t have to place pre-orders, carry inventory, or pay upfront for the custom t-shirts you sell. You can find Sellfy t-shirt prices when you add products to your shop (under Variants > COST). Note that production costs vary depending on the location of the manufacturing facility.

T-shirt design cost

If you’re an artist, your only expenses might be the tools or software you’re going to use. In this case, you can add your design costs to the t-shirt price so you can recover the costs or pay for the labor.

However, if you are not an artist, you will need to outsource design services.

If you’re a creative looking to sell merch and have a design idea, check out our article on designing custom t-shirts.

Here are two different formulas to determine your t-shirt design costs:

Design cost / number of designs = design cost per t-shirt Design cost / your profit margin = minimum number of t-shirts to sell

Marketplace or platform fees

Marketplace or ecommerce platform fees are another expense to consider. For example, Etsy charges a high percentage of your sales, while major platforms like Shopify charge a fixed price (the cheapest is $29). Many of these platforms also have hidden fees.

With Sellfy you don’t have any of these problems as it is very beginner friendly – you can easily get your shop up and running within 5 minutes. You can also embed it on your own website.

So what is Sellfy?

Sellfy is an easy-to-use ecommerce solution for developers who want to sell any type of product online: print-on-demand merch and digital or physical goods. Best features include a white label store, instant payouts, and unlimited products.

Follow the steps below to open a Sellfy store and start selling quality t-shirts:

Choose a subscription or start a 14-day free trial (you can always upgrade to access more features). Once your email address is verified, log in and go to the Products section to select your custom products and upload designs. Customize your store to match your brand, add your logo and you’re ready to start selling!

Sell ​​merchandise for free with Sellfy Start for free

Step 2: Add a profit margin

Now that you’ve added up all your expenses, it’s time to finally answer the following question:

How much can a t-shirt cost?

Use the following formula to value your retail t-shirts:

Production costs + profit margin (e.g. 20%) + expenses = selling price

Remember that you can adjust your margin, but it shouldn’t be much higher than your competitors’ price (since it will be harder to make a sale). If you’re still not sure how to make a profit margin, read on for more tips and strategies.

T-shirt pricing tips and strategies

The best way to set your selling price is to make sure it’s more or less within the average t-shirt price. However, don’t be afraid to judge your t-shirts on what they’re worth.

Note the following price tips:

Most developers aim for a 20% profit margin, while retailers aim for 50%.

Check prices in your niche to find the average t-shirt price.

The suggested retail price ranges from $24.99 to $30.99 per shirt (some successful sellers set their prices at $3-5 above the typical range).

Evaluate your target audience (the younger the target audience, the lower your prices should be).

Stick to 1-3 color single side printing in your brand design for reasonable selling price.

Excessive pricing can backfire and reduce sales.

The more samples you order in bulk, the cheaper it will be.

People love to buy products with free shipping.

Pro tip: End your t-shirt prices at $0.99 instead of $0.00 (e.g. $30.99 instead of $31). It’s a well-known psychological trick that retailers have been using for ages. 0.99 makes the price seem cheaper, even though it’s only a penny difference.

Let’s move on to actionable strategies with these tips.

Sell ​​merchandise for free with Sellfy Start for free

Market-based pricing

With this type of pricing, your custom t-shirt is neither cheaper nor more expensive than the average t-shirt price. It’s a relatively safe choice for targeting a large audience buying at average market value, but also difficult because it pits you against other sellers.

Above or below the market average price

Increase the value of your t-shirt (but keep the average price) to place it above average. For example, you can add a bonus gift, free item, or other cool offer. This will make your t-shirt look a lot more alluring.

(but keep the average price) to put it above average. For example, you can add a bonus gift, free item, or other cool offer. This will make your t-shirt look a lot more alluring. Lower your t-shirt price (but keep the quality) to bring it below average. The average t-shirt price is usually around $24.99. So if you drop it down to $23.99 per shirt, you might just get more customers.

discount prices

With this strategy, you set a higher price for your t-shirt than the average price and then run occasional sales or special offers. You could use this method during the holiday season when people are more likely to shop online.

Pro tip: Those who made it big in the merch business all say the same thing — make it expensive. You see, expensive is a relative term. If someone really wants your t-shirt, they’re willing to buy it regardless of the price. When something costs more, it is perceived as having much more value. The following image illustrates this point.

Higher priced t-shirts lead to higher value customers and therefore more money. These customers can become supporters, advocates, and advertisers of your brand.

penetration prices

This is a common strategy among creators who grow over time. You start with below-average prices and then gradually increase your prices as you acquire more customers. So if you’re not ready to charge higher prices just yet, you can try this.

bundle prices

This is another strategy that is very attractive to the customer. It is essentially a bundled product consisting of multiple t-shirts or apparel products sold at a slightly cheaper price than a single product. The more the merrier, right? Because of this, selling bundles of products often increases sales.

over to you

To assess which strategy to start with, I suggest researching: Google clothing companies in your niche and checking out their social media pages or websites. It will help you determine the price of your t-shirts. Once you’ve decided on a strategy, it’s time to start selling online! If you use Sellfy, remember that you can use our built-in marketing tools to create campaigns, promote your t-shirts, and grow your merch business.

By Elizabeth / Posted on Monday July 20, 2020

When it comes to printing a logo on a t-shirt or other promotional item, you have a few options. A common choice is between screen printing or a custom heat transfer. This leads to an obvious question: which is better? The answer, as with so many things in life, is it depends. When it comes to the debate between screen printing and heat transfer, your decision will depend on the cost-effectiveness, image quality, and durability of the finished logo. Here we will explore both the custom screen printing and custom heat transfer processes and give you the information you need to make an informed choice between the two methods.

screen printing

Screen printing has its origins in China, where images have been screen printed onto fabric since the 10th century. Custom screen printing uses a fine screen mesh to create a stencil. The ink is spread across the screen and passes through the screen to make contact with the underlying fabric.

Only one color can be used per screen, so a multicolored logo or image will take multiple screens to create a finished product. Custom t-shirt screen printing creates images that retain their color for a long time because the ink has penetrated the fabric.

Custom Heat Transfer Designs

A custom heat transfer works through a combination of heat and pressure. You can choose from two types of custom heat transfers: vinyl and digital.

Vinyl heat transfer, the more established method, uses vinyl letters and designs that are machine cut and assembled into desired configurations. The vinyl pieces are transferred to fabric using a heat press that creates high pressure.

In comparison, digital heat transfer uses solvent ink to print logos and letters on specially designed heat transfer paper. This allows the entire design to be transferred to the heat press at once, reducing the amount of materials and time needed to complete it.

Screen Printing vs. Heat Transfer

While both screen printing and heat pressing produce excellent t-shirt transfers, designs made using the two processes have some significant differences. With a custom screen print, the ink lays down more easily on the fabric, resulting in more durable, long-lasting images. In contrast, images made by heat transfer are glued to the top layer of fabric with a thicker layer of ink. Because a heat transfer image sits on the fabric, it can fade and crack over time and will not hold up to machine washing as well as a screen printed image.

Does this mean screen printing is a better option? Not necessarily. Because each image color requires separate screens, screen printing is best for simple designs that use only a few colors. The setup process is more time-consuming than heat transfer, meaning heat transfers are more cost-effective for small quantities, while screen printing becomes more cost-effective for larger quantities.

In contrast, a custom heat transfer allows you to print multiple colors at once. The ability to swap out different designs and letters makes it easier to customize individual shirts. The process allows you to use complex designs, including photo replication, that would be more difficult and less photorealistic with custom screen printing. Heat transfers offer better resolution than screen printing but are less cost effective for larger volumes.

T-shirt heat press vs. screen printing

Factors to consider when deciding whether to use custom heat transfer or screen printing for t-shirt transfers include design complexity, color, durability, fabric choices, and the size of your order. Here’s a breakdown of when to use a t-shirt heat press versus screen printing.

Use custom screen printing when:

Your logo is simple and contains bright colors?

Does your target group value high-quality and durable clothing?

Want to keep the soft feel of a tri-blend shirt or similar garment?

Printing simple logos on dark materials?

Do you want the finished product to stand up well to machine washing?

Do you have a big order to fulfill?

All shirts have the same logo, lettering and other decorations

Your logo is simple and contains bright colors?

Does your target group value high-quality and durable clothing?

Looking to retain the soft feel of a tri-blend shirt or similar garment? Printing simple logos onto dark materials? Want the finished product to hold up well to machine washing? Have a large order to fill? All shirts must be present the same logo, lettering and other decorations

• Your logo is simple and contains bright colors?

• Does your target group value high-quality, durable clothing?

• Looking to retain the soft feel of a tri-blend shirt or similar garment?

• Are you printing simple logos on dark materials?

• Do you want the finished product to withstand machine washing?

• You have a big order to fulfill?

• Do all shirts have the same logo, lettering and other decorations?

• Are you making a small order or do you frequently need to place small orders?

• Need to transfer a complicated image with three or more colors?

• Need to customize each transfer, eg different numbers and names for team uniforms?

• Your target group values ​​environmentally friendly products (screen printing uses more chemicals than heat transfer)?

• Do you need high-quality images for short-term use?

Making a small order or need to place small orders frequently?

Need to transfer a complicated image with three or more colors?

You must individualize each transfer, e.g. E.g. different numbers and names for team uniforms?

Does your target audience value eco-friendly products (screen printing uses more chemicals than heat transfers)?

You need high-quality images for short-term use

Use custom heat transfers (vinyl or digital) when:

Still not sure whether to go with screen printing or thermal transfer for your next promotional apparel event? Contact Triple Crown Products and we can help you select the logo printing option that best suits your logo, promotional apparel and specific needs.

Step 1: Learn what thermal printing is

Thermal printing, also known as heat transfer printing, is the process of applying heat transfer materials to various items (i.e. substrates) using a heat press. Heat applied materials contain a heat sensitive adhesive on one side; When heat is applied to the material by a hot press, the material adheres to the substrate resulting in a decorated garment.

Step 2: Choose what you want to do with your heat press

Decorating with a heat press is an easy and inexpensive way to break into the apparel decorating industry. It offers the possibility of personalizing a large number of items.

T-shirts – this wardrobe staple offers countless placement options – from full fronts and backs to sleeves, left chest and more

Team Uniforms – Utilize a variety of materials and placement options to help teams differentiate themselves from the competition

Bags – Personalize backpacks, fanny packs and gym bags with a variety of heat transfer materials

Fan Apparel – Help fans cheer on their favorite teams or players by adding a personalized touch to apparel and more

Corporate – Applying traditional logos to the left chest is an easy way to add a professional touch to clothing

Small Businesses – help build brand awareness by adding a custom label or logo to your decorated apparel

Clubs – Reach out to local clubs and organizations to create gear for their upcoming events

Schools – Decorate lunch boxes, backpacks, pencil cases and clothing with school colors, mascots and more

FASHION – create clothes with trendy sayings and designs in a variety of colors and finishes

Step 3: Focus on the top 3 hot stamping factors

Three key components to consider when decorating with a heat press are: time, temperature and pressure. Each heat transfer material has its own heat printing instructions.

Time: The time in seconds that heat must be applied to the design/garment.

The amount of time in seconds that heat must be applied to the design/garment. Temperature: The optimum level at which the design will adhere to the garment.

The optimal degree to which the design adheres to the garment. Pressure: The amount of downward force required when applying heat.

Step 4: Choose the right heat press

How do you know which transfer press is right for your business? There are several key factors to consider:

Artwork for t-shirts for individual printing

Finding the right artwork for the t-shirts you’re printing on can be a challenge unless you know a few tricks. Whether you have a DTG (Direct to Garment Printer) or otherwise print on t-shirts, you always need a constant stream of great artwork to make your business stand out from the crowd.

Keep in mind:

All existing artwork for t-shirts belongs to someone.

For photographs, images, or other digital works of art, the person who created them owns them. And in most cases they are the one who has to give you permission to use the photo, clip art or image.

However, like almost everything on the internet, there are always some exceptions.

Stock artwork & royalties

There are companies or companies that hire a photographer or graphic designer with the intention of reselling their work. By paying the artist, the company often acquires the exclusive rights to use their images or photos.

That’s called stock photos.

Photographers often sell their work to stock photography websites, which in turn make the images available for public use.

Although some images are available for free, it is more common for them to be billed for a subscription or a set price for downloading a single artwork.

This is probably the best way to use t-shirt graphics in a direct-to-garment printer or t-shirt transfer system. That is, unless you want to develop your own graphics.

What about the artwork change?

Of course, you can easily modify an original image, but you probably won’t want to do that very often. If your t-shirt artwork becomes a big hit, you’ll have to deal with paying royalties from the copyright owner.

If you post the artwork without the appropriate rights, you could be in legal jeopardy. So it’s always better to work with reputable picture agencies or to buy the rights.

An example of an artist making changes to a photo and getting into hot water in the process is the case of Shepard Fairey and his “Hope” poster of Barack Obama in 2008.

Fairey has had to defend himself against claims that the poster was “illegally immortalized” with an Associated Press photo.

In an ironic twist, Fairey had to discourage other artists from using his paintings with the same techniques he used.

Before we begin, here are a few things you’ll need:

Before we begin, here are a few things you’ll need:

Before we begin, here are a few things you’ll need:

Printer (no printer…no problem, just pick a picture you like from a magazine)

Printer (no printer…no problem, just pick a picture you like from a magazine)

Printer (no printer…no problem, just pick a picture you like from a magazine)

Search the web and find your favorite book, meme, actor, character or picture. Be sure to size the image to fit your shirt, then print it out. (Remember, if you don’t have a printer at home, you can use a picture from a magazine.)

crop image.

Take plastic wrap and cover the image (fold the excess over to the back of the image).

Place the wrapped image on the t-shirt. Cover with parchment paper once it is in the desired location.

Take the iron, which should be set high, and start ironing over the image. Be sure to iron well over the corners to prevent the image from peeling off.

After ironing, allow to cool for 1-2 minutes and peel off the parchment paper.

Maybe you want to immortalize a silly childhood photo on a t-shirt as a gag gift, or maybe you want to make adorable t-shirts for your whole little league team. In any case, you need a method to take a photo and transfer it to the fabric of the shirts. Luckily, there are a number of ways you can learn how to put an image on a t-shirt!

The traditional way of putting an image on a shirt is to use transfer paper, a printer and a heat source such as an iron. Other methods include using a heat press, screen printing, or applying Cricut-Cut vinyl. For a non-DIY option, many online stores will accept custom orders and inexpensively print a photo onto a t-shirt.

In this article, you will learn exactly how transferring photos to fabric works. You will learn nine methods of putting an image on a shirt. Finally, if you decide to skip the DIY, here are tips on how to custom order a photo on a shirt.

How to put an image on a shirt: 9 methods

Depending on the tools you have on hand, you can get an image onto a shirt in many different ways, including using a printer or a vinyl cutout. Some methods require equipment like a printer, heat press, Cricut, or even just an iron.

You can have a great time learning how to transfer photos onto fabric. None of the methods detailed in this article are super hard! However, you can also take a non-DIY approach and have your image custom printed onto a shirt of your choice from an affordable online shop.

1. With transfer paper

Using iron-on transfers is probably the easiest and most popular method of DIY fabric image transfer. This method requires access to an inkjet printer that can print on transfer paper. You will also need to purchase transfer paper, which you can find at most craft stores or online.

Before diving into the basics of this process, there are two tips to keep in mind.

First, not all transfer paper is the same. Find out what kind of ink your paper can use and what fabric it will stick to. For example it may work on cotton but not polyester.

Second, you also need to pay attention to how well the color of the shirt and the color of the design go together. Usually high contrast works best, so try using a dark design on a light shirt and a light, white, or super light design on a dark shirt.

Wash and dry your shirt before you begin. New shirts, especially t-shirts, tend to shrink a little when washed. If you wash the shirt for the first time after printing, you may distort your new design! Next, iron the part of your shirt where you want to place the image. You need a smooth and flat surface to apply the transfer paper. Set your inkjet printer to print the design on the coated side of the paper, not the peel-off backing of the paper. Print your design onto the transfer paper. Leave this on for five to ten minutes. If you have a small image, peel the backing off the paper and gently brush the sticky side down onto the shirt. For larger images, you may want to just peel off the top edge, glue that to the shirt, and then gradually peel off the rest while smoothing the design down. You should place some kind of press cloth over the design before you start ironing. You can use a kitchen towel, real press cloth, a piece of parchment paper, or even the backing you peeled off from the transfer. You don’t want to place the iron directly on the design. Read the instructions on the transfer paper packaging to find out how hot to set your iron. Adjust the heat setting accordingly. Begin ironing over the transfer paper. Move the iron in small circular motions and rub gently over the entire design. Repeat for the time specified on the transfer wrapper to apply heat. Gently peel off the used press cloth and make sure your design looks fine!

As a final pro tip for transferring designs, you can also find light or dark transfer paper. In general, if you have a black shirt, you should use dark transfer paper. This thicker paper provides a white background to offset black shirt images.

2. Without transfer paper

How to transfer images to fabric without transferring paper? You can try plastic wrap! This simple method doesn’t produce the crisp, clear image you get with transfer paper, but it’s a fun experiment to try. Plus, you can do this even if you don’t have a printer!

Either print an image with an inkjet printer or find an image on glossy magazine paper. Place the image face down on a large piece of plastic wrap. Then neatly fold the excess film over so that it lies on the back of the print. Next, iron your shirt to create a smooth, flat surface for the image. Place the plastic-wrapped print face down on the shirt. Next, spread a piece of parchment paper over the image. You can find parchment paper at any grocery store for just a few dollars, but you could also try an unfolded brown paper bag. Turn off the steam function on your iron and set it to medium heat. Iron back and forth over the parchment paper for three to four minutes, moving in smooth, slow motions. Allow the shirt to cool for two minutes, then gently peel off the paper.

This method is fast, fun, and cheap. That means it doesn’t create permanent results. You should hand wash your shirt to protect the transferred image.

3. Wax paper

You can print directly onto wax paper and use it almost like a stamp to transfer the ink onto a shirt. This method works best with images that are mostly one color or with bold outlines or text. Again, it’s not the most durable or precise image transfer option, but it’s cheap and easy!

Cut out an 8.5 x 11 piece of wax paper. Place it between two heavy books to flatten it out a bit, as wax paper tends to curl up easily. Place the wax paper in your inkjet printer. Both sides of the wax paper have a wax coating, so it doesn’t matter how you orient the paper. Print your image directly onto the wax paper. However, be extra careful when removing the paper from the printer, as the ink stays wet and can smear easily. Iron your shirt and make sure you have a flat surface to place the image on. Place a piece of cardboard inside the shirt to keep the ink from seeping backwards. Carefully place the wax paper on this part of the shirt, ink side down. You must lower it directly onto the fabric to avoid ink smearing. Carefully peel off the wax paper. Allow the ink to dry on the t-shirt for a few hours before touching it.

4. Parchment Paper

Parchment paper has a matte side and a glossier side. Some crafters find that using parchment paper, shiny side down on transfer paper gives your transferred image a more durable finish.

To try this, follow all the steps outlined in the iron-on transfers section above. When you get to step 6, do the following instead:

Cut out a piece of parchment that will cover your design and allow an inch of overlap on all sides. Place the parchment paper, shiny side down, on top of the transfer paper. Turn off the steam setting on your iron and heat to medium-high. Iron back and forth across the matte side of the parchment paper for a minute or two. Allow the paper to cool for a minute, then gently peel off the parchment paper and transfer paper.

As a pro tip, you may find that the design will last longer if you place a blank piece of parchment paper over the design, iron and peel after washing the shirt.

5. Heat press

Using a heat press creates some of the most durable, professional image transfers you can find. If you have this option, you will immediately notice the difference. Using a heat press instead of a printer and iron is like the difference between cobblering together a Halloween costume with a glue gun or sewing it on a sewing machine!

Of course, the disadvantage of this professional method is that you have to buy the equipment and learn how to use it. Because of this, you might not want to commit to this level if you only want to make a shirt or two. On the other hand, if you want to start a t-shirt printing business, you need to invest in a heat press!

A heat press looks like a scanner or copier, and has a similar flatbed and lid that lifts on hinges. The depressed lid and heat timer set provides perfectly even and concentrated heat to fix images.

You can use a heat press to put an image on a shirt in a variety of ways.

You can put a printed image on transfer paper and seal it with the heat press.

You can use a Cricut or similar tool to cut out a vinyl design and seal the vinyl to a shirt with a heat press.

You can use it to specify silkscreen designs, at least in some cases.

You can even use it to add iron-on appliqués to a shirt!

6.Cricut

Cricut is a popular brand of electronic cutting machines. These days, Cricut also sells other tools like heat presses for t-shirts. However, when people say “a Cricut machine,” they usually mean the electric cutter that can cut all types of paper, vinyl, fabric, and even wood!

Cricut machines have an online component called Cricut Design Space that allows you to upload, select, edit, or create a design. The machine then cuts out this motif. To create a multicolored design, you can separate the colors in a photo and use Cricut to cut them out layer by layer.

Once you have created or selected your design, all you have to do is instruct the Cricut to cut out the pattern you have chosen. It cuts through the iron-on or thermal-transfer vinyl but leaves intact a clear plastic sheet underneath. Then simply remove the “negative space” vinyl chunks from your design.

Once you have a vinyl cutout ready, follow these steps to get the image onto your shirt:

Prewash the shirt to avoid accidentally shrinking the design later. Iron the area of ​​the shirt where you will be applying the design. Next, set up your heat press or turn your iron on the hottest setting, with no steam. Place the vinyl design on the shirt with the clear release liner facing up. Align the image exactly how you want it. Apply heat to the plastic wrap. For a transfer press you usually only need a few seconds. The instructions that come with your press will give you specific times. Turn the shirt inside out and apply the same amount of heat to the inside of the design. Once the shirt has cooled, carefully peel off the clear transfer sheet.

While you can use this method for photos or more complex designs, vinyl often looks best when you have one, two, or three colors in the design. This is an excellent way to put text or a logo on a t-shirt, for example, but it might not be the best way to put a funny meme on the front of a t-shirt!

However, heatset vinyl offers one of the most beautiful and durable transfer methods. It will survive many washes.

7. Screen printing

Screen printing is another highly professional way of transferring an image onto a shirt. This method takes quite a bit of time and artistic know-how, but once you master it, you can create all sorts of cool t-shirt designs!

So what is screen printing? This image transfer process uses a mesh screen, thick ink, and a stencil to print an image onto fabric.

Please note that screen printing is an art form in its own right and can have many technical variations. However, with these basic instructions, you can get started with a simple design!

Find a design you like and print it on acetate film. You will use this to create a stencil. Coat your mesh screen with a special substance called a photoreactive emulsion. This works very much like an old fashioned development photo to create your stencil on the web. Spread the acetate sheet printed with your design onto the emulsion. Shine a bright light on the screen. This will harden any parts of the emulsion that aren’t covered by your printed design. Gently rinse off the parts of the emulsion that are still soft. This leaves negative space in the shape of your design. Allow the screen to dry completely, and then you have a stencil ready to use! If you have an official screen printer, then insert the screen into the printer. If not, you can apply the screen by hand. Place the mesh screen on the fabric of your shirt with the template lined up where you want to place the design. Load ink on the inside of the screen. Use a squeegee to firmly and slowly pull the ink from one side of the screen to the other. This will force it through the template and onto the fabric. Lift off the screen and allow the ink to dry on the shirt.

8. Inkjet or DTG printer

You may be wondering, “How come you can’t print directly onto the shirt?” Wouldn’t that be easier?” In fact, in some cases you can print onto fabric. This is called direct-to-garment or DTG printing.

Many large industrial t-shirt companies use this method. It doesn’t produce the thick, raised ink of screen printing, but it allows you to create multicolored images, like a photograph, more easily.

The big catch is that you have to buy a DTG printer that comes with a special metal plate for holding shirts. You can’t put a fabric shirt through a regular inkjet printer!

So if you want to use a printer to create your design, you have three options:

Buy a DTG printer. This is costly, but might be a good choice if you’re looking to start a small home business.

Follow the steps explained in the Transfer Paper section and use an inkjet printer to put a design on the transfer paper. You can then use the transfer paper to transfer the image onto your shirt.

Create your design and pay someone else to print it out with a DTG printer. You can find out more about this in the next section!

9. Custom made

If you want a personalized shirt without all the drama of transferring the image yourself, consider ordering the custom print instead. Of course, this process isn’t quite as rewarding as wearing a shirt you sew yourself, but it saves a lot of time.

And if you just need a few t-shirts as gifts or team uniforms, you might find that ordering the shirts costs a lot less than buying the equipment and art supplies to make your own.

Many online companies offer this service. Some allow you to upload the image you want to print. Others may just let you select the text you want. Some will create a design for you, although this level will likely cost a lot more.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you decide to order your shirts:

You have to choose the color, style, size and maybe even the fabric of the shirt. When choosing a color, think about how it will contrast with your printed design. T-shirts come in many shapes these days, some suit men or women better, as well as slim or voluminous bodies – so think about that too!

More often than not, custom printed shirt prices go down when you order in bulk. Some boutique companies offer to print just one or two shirts, so you can look for these companies if you don’t need twenty-five or more shirts at a time!

The fewer colors you want in the design, the cheaper it will be too! Printing a single color logo or image usually costs a lot less than printing a photo, for example.

How do I transfer a photo to fabric?

The best way to transfer a photo onto fabric is at home, using transfer paper and an inkjet printer. See the Iron-On Transfers section earlier in this article for step-by-step instructions for this process.

Aside from using a DTG printer like a professional t-shirt maker, this method gives the best results for photo transfer.

However, you can try a few other fabric photo transfer techniques as well.

You can print on a small 8.5″ x 11″ piece of fabric by ironing the fabric onto a piece of freezer paper. With the freezer paper attached, the fabric slides right through your laserjet printer! You can’t do this with an entire shirt, of course, but you could then attach the printed fabric to a shirt with a simple appliqué stitch.

If you want to get artistic you can use a gel medium like Liquitex Gel Medium or Mod Podge Photo Transfer Gel. Print out your design, coat it with the special gel medium and place it face down on the shirt. Let it dry overnight and then repeatedly spritz with a water bottle and rub your fingers over the paper until it comes off leaving the print on the fabric!

The Freezer Paper technique and liquid gel look cool, but unfortunately these designs don’t have much staying power. If you use these methods, be sure to hand wash your shirt carefully.

How to put a logo on a t-shirt at home

The easiest way to put a logo on a t-shirt at home is to use a Cricut or similar cutting machine to cut out a vinyl logo and then heat-glue it to the t-shirt.

For instructions on how to put a Cricut image on a t-shirt, see earlier in this article.

Alternatively, you can also consider an embroidery machine. Many companies and teams use an embroidered logo on t-shirts and polo shirts to create stylish style.

Another option is to use your Cricut to cut out a stencil of the logo. You can then screen print a nice thick, viscous ink through the stencil. This creates a clear, delineated logo on your shirts!

Print photo on t-shirt online

One of the most popular ways to get a personalized t-shirt design is to print a photo onto a t-shirt online through a contracting company. Today there are thousands of companies offering this service! You’ll even see this option when you search Amazon for specialty t-shirts.

This service can cost as little as $4 per shirt or $20 to $30 per shirt. This depends on the company, the complexity of your job and the type of design you want.

For example, CafePress offers the option to either create your own theme or customize a theme from the provided library. You can upload an image with a few simple clicks. While you can only buy one shirt at a time on this popular site, it will likely cost you at least $20.

How to transfer photos to fabric for quilting

You can transfer photos onto fabric for quilting using the iron-on transfer method, a liquid transfer gel, or the frozen paper technique; all previously described in this article.

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when quilting:

Consider adding a handsewn “frame” around the printed photo in your quilt. This will add a pop of color and help the printed design blend into the fabric portion of the quilt.

Try not to use dark photos. Photos with bright colors or sharp contrasts, like a black and white image, will pop out of the quilt and catch the eye. Dark or blurry photos don’t look good.

If you want to print directly onto the fabric using the Freezer Paper technique, you will need digital copies of your images. Make sure you get these in a high resolution so they don’t look grainy!

What is the best fabric for printing photos?

The best fabric for printing photos is 100% cotton. Cotton has high absorbency and generally responds better to many types of ink than synthetic materials like polyester. However, many professional t-shirt printers use DTG printed polyester shirts because synthetic shirts cost much less.

If you plan to print photos directly onto the fabric at home using freezer paper and your laserjet printer, you should probably use 1005 Quilting Cotton. This stiff, absorbent fabric absorbs the photo image better than most other materials.

Fabric Photo Printing Companies [Near Me]

If you want photos printed onto fabric for quilting or other projects, but don’t want all the hassle of doing it yourself, you can find several popular brick-and-mortar shops in your area that offer this service.

For example, Office Depot offers canvas prints that are perfect for tote bags or other gifts.

You may also have a local sportswear or t-shirt company that offers a custom printing service alongside their main business of selling ready-to-wear clothing.

If you don’t have a store near you, don’t worry! You can find thousands of custom printers online. All you have to do is upload your design and they will mail the printed t-shirt or fabric to you!

Each shop may have specific requirements for the type of image file you upload. However, most of the time you can expect to submit a file in a high-resolution SVG file. However, some companies may also accept a PNG or even PDF file!

Conclusion

One of the easiest ways to get an image onto a shirt is to print it onto transfer paper and then iron the transfer onto the shirt. Tools like a Cricut machine, heat press, or screen printer can produce more professional images on a t-shirt. If you prefer to save time, many online stores also allow you to order a custom photo or design to be printed on a shirt.

Transferring a solid color design is an easier do-it-yourself task at home than transferring a photo onto the fabric. You can use photo transfer paper or liquid transfer gel to transfer a photo onto a shirt, but you may find it easier to order the photo custom printed.

Have you ever put a picture on a t-shirt? Which method did you use? Leave a comment below to let us know!

One of the first business decisions new buyers of DTG equipment have to make is, “How should I price my custom printed t-shirts? Screen printing. Due to the labor intensive setup process of screen printing a single shirt, business owners are forced to ask a lot from the customer. For example, minimum order quantity (typically 12 or more), higher cost for each additional color used in the graphic, and slower turnaround times due to setup. As a result, screen printed shirts have a high cost for the first dozen shirts and the cost goes down for larger orders of the same design. Not to mention the complexity of explaining this pricing model to customers.

DTG printing has practically flattened this pricing model. With DTG printing, you don’t have to enforce a minimum order quantity, you can customize and personalize every single shirt, and you can produce unlimited colors. Whether you have one color or a thousand colors, your cost is the same.

With a relatively flat cost curve and a much simpler process, you can tailor your pricing strategy to what works best for you and your customers. So what should you think about when creating your pricing strategy?

by Steven Farag

production tips

Printavo is a simple shop management software. We’ll help you streamline your business, advance jobs, and keep your team on track.

contents

Screen printing and direct-to-garment (DTG) printing are two of the most common methods for printing custom t-shirts.

Both printing methods have advantages and disadvantages.

So how do you choose between screen printing and DTG printing?

Steven Farag of Campus Ink in Champaign, IL showed us the difference between DTG and screen printing:

Let’s start with the absolute basics.

What is the difference between DTG and screen printing?

Screen printing is the economical way to print hundreds of shirts. DTG printing is the economical way to print on a few shirts.

screen printing

Screen printing is a proven method of printing ink onto textiles, garments and a variety of substrates. It is a labor intensive process designed to quickly produce hundreds (if not thousands) of prints very quickly.

The screen printing process begins with a nylon screen onto which a light-sensitive emulsion is applied.

A negative image is printed (usually on transparent film) and then ‘baked’ into the emulsion with a strong light. The emulsion hardens (or hardens), but the negative image remains as a water-soluble paste. This creates a hardened stencil. A screenprinter then washes out the negative image, leaving openings in the screen for ink to pass through.

Washing out sieves with an automatic sieve washer.

The screen is placed on a screen printing press and aligned so that it is properly aligned on the printing surface (usually a t-shirt). The paint is forced through the openings in the stencil with a squeegee, applying the paint directly to the print surface.

Then the print is usually cured in a heated dryer – for plastisol, the most common screen ink, it’s heated to 320 degrees F (although there are dozens of other types of screen inks). This curing process makes the ink extremely durable.

Direct-to-garment printing (DTG)

DTG printing is a newer method that uses a digital printhead to print designs directly onto various surfaces and is growing rapidly.

DTG printers are functionally similar to the typical inkjet printer you would find in your home or office. The process is basically the same: an image is digitized by the printer and then printed directly onto the t-shirt or garment. Ink is sprayed onto the surface by carefully controlled printheads.

Industrial scale Maverick DTG printer from M&R.

DTG inks also need to be cured (like screen inks) in order to adhere permanently. Most DTG printers use a desiccant dryer or heat press to cure their products.

DTG printers range from small, desktop-sized models to units that require large air-conditioned garages.

Many envision a future where customers order online and a DTG printer automatically prints the shirt. While many companies have attempted this, the technical and operational challenges have proven enormous (even for Amazon). DTG printing is not as simple as pressing a button – there are many variables and factors to consider.

Why use DTG instead of screen printing?

Screen printing machines can print shirts quickly – sometimes up to 1,080 pieces per hour!

However, the setup time of a screen printer limits the possibilities. Screen printers can quickly print a design in high volumes. However, if they need to print multiple designs or just a few prints, screen printing can be prohibitively expensive compared to DTG printing.

Here’s why: The extensive labor required to create, separate, coat, expose, and align screens makes the screen printing process inefficient for small volume jobs with many colors.

Suppose you want 20 t-shirts. A 4 color design usually requires 5 different screens to print (since you need an underbase screen).

It takes a lot longer to create those 5 screens and set them up on the screen printing machine than actually printing the 20 shirts!

For small orders (12 pieces or less) with many colors, DTG printing is great.

KEY DIFFERENCE: Screens and setup make screen printing too expensive for low volume custom orders.

What are the disadvantages of DTG printing?

“Always shake your white ink.” DTG ink is expensive.

Answer: It might sound like DTG is a futuristic answer to printing anything under the sun. Should You Buy a DTG Printer? The answer is not that simple.

DTG technology improves by leaps and bounds every year. Regardless, DTG has several important downsides to consider.

It is expensive

DTG printing is not cheap.

The ink is expensive. The actual equipment is expensive. Maintenance and R&D are expensive.

It can cost $4 (or more!) in ink and pre-treatment to make a colorful print on a dark shirt.

Also, DTG printing is labor intensive.

“We hire screen printers to run our DTG machines because it requires some skill,” says Stoked On Printing’s Kevin Oakley.

You must carefully maintain your DTG printers. They are not maintenance free machines – and DTG printing is NOT a “push button” style of printing.

Another Problem? There are no “intermediate” DTG printers. The market essentially consists of low-end DTG printers and extremely high-end DTG printers. (Manufacturers beware!)

it’s slow

DTG printers cannot compete with screen printers. You print line by line – just like a printer in your home.

Most DTG printers can print a shirt about every two minutes.

Amazon has tried to overcome this speed problem by scaling – they’ve bought thousands of Kornit DTG printers – but their Merch by Amazon fulfillment business is still not fully operational after more than three years of development.

This is why screen printing is still a great option for custom garments: it’s just so much faster than DTG printing once you get past the setup time.

At 72 prints, screen printing absolutely blows away DTG printing in terms of efficiency.

The pressure doesn’t last that long

Yes, it’s true, DTG prints tend not to be as durable as screen prints.

Due to the ink that DTG printers use and the way the ink is applied, the end customer will find that the print will fade significantly with repeated washing and drying.

Some industry estimates state that DTG prints on garments last between 25% and 50% as long as screen prints.

This does not mean that the DTG print is inferior. After all, screen prints can survive hundreds of washes if properly cured and applied. DTG prints can still survive 50+ washes and be acceptable to the customer – certainly “good enough” for most customers!

Conclusion on quality: DTG prints are typically produced for customers who have different requirements than customers placing high-volume screen printing jobs. DTG prints aren’t ideal for anything like uniforms – but they’re perfect for a one-of-a-kind souvenir.

Garments must be pre-treated

Check out this post on Instagram. A post shared by NAV Design (@nav_customvinyl) on May 21, 2020 at 9:14pm PDT

Do you want to use DTG to get vivid colors, print with white ink, or print on a dark t-shirt? You must pretreat your shirts.

The pre-treatment gives each printed garment an additional minute.

Most stores pre-treat with a roller or pre-treat machine. Pretreatment chemicals cost a little less than DTG ink but are still a significant expense.

Unfortunately, it is not recommended to pretreat a large number of garments in advance. Over time, the pre-treatment can degrade – meaning the ink will no longer adhere to the garment. This means that most stores pre-treat each shirt individually just before it is printed.

A rule of thumb: if you print white inks with a DTG printer, you need to pretreat your garments.

The exception here are hybrid printing systems such as the M&R Digital Squeegee or one of the ROQhybrid systems from ROQ.

Why should a printer print DTG?

DTG printing allows screen printers to take on smaller, more complex jobs that they would normally refuse.

Printers use DTG printers for specific applications, but most commonly simply print 1 to 12 shirts for customers who only need a handful of shirts. However, there are still several contexts where DTG printing makes a lot of sense.

Complex (or… bad) graphics

DTG printing is often ideal for art that doesn’t lend itself well to screen printing.

Because you don’t have to separate or burn screens, screen printers can apply DTG printing to artworks that just don’t transfer well to the screen press.

With DTG printing, you can easily print full-color photos and other sophisticated, multi-color artwork.

Small orders

Since screen printing is usually not profitable for short runs, DTG printing offers a reasonable alternative for customers who want fewer than 12 pieces.

The most common orders in many printing houses are less than 72 pieces! At every print shop, someone has walked in and been frustrated that they couldn’t just order a t-shirt.

If you build a business model that can handle small jobs, DTG printing can be very profitable and effective.

However, if you only have a handful of small jobs, it may be better to go for contract printing rather than investing in DTG printing. There are several printers that specialize in small jobs – that’s their bread and butter.

Rush Orders and Reprints

Empyre9 shows its 16″x20″ DTG printer.

Rush orders – e.g. when someone needs a couple of shirts within 24 hours – are great for DTG printing. You can start the printer, pre-treat shirts and ship them very quickly after printing and curing in no time.

Other rush orders may be replacements or reprints. Perhaps an order is missing a single shirt, a print has been botched, or some other error has occurred. You can just fire off a shirt and send it without recreating screens.

Other use? Maybe a customer ordered 100 shirts last year, but now they only want 5 of the same design. DTG printing is perfect for this type of small job.

This type of DTG printing is a premium service – so charge appropriately for rush orders, replacements and reprints.

Should you use DTG or screen printing? How do you decide?

DTG and screen printing are just ways to meet a customer’s needs.

Choosing between DTG printing and screen printing is not that difficult once you know the specifications of the order.

There’s an easy way to determine if you should screen print or DTG an order!

No, you don’t need to create a checklist for every order – you can just look at the artwork and the capabilities of your shop.

Is the artwork better suited for DTG or screen printing?

First, consider what is required to screen print the artwork that the client has.

When you see that artwork can be easily separated, gravitate toward screen printing. It’s still the first and best way to print a shirt.

If the art is a photograph, lean toward DTG printing.

While many printers are very familiar with CMYK full color printing, setting up and running a CMYK print may not be your forte. You may need to print many test prints to get the look you want. And many customers will not accept the variance of CMYK prints.

Unless you specialize in printing complex artworks, turn to DTG for things like photos (unless the customer requests a large quantity).

Can you subcontract the job?

There is always a printer who has more experience than you. Many printers specialize in short-run DTG printing, complex artwork for screen printing, and the revival of difficult prints.

Remember, the goal is to add value by meeting your customers’ needs! Don’t use a customer’s order to learn a new way of printing.

When the customer wants high-volume printing with complex graphics, you shouldn’t sacrifice quality. Consider sending the job from a contract printer to a printer that specializes in screen printing with complex simulated processes (or try separating it and printing it yourself).

Note: If you are a customer looking to purchase custom t-shirts and need more information, you should rely on your local printer’s judgment on how to print your t-shirts. You are the experts!

What is “pre-treatment” for DTG printing?

99% of DTG printed t-shirts require pre-treatment – ​​so don’t forget pre-treatment!

You will almost always need to pretreat garments that:

Are a dark color like black or navy

Printed with white ink

Think of the pre-treatment for DTG as a primer for painting a house.

This layer acts like a primer, allowing the ink to last longer and more vividly. Without garment pre-treatment, DTG prints will appear dull and faded – or worse, they will not adhere to the garment at all.

At most stores, a DTG pre-treatment machine applies a special coating to the shirt – although many use rollers to apply the pre-treatment by hand.

Pre-treatment significantly increases the time and cost of DTG printing. This is often a “blind spot” that screenprinters encounter when making the leap to DTG printing.

The pre-treatment can take a minute or more. Pretreatment can be expensive (Ryonet sells a 20-liter supply of Epson’s pretreatment for just under $700) — but it’s necessary for professional-quality prints.

How much does it cost to print a shirt with a DTG printer?

DTG pricing is actually pretty simple.

DTG printing has one major advantage.

You can calculate your costs exactly. This makes it much easier to price DTG prints.

Epson and other DTG printer manufacturers offer a robust and accurate costing tool for DTG printers.

So why is it easier to set prices for DTG prints and how do you do it?

Pricing Resources

Your DTG printer applies a specific amount of ink to a predefined area on a garment. You can actually calculate the exact cost of the ink over the area.

A DTG pricing formula is usually simple: labor cost + cost of ink and pre-treatment of printed surface + cost of garment = total cost.

A large DTG print with 7+ colors on a dark garment can easily cost $8 for ink and pre-treatment alone.

So when you start pricing your own DTG prints, you should consider pre-treatment costs, ink costs and the actual size of the image. Luckily, these are all known quantities – which means pricing your DTG prints can be a lot easier than pricing your screen prints.

Some great resources for estimating DTG prices:

STAHL offers a DTG return on investment calculator that you can use to determine the time to profitability.

Epson uses a formula similar to the large format cost calculator.

Ryonet’s Luke Ryerkerk has plenty of helpful DTG tips in our exclusive interview.

How much does a DTG printer cost?

We’ll be blunt: DTG printers cost tens of thousands of dollars.

A complete and professional DTG printing setup costs at least $20,000 to $30,000. The most expensive DTG printing systems can easily top $250,000 — although higher-end models often come with a comprehensive warranty and maintenance package as well.

Due to the high price, we advise printers to consider buying their first DTG printer after splurging thousands of dollars on DTG prints from their business.

In other words, DTG printers—and all custom printing devices—do not create demand.

DTG printer, pre-treatment machine and a heat press

As a bare minimum, you will need a DTG printer, a pre-treatment machine and a heat press to start DTG printing.

Most stores start with a low-end DTG printer. Expect to shell out between $10,000 and $30,000 for a DTG starter machine. Used DTG machines are generally considered a bad idea – you don’t know if the service and maintenance has been done properly.

A pre-conditioner machine typically costs between $3,000 and $4,000. Don’t underestimate the importance of your pre-treatment machine! It’s one of the most important parts of your DTG setup. Lawson, Equipment Zone and M&R make all the pre-treatment machines for DTG printing (along with numerous other manufacturers).

Finally, you will need a heat press. They can cost $1,000 to $2,000 for a high-end model. However, you can use the heat press for a myriad of things at most print shops. Used heat presses are fine – they can be purchased for hundreds of dollars (if not less).

Low cost: $20,000 and up

Typical Brother or Epson DTG printers start at around $10,000. Most models cost between $15,000 and $30,000. These are the “desktop” DTG printers used by the overwhelming majority of print shops.

Interestingly, there are currently no “mid-range” DTG printers.

In other words, the DTG market has a robust niche from $10,000 to $30,000 — then jumps up to $100,000 and beyond. There just isn’t a mid-range price point for DTG printers just yet. In order to advance to the next level, you have to spend significantly more.

High End: $100,000 and up

M&R’s Maverick is an example of the high-end DTG printer market. Priced at around $250,000, the Maverick is part of the growing market for large-scale, industrial DTG applications.

Israel-based Kornit is competing in this space, backed by a sizeable investment from Amazon’s print-on-demand division. Despite investing hundreds of millions in the print-on-demand space, Amazon is still not the dominant player in the market. Irrespective of this, Kornit has significantly advanced the entire DTG printing industry technologically.

These expensive machines are specifically designed for industrial applications – they can run almost 24/7. But they require carefully controlled temperatures and humidity levels to work. It is important to note that it is unrealistic for most screen printers to set up a high-end DTG machine in their workshop without robust climate control.

What is the best DTG printer on the market?

This is a difficult question to answer. No DTG printer is perfect for every application.

We coach shops to consider their business model when purchasing a DTG machine. If you have established a steady flow of low-volume jobs, DTG printing can be a valuable investment. If they don’t have an order-taking, printing, and shipping infrastructure in place, DTG can be a bankrupt problem.

However, the most trusted brands for DTG printing are Brother and Epson for desktop style DTG printers. For high-end DTG printers, Kornit, ROQ and M&R are considered top of the range.

A word to the wise: buy something nice or buy something twice.

All of these brands offer high quality DTG printers – when bought new. You may be able to find an offer on used DTG equipment, but remember that DTG printers do not hold their resale value like screen printing machines.

Most experts advise against buying used DTG equipment because maintenance and upkeep is so important (and you have no way of verifying that it has been done correctly).

Be prepared for additional repairs, costs, maintenance and troubleshooting when you buy used DTG printers – and note that you probably won’t benefit from the manufacturer’s warranty!

How much does DTG ink cost?

The cost of DTG ink is much higher than the cost of screen ink.

While there are many ways to save money on screen printing inks, DTG inks are typically made for a specific manufacturer’s printers.

How much does DTG ink cost? Each DTG ink cartridge costs around $200. A typical CMYK DTG printer (with two white inks) can have $1,200 worth of ink in the printer at any one time.

This is known as the “razor and razor blade” model and forms the backbone of print manufacturer DTG’s business model. The DTG printers are not where the manufacturers make their profits: the consumables they sell you to support the machine are the reason these companies make their profits.

As a kicker, DTG ink has durability. You can’t buy it on sale and save it for later like you can with plastisol screen ink.

Ink alone can cost more than $400 a month to run a DTG machine.

Who Makes DTG Printers?

Your pre-treatment machine is really important for a successful DTG print.

There are a handful of major DTG print manufacturers – and many more waiting in the wings.

One important note: Virtually every DTG print maker uses the “razor blade” model – which means they derive the majority of their income from selling DTG ink and not from selling DTG machines – so check both the ink prices as well as the machine prices. A more expensive machine may have cheaper ink (and vice versa).

Kornit

Kornit is based in Israel and has long been at the forefront of development and research for direct-to-garment printing.

Their large DTG printers come at a high price but are known for excellent service, warranties and generally high build quality.

They are focused on developing industrial DTG technology that is scalable to meet the needs of print-on-demand businesses.

Brothers

Brother has made a name for itself in the DTG space with its versatile and powerful GTX printer range. The GTX printers are notorious for their ability to print on a wide variety of textiles.

While Brother is primarily focused on the desktop DTG printing market, some printers are “chaining” Brother’s DTG devices and using them for high-volume printing. A Las Vegas store bought nearly a dozen Brother GTX printers to meet its DTG printing needs.

M&R has manufactured the M-LINK range of DTG printers and is currently manufacturing the EZPREP pretreatment system. They’ve also invested heavily in hybrid screen printing, which mixes DTG applications with a screen-printed backing.

Based outside of Chicago, M&R believes the industry will move toward a print-on-demand model. “The same number of t-shirts will be sold, but how they are sold and printed will change,” said Danny Sweem, CEO of M&R.

Epson

Famous for its large format printers, Epson is a household name with decades of experience in inkjet printing.

They manufacture an extensive line of DTG printers for a variety of industrial applications. Epson competes with Brother for the lion’s share of the desktop DTG market in the United States. Their products compare well to others in the market and are widely recognized as a top-notch manufacturer.

Ricoh (Anajet)

AnaJet by RICOH is Ricoh’s DTG division. Ricoh is a multinational company focused on providing digital solutions for businesses. Your print and embroidery department is just one example.

With decades of experience in embroidery technology, Ricoh has started its acquisition and expansion phase. AnaJet has invested heavily in consumer education and ongoing support for its DTG users, making it a good fit with Ricoh’s solutions-oriented business model.

Omniprint

Omniprint is a leader in the DTG space. Their Freejet printers are a desktop option, while they also offer the Cheetah – a large, industrial DTG printer.

Omniprint also offers turnkey business kits for DTG printing – a unique offering in the industry. Their online shop makes ordering consumables easy.

Col-Desi manufactures a variety of DTG printers, including one of the earliest dual platen DTG printers. This allows printers to print two designs simultaneously on one printer.

They have a litany of offerings and services that go beyond DTG printing – and an impressive support team that’s backed with plenty of educational resources.

China

A number of Chinese manufacturers are also beginning to roll out their DTG offerings either directly or through partnerships with major brands. These DTG machines are of high quality and many DTG manufacturers source many of their parts from China (then assemble the machines in the USA).

We expect that there will be dozens more manufacturers and suppliers for DTG printing in the next 5 years. Chinese manufacturers have a significant lead as they have taken the lead in actually manufacturing DTG printing components.

But no company owns the DTG market yet. There is still tremendous opportunity for a manufacturer to control large parts of the custom printing market with the right product – we look forward to mid-range DTG printers (less than $100,000) which will prove to be a viable option.

Remember that the software you use to manage your DTG printing business is just as important as your printer. Screen printing management software such as Printavo can also be used for DTG printing.

How does DTG feel compared to screen printing?

With the right tips, you can achieve extremely soft screen printed t-shirts. Certain screen printing inks and techniques (like etching) create a print that is actually part of the fabric – so you can’t feel it at all.

In principle, however, we can assume that:

DTG printed t-shirts may have a softer feel than plastisol screen prints. DTG ink is much thinner than plastisol ink

DTG printed t-shirts may not feel softer than water-based screen prints. Water-based inks can’t feel at all

A DTG print is usually softer than a screen print.

But that’s not always the case – and DTG printing isn’t always the best way to achieve softer prints.

Remember: DTG prints may not be as durable as screen prints and may not be suitable for every type of garment or print. Some customers want “bulletproof” plastisol prints with a thick layer of ink – while others want no hand feel.

How much does DTG printing cost compared to screen printing?

For small orders (less than 24 pieces), DTG printing usually costs less than screen printing.

For large orders (more than 24 pieces), screen printing usually costs less than DTG printing.

Why is that?

Screen printing involves a lot of setup and teardown. To manage the cost of creating screens and then setting up those screens on the press (as well as disassembling and recovering the screens), screen printers must print a lot of shirts to make the job profitable. This “break-even point” varies, but an industry minimum is 24 shirts. However, screen printing is incredibly efficient for long runs.

DTG printing is inefficient for long runs. DTG printing is profitable and easy for 1 to 12 garments. There’s no question that a DTG printer will be faster when printing just one shirt. However, once you need more than 24 garments, screen printing becomes exponentially faster and more profitable – while DTG printing stays at the same level of production and profitability.

The graphic below shows the screen printing prices in red and the DTG prices in blue. As you can see, screen printing prices are very high – at least initially. However, as volume increases, DTG printing increases in time and cost…while screen printing becomes more affordable.

Comparison of some idealized prices for DTG (blue) with screen printing (red)

One way to get around this is to do a “pod pressure” setup.

Geschäfte, die viel DTG-Druck durchführen, werden ihre Vorbehandlungsmaschinen, DTG-Maschinen und Aushärtungstrockner verketten, um einen „Pod“ zu erstellen. Das bedeutet, dass sie mehrere Designs gleichzeitig drucken oder ihre Gesamtkapazität erhöhen können, um größere Bestellungen zu drucken. Das hat Amazon mit Kornit (oben erwähnt) versucht, wenn auch in viel größerem Umfang.

Erfahren Sie mehr über den Pod-DTG-Druck in unserem Leitfaden zum DTG-Druck mit Luke Ryerkerk.

Ist DTG-Druck besser als Siebdruck?

Which one is better? Nun … es kommt einfach darauf an.

DTG-Druck und Siebdruck sind beides großartige Möglichkeiten, T-Shirts und andere individuelle Kleidungsstücke zu bedrucken. Was ist also besser?

Ja, Sie werden hören, dass Siebdrucker DTG als „direkt in den Müll“ werfen und DTG-Liebhaber Siebdrucker als altmodisch bezeichnen. Hier gibt es definitiv Feindseligkeit!

Beginnen wir also mit etwas, auf das sich die meisten Menschen einigen können: Der Siebdruck ist nach wie vor die langlebigste, bewährteste und bekannteste Druckmethode für individuelle T-Shirts und Kleidungsstücke.

Der DTG-Druck ist ein weiteres Werkzeug für eine Druckerei, um die Bedürfnisse ihrer Kunden zu erfüllen. Nur sehr wenige Geschäfte werfen ihre Siebdruckrakel für Tintenstrahldrucker weg!

Sie können DTG im Vergleich zum Siebdruck nach Druckqualität, Produktionsgeschwindigkeit, Preis usw. bewerten. Unterschiedliche Geschäfte haben unterschiedliche Kompetenzen.

Letztendlich ist jeder Shop anders.

Es gibt große DTG-Vertragsunternehmen, die niemals Siebdrucke herstellen – und Multimillionen-Dollar-Siebdruckereien, die niemals daran denken würden, DTG zu verwenden. Verschiedene Unternehmen haben unterschiedliche Modelle – einige verkaufen in Online-Shops, während andere ihr Geld mit Auflagen von 30.000 Stück verdienen, mit denen DTG-Drucker niemals Schritt halten könnten.

Für kleine Bestellungen eignet sich der DTG-Druck hervorragend. Bei großen Bestellungen bläst der Siebdruck den DTG-Druck weg. Beide Methoden sind ein Werkzeug, um Kunden zu bedienen!

Fazit: DTG vs. Siebdruck

Letztendlich gibt es keinen klaren Sieger zwischen DTG und Siebdruck. Es gibt einfach zu viele Variablen in der Branche für maßgefertigte Bekleidung, um zu sagen, dass ein Dekorationsstil der beste oder einzige Weg ist, um das ultimative Ziel zu erreichen. Und was ist das ultimative Ziel? Um die Idee Ihres Kunden zum Leben zu erwecken.

Wir raten allen, die eine neue Dekorationsmethode in Betracht ziehen – egal, ob Sie einen DTG-Drucker kaufen oder den Siebdruck ausprobieren sollten –, sich weniger Gedanken über die genaue Dekorationsmethode zu machen, die sie verwenden, und mehr darüber, ob sie genau das drucken, was der Kunde wünscht.

Die oberste Priorität ist es, die Vision Ihrer Kunden zu erfüllen – oder sie mit jemandem zusammenzubringen, der dies kann.

Beim Siebdruck und der individuellen Bekleidungsdekoration sind Sie eher ein Barbier als ein Massenhersteller. Sie sind dafür verantwortlich, ein benutzerdefiniertes Erlebnis zu schaffen, das die Bedürfnisse des Kunden widerspiegelt. Werden Sie zum Experten und führen Sie Ihre Kunden zu Dekorationen und Anpassungen, die sie lieben werden – und die Ihnen helfen, Gewinne zu erzielen.