DTF vs Screen Printing vs DTG: A Garment Printing Guide

"Which printing method is best?" is one of the most common questions we get asked about T-shirts, hoodies, polos, hi-vis and scrubs. The honest answer is that it depends on your design, your fabric, and how many you need — here's how we choose.

The three main methods

How many do you need? A rough guide to break-even

The right method depends mainly on how many colours are in your design, not just the quantity you're ordering:

• Single-colour designs tend to favour screen printing even at fairly modest volumes.
• Multi-colour designs (3 or more colours) usually push the crossover point to roughly 50–150 units before screen printing becomes cheaper than DTF or DTG.
• Full-colour or photographic designs can keep DTF or DTG the more cost-effective option into the low hundreds of units.

These figures are general industry guidance rather than a fixed rule — send us your design and quantity and we'll tell you honestly which method works out cheaper for your order.

Why we print DTF as standard

Most of our garment range — T-shirts, hoodies, polos, hi-vis and scrubs — is printed using DTF, because it performs consistently across cotton, polyester and poly-blend fabrics without needing a different process for each one. For simple single-colour logo runs at higher volumes, we'll often recommend screen printing instead, since it works out more cost-effective at scale.

See it on our garments

• Custom Printed T-Shirt
• Custom Printed Hoodie
• Custom Printed Polo Shirt
• Custom Printed Hi-Vis Waistcoat
• Custom Printed Scrubs
• DTF Gang Sheet — pre-printed transfers for trade and DIY application

Printing for your business more broadly?

Beyond garments, we also print Large Format & Signage for exhibitions and shopfronts, and Business Stationery & Publications for business cards, booklets and calendars.

Frequently asked questions

Which method is cheapest for a small order?

For low quantities, DTF or DTG is usually cheaper than screen printing because there's no per-colour setup cost. Screen printing only becomes more economical once you're ordering in bulk with a simple design.

Can DTF be used on hi-vis and scrubs, not just cotton T-shirts?

Yes. DTF works well across cotton, polyester and poly-blend fabrics, which is why we use it as our standard method across hi-vis waistcoats, scrubs, hoodies and polos as well as T-shirts.

Do you offer screen printing as well as DTF?

Yes, for larger, simple-colour orders where it works out more cost-effective. Message us with your design and quantity and we'll recommend the right method honestly, even if that means screen printing instead of DTF.

A note on where we stand

To keep this comparison fair, it helps to say that FabricForge prints with DTF only. Screen printing and DTG are described here because people searching for a printer deserve to understand what each one is, and because the best answer for you may be a method we do not offer. Use this section as a checklist you can take to any printer.

How each method behaves on the fabric

The three methods differ in what physically ends up on the garment.

• Screen printing pushes thick ink through a mesh stencil. Plastisol inks sit on top of the fibres and can feel rubbery, while water-based inks soak in and feel softer but behave best on light cotton.
• DTG sprays thin water-based ink that is absorbed into the cotton fibres. The print has almost no thickness, which is why it feels so soft, and also why it is at its best on cotton and weaker on mixed fabrics.
• DTF builds a thin, flexible layer on a film, then bonds it to the surface with a hot-melt adhesive. It sits on the fabric rather than inside it, which suits fabrics that would reject absorbed ink.

None of these is automatically the winner. Each is a trade between feel, fabric range, colour range and effort.

Eight questions that settle most decisions

Run through these in order and you will usually land on an answer without any jargon.

1. What is the garment made of? Pure cotton opens every door. Polyester, blends, nylon-type workwear and technical fabrics close some of them.

2. Does the design use gradients, photos or soft shadows? Screen printing handles these poorly, because every tone has to be simulated with tiny dots. DTG and DTF reproduce them naturally.

3. How many colours are there? One or two flat colours are screen printing territory. Eight colours with a glow effect are not.

4. How many garments? The answer changes the method more than the design does, because stencil preparation is a fixed task regardless of the quantity.

5. Will the garment be washed constantly? Heavily laundered workwear needs a method that stays flexible and stays attached.

6. Does the colour have to match a brand shade exactly? Screen printing mixes spot inks to a reference, which is its real strength. Digital methods print from a colour gamut, so an exact match to a specific brand colour is sometimes approximate.

7. How soft must it feel? A large block print on a fine tee can feel heavy whichever method you use.

8. Is the garment dark? DTG needs a pre-treatment and a white underlayer, DTF carries its own white layer, and screen printing uses an opaque base ink.

Where each method struggles

Honesty about weaknesses is more useful than a list of strengths.

Screen printing

It is poorly suited to a small number of garments, because the setup work is the same for one shirt as for a hundred. Registration, which means lining up the colours precisely, becomes harder as detail gets finer. Photographic artwork needs a half-tone approach that many people find less crisp.

DTG

Garment pre-treatment adds a step and can leave a faint visible patch on dark fabric if it is not done carefully. Colours can vary between garments of different cotton quality. On polyester it tends to produce disappointing, washed-out colour, so it is rarely the first option for sportswear or mixed fibres.

DTF

The print has a slightly more noticeable hand than DTG, and very large solid areas can feel stiff, which is why designs with large blocks of flat colour are sometimes redrawn with some texture. The film step also means the edge of the design is a distinct line rather than a blend into the weave.

Scenarios, and what we would suggest

A hen party of fifteen with names and a joke on the back. Names differ for each person, so any method that depends on a fixed stencil is a poor fit. Digital methods suit it, and DTF handles the blend of fabrics typical of party shirts.

A café needing branded staff tees in one colour. A simple logo in a single flat colour is a classic case for screen printing at larger volume. A smaller number might sit comfortably in DTF.

A fundraising event with a photographic design. Photos and gradients are the territory of digital printing, and DTF or DTG both work, with fabric deciding which.

Polyester football-style shirts. Cotton-first methods struggle, so DTF is the natural choice. See our guide to sports kit printing for details on names and numbers.

A one-off gift for a friend. There is no benefit to a method with a high fixed setup, so digital is sensible.

Mistakes people make when comparing quotes

• Comparing a price per shirt without checking how many print colours and positions it includes.
• Assuming that the more expensive method is automatically better quality.
• Overlooking how artwork is supplied. Screen printers often need separated, vector artwork, whereas digital methods accept a wider range of files.
• Ignoring the fabric. A method that excels on cotton can disappoint on a poly blend.
• Forgetting to ask what happens if the printed colour looks different from the screen.

Can I mix methods on one order?

You can in principle, for example by using a screen print for a main design and a digital print for names, but coordinating two suppliers adds complexity. For most group orders, a single method is simpler.

Does the method change how I wash the garment?

The basics are similar for all of them: wash inside out, avoid very hot cycles and go gently with the tumble dryer. Our care guide covers the details.