Digital printing technology has broadened the opportunity for design and printing in the fashion industry, and many entrepreneurs are emerging into the apparel business. There are various printing methods to embrace, considering the number of orders to print. However, among all of those methods, the screen printing and DTG or Direct to Garment printing method have been the most popular.

 

Both of them are fast, convenient and cost-effective processes that facilitate the t-shirt printing business for small quantity orders. Still, there are a few queries people still opt for regarding the DTG printing method while deciding which method to go for. 

 

Here are a few commonly asked questions answered elaborately regarding DTG t-shirt printing. 

 

What is DTG printing, and why do you need it?

 

As the name suggests, DTG or direct to garment printing method, applies the design directly to the fabric using a digital printer. This method incorporates the inkjet technology where the ink is printed on the fabric, and the fibres will absorb the ink, ensuring the design is more durable. The mechanism of DTG printing is very simple and requires minimal preparation. Moreover, there are almost no colour restrictions, unlike the traditional screen printing method. 

 

Here, the fabric works like a blank canvas where you can easily print any design you want. Most importantly, there is not much of an investment needed to run the printer, which makes it a budget-friendly investment for any business owner. Hence, anyone who wants to provide creative and outstanding t-shirt design can easily go for DTG printing. Then, you can have more budget for design and apparel quality as you don't need much additional investment in operating the printer. 

 

How many colours can I produce using Direct to garment printing?

 

In DTG printing, you can use as many colours as you want. However, it will impact the cost of production. Because the more colour you want to add, the more variables will be impacted. Subsequently, it will also impact the printing outcome every hour. 

 

Hence, if you want to limit the cost and minimize the design quality risk, it's better to choose a simple and small design with few colours. Hence, you can ensure fast and quality printing with high productivity. 

 

What do I need to do before and after DTG printing? 

 

The best part of DTG printing is you don't need to deal with much hassle before and after printing. The only thing you need to be certain about is the right file format and colour profile. If you prefer using a CMYK file for design, then you can directly use it to print on cotton fabric. 

 

But, if the material is polyester, then the fabric needs to be pre-treated. And after printing is complete, you need to press the garment with a transfer press at the required time and temperature. It will ensure the durability of the colour and longevity of the design. 

 

What are vector images in DTG printing?

 

Vector images are compositions of scalable elements such as lines, curves, shapes, colours and so on. Unlike general images, these kinds of pictures are depicted with mathematical calculations to ensure the utmost quality. The benefit of this image is you can easily change the colour, shapes, and sizes, and it won't diminish the quality. 

 

So, no matter what you change in the image, you can always readily print it. However, the only limitation you will deal with is that you can produce less photo-realistic images. Hence, you will often notice the vector images look a lot like cartoons.

 

Can I convert a bitmapped image to a vector image and a vector image to a bitmapped image for DTG printing?

 

There is certain software that can easily detect the image format. Such programs are PowerTrace® which you can find in the Graphics Suite. This kind of program automatically identifies the program to convert images to vectors. However, they are easy to work with simple pictures like logos. 

 

Otherwise, you need to do the process manually if the design is big or a bit complicated. You can use software like MESA design to convert the images automatically from bitmap to vector. Then, to convert them manually, there is software like CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator. 

 

On the other hand, to convert images into bitmaps from vectors, you need to save the file and export it into the bitmapped format. Such formats are named JPEG, Tiff etc.; while doing so, the one thing you need to check carefully is the correct size of the image. Otherwise, it will impact the image quality. 

 

How is the ink supplied to the direct-to-garment printer?

 

In the DTG printing method, CMYK design files are mostly used. When the printer is used for printing, the cartridge loads the required colours of ink. For high-quality inks, I recommend going for MESA, where you will get top-quality colours for garment printing. You can also get DTG inks in various sizes. However, considering the cost-effectiveness and quality, CMYK ink kits will be worth the price. 

 

How long does it take to print a shirt on a DTG printer?

 

The duration of printing on a DTG printer depends on the complexity of the design and the printer model. On average, it will take about 5 minutes to print and heat press the garment to make it completely ready to ship. However, if you are printing a 10X10” design on a plain t-shirt at a standard DPI, then it will take only a minute to do so. For other colours, it will take about 2 minutes or so. 

 

What kind of ink is used in a Summit DTG Printer, and will the ink from a DTG printer withstand washing?

 

DTG printer uses water-based inks. They are specifically made so that they can be easily applied to fabrics. Such inks are available in Kodak, Doupont ARtistri, Image Armor and so on. Compared to other colours from these companies, please follow the instructions while using white inks as it composes of a different formula. 

 

To ensure the durability of ink, the ink must be set with the required temperature of heat. You need to give it time to set. With the first wash, the fabric might lose a bit of ink, but it won't be much noticeable. For maximum durability, I recommend using cold water to wash and dry on minimal heat. Nevertheless, to ensure the colour durability, you need to do a wash test and rectify the heating temperature and setting time. 

 

What types of fabric can I print on with a Summit DTG printer?

 

The best thing about the Summit DTG printer is that you can print any fabric you want. If you ask me which material works the best, then I would suggest cotton would give you the most satisfactory result because it will absorb the ink fast and efficiently. Other than that, fabrics like cotton poly or polyester also work. 

 

But, this kind of fabric has a less absorbing ability, so the print quality will also be different from cotton. Having said that, if you follow certain techniques while working on different materials, then you will get the desired result. 

 

What are the advantages of digital apparel printing over traditional screen printing?

 

The first and foremost difference between screen printing and DTG printing is screen printing is more suitable for large production. So, if you are planning to do small quantity apparel printing, then DTG printing is the most suitable one. In this method, the printing time will not only be fast and cost-effective, but also you will require less time in preparation, less ink cost and minimal labour. 

 

Moreover, you can safely use the printer anywhere because the inks for printer maintenance solutions don't contain any hazardous chemicals. Hence, for small apparel manufacturers, DTG printing is the most cost-effective investment for small order production. 

 

Final Thought

 

Wrapping up, DTG printing is the simplest and easiest one of all types of t-shirt printing. Not only that, it requires no critical preparation, minimal maintenance and no assistance to set up. So, for any high-quality design production in small quantity orders, DTG is the best option.