Decoration methods
Screen printing vs DTG: which is right for you?
By blankupUpdated 7 min read
Key takeaways
- Screen printing wins for bold designs with few colors at quantity; setup costs amortize across the run.
- DTG suits complex full-color art and smaller runs; no per-color setup.
- Method is confirmed on the written quote based on the actual artwork.
How each method works
Screen printing pushes ink through a fine mesh stencil (one screen per color) directly onto the garment, then cures it with heat. It lays down a thick, opaque layer of ink that sits boldly on the fabric. It has been the standard for merch for decades because the results are vivid and extremely durable.
Direct-to-garment (DTG) works like an inkjet printer for fabric: water-based inks spray directly into the fibers in a single pass. There are no screens and no per-color setup, so any design, gradients, photographs, hundreds of colors, costs the same to print.
| Factor | Screen printing | DTG |
|---|---|---|
| Durability | Cured plastisol generally lasts longest through heavy washes | Soft hand; more fade over many wash cycles, especially on darks |
| Cost behavior | Setup per color, then cheap per piece; wins around 30–50+ | Nearly zero setup; flat per-piece cost; wins under ~30 |
| Best artwork | Bold logos, solid brand colors, 1–3 ink colors | Photos, gradients, and full-color complexity |
| Best garments | Any color, including darks with opaque coverage | Best on light blanks; darks need pretreatment + underbase |
| Typical use | Bulk merch, event tees, and Pantone-matched brands | Small runs, samples, and photographic designs |
Cost: where the break-even point sits
Screen printing carries setup cost for each screen, but per-piece cost drops fast with quantity. DTG is the opposite: nearly zero setup, but per-piece cost stays flat no matter how many you order.
- Under ~30 pieces: DTG usually wins, especially for multi-color art.
- 30-50+ pieces with 1-3 ink colors: screen printing pulls ahead.
- 100+ pieces: screen printing is almost always cheaper per piece.
Exact numbers depend on your design and blanks, which is why we confirm everything on a written quote rather than a generic price chart.
Color, feel, and durability
Screen printing produces the most saturated, opaque color, including on dark garments, and can hit exact brand colors with Pantone-matched inks. The print has a tactile hand you can feel, and cured plastisol survives heavy washing for years.
DTG produces softer prints with essentially no hand feel, and it reproduces fine detail and gradients that screens cannot match at small volumes. On dark garments DTG needs pretreatment and a white underbase, which adds cost and can slightly stiffen the print area. Expect somewhat more fade over many wash cycles than a screen print.
The short decision rule
- Bold logo, 1-3 colors, 30+ pieces: screen printing.
- Photograph or complex full-color art, or under 30 pieces: DTG printing.
- Premium feel on fleece or caps: consider embroidery instead.
Both sides of that rule in real runs: Manicule's 24-piece conference set used a full back DTG graphic on a short run with detailed art, while Whitney's Class of 2027 screen printed 140 tees front and back.
Not sure where your design lands? Send it with your quantity and we'll recommend the method in your quote, see our screen printing, DTG printing, and custom t-shirt services for what each looks like in production.