DTG Printing Guide for Clothing Manufacturing

A DTG printing guide helps brands understand when direct-to-garment printing suits their design and order pattern. Specifically, DTG printing sprays ink directly onto fabric, similar to how a home printer works on paper. Furthermore, this makes it well suited to detailed, full-colour, or photographic designs.

Last updated: July 2026. Ready One is a private label clothing manufacturer in Sialkot, Pakistan, producing fully branded custom apparel for 1,000+ global brands since 2012. Furthermore, the factory operates a 25,000 sq ft facility with ISO 9001, BSCI, SEDEX, GOTS, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, and WRAP certification, producing 100,000–150,000 units monthly. MOQ from 50 units with DDP delivery to 40+ countries worldwide.

What Is DTG Printing?

DTG stands for direct-to-garment, an inkjet-based printing method for fabric. Specifically, specialised printers apply ink directly onto the garment surface. Furthermore, this eliminates the need for screens or colour-by-colour setup. Consequently, DTG can reproduce complex, full-colour designs in a single print pass.

How Does the DTG Printing Process Work?

A garment is first pre-treated to help ink bond properly with the fabric fibres. Specifically, this pre-treatment step is essential for colour vibrancy and wash durability. Furthermore, the design is printed directly using specialised textile inks. Consequently, the garment is then heat-cured to set the ink permanently into the fabric.

Colour accuracy in DTG printing depends on careful colour profile calibration. Specifically, this ensures the printed colours match the brand’s design file closely. Moreover, a printed sample is checked against the design before bulk production. In addition, this sample-check step is standard across all decoration techniques Ready One offers.

What Are the Advantages of DTG Printing?

DTG printing reproduces complex, full-colour, and photographic designs accurately. Specifically, this includes gradients and fine detail that screen printing cannot easily achieve. Furthermore, DTG has no per-colour screen setup cost, unlike screen printing. Consequently, DTG is well suited to smaller runs with detailed, varied designs.

What Are the Limitations of DTG Printing?

DTG printing works best on natural fibres, particularly cotton and cotton-rich blends. Specifically, high-polyester-content fabric does not absorb DTG ink as effectively. Furthermore, per-unit cost does not decrease significantly at higher volumes, unlike screen printing. Consequently, DTG is less cost-effective than screen printing for large, simple-design bulk orders.

How Does DTG Compare to Screen Printing?

Screen printing becomes more cost-effective at higher volumes with simple designs. Specifically, DTG remains a flat per-unit cost regardless of design complexity or volume. Furthermore, this is explained further in Ready One’s screen printing guide. Consequently, the right choice depends on order volume and design complexity together.

When Should a Brand Choose DTG Over Screen Printing?

DTG suits brands with complex, photographic, or highly detailed designs. Specifically, this also suits brands testing multiple designs before committing to bulk screen printing. Furthermore, small or varied print runs favour DTG’s lack of screen setup cost. Consequently, brands should match technique to both design complexity and order pattern.

What Fabrics Work Best With DTG Printing?

100% cotton and cotton-rich blends produce the best DTG print results. Specifically, this is because natural fibres absorb the water-based DTG ink more effectively. Furthermore, this overlaps closely with fabric used across Ready One’s t-shirt manufacturer range. Consequently, cotton t-shirts remain the most common DTG-printed garment.

Can DTG Be Used on Coloured Fabric?

Yes, DTG printing on dark or coloured fabric requires a white ink underbase layer. Specifically, this underbase allows subsequent colours to appear accurately over the base fabric colour. Furthermore, this adds a processing step compared to printing on white or light fabric. Consequently, brands printing on dark garments should confirm this extra step at quote stage.

Does DTG Printing Fade Faster Than Screen Printing?

Properly cured DTG print holds up well across many wash cycles. Specifically, insufficient curing during production is the most common cause of premature fading. Furthermore, Ready One controls curing temperature and time as part of standard process control. Consequently, brands receive DTG prints tested to withstand normal washing and wear.

Is DTG Suitable for Large Placement Prints?

Yes, DTG can print large placement designs, including full-front or all-over graphics. Specifically, print size does not add setup cost the way it does with screen printing. Furthermore, this makes DTG a flexible option for varied print sizes within one order. Consequently, brands can mix small and large prints across different styles in a single order.

How Does Ready One Ensure DTG Print Quality?

DTG print colour is calibrated and matched during the product development stage. Specifically, a printed sample is approved before bulk production begins. Furthermore, wash-fastness is tested as part of Ready One’s garment testing process. Consequently, brands confirm print durability before committing to a full production run.

How Long Does DTG Printing Add to Production Timelines?

DTG printing typically adds 3–5 days to standard production timelines. Specifically, this covers pre-treatment, printing, and curing across the full order. Furthermore, this is included within Ready One’s standard 30–45 day production window. Consequently, brands receive one combined timeline covering both garment and print production.

Does DTG Printing Affect Fabric Hand Feel?

DTG ink sits closer to the fabric surface than a thick screen print layer. Specifically, this generally results in a softer hand feel on the printed area. Furthermore, this makes DTG a good option for brands prioritising a soft, breathable print finish. Consequently, DTG is often chosen for fashion-forward, comfort-focused product lines.

Can DTG Printing Be Combined With Embroidery?

Yes, DTG printing can be combined with embroidery on the same garment order. Specifically, this suits designs pairing a detailed printed graphic with an embroidered logo. Furthermore, both techniques are confirmed and sampled together before bulk production. Consequently, brands are not limited to a single decoration method per garment.

Research on textile printing technology published via McKinsey highlights how digital printing methods like DTG are reshaping small-batch and on-demand apparel production. Furthermore, this trend supports DTG’s growing relevance for brands testing new designs before scaling.

Brands can request a printed sample covering both small and large placement sizes for comparison. Consequently, this confirms print quality across the full range of sizes before bulk production.

See how DTF compares to DTG printing in the DTF printing guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is DTG printing?

DTG (direct-to-garment) printing sprays ink directly onto fabric using an inkjet-style printer. Furthermore, this allows full-colour, photographic designs without screens. Consequently, DTG suits complex, detailed designs better than screen printing.

Is DTG printing good for small orders?

Yes, DTG printing has no screen setup cost, making it more accessible for small runs. Furthermore, this differs from screen printing, which becomes more efficient at higher volume. Consequently, DTG suits brands testing designs or ordering smaller, varied print runs.

Does DTG printing work on all fabrics?

DTG printing works best on natural fibres like cotton. Furthermore, synthetic fabrics like polyester generally do not accept DTG ink well. Specifically, this differs from sublimation, which is designed for polyester fabric. Consequently, fabric composition should be confirmed before choosing DTG printing.

Does Ready One offer DTG printing?

Yes, Ready One offers DTG printing for detailed, full-colour designs. Furthermore, this is available from 50 units per style. Specifically, brands can view related product options on the custom t-shirt manufacturer page. Consequently, brands can choose DTG alongside other decoration techniques.