DTG (Direct to Garment)

How it works

A DTG printer jets water-based pigment ink directly into the garment. On white garments only CMYK is printed. On dark garments the printer first lays a white underbase, then colour on top. A pre-treatment liquid sprayed on the shirt makes the white ink set on the surface instead of soaking into the dark fibres.

Workflow for dark garments

1. Lint-roll and pre-press the shirt to remove moisture and flatten fibres.
2. Spray pre-treatment evenly over the print area (machine or spray gun).
3. Dry the pre-treatment with a heat press (typically around 165–180°C, light pressure, 30–60 s, using a cover sheet) — follow the pre-treat maker’s sheet.
4. Load the shirt flat on the platen; no wrinkles, seams out of the way.
5. Print white underbase, then CMYK.
6. Cure the ink: heat press about 160–180°C for around 60–90 s with a cover sheet, or a tunnel dryer as specified.

White garments skip pre-treatment and white ink: print, then cure.

Materials

Best on 100% ring-spun cotton. High-cotton blends work with tuned settings. Polyester is difficult: dyes can migrate and pre-treatment marks show.

Strengths

• Softest hand feel of the digital garment methods; the print breathes with the fabric.
• Excellent for photos and fine detail.
• No film or powder.

Limits

• Every dark garment needs pre-treat, dry, print and cure: slow to scale.
• Mostly cotton only.
• White ink settles and clogs without strict daily maintenance.
• Garments cannot be printed in advance like DTF transfers.

Common faults

DTG vs DTF

DTG wins on softness for cotton one-offs. DTF wins on fabric range, speed for mixed orders and the ability to print transfers in advance. Many shops now run DTF for production and keep DTG for premium cotton work.