Screen Printing vs DTG: Which Do You Need?

They both put your design on a shirt, but they get there very differently — and the right choice usually comes down to two questions: how many shirts, and how complex is the art.

Screen printing

Ink is pushed through a fine mesh stencil, one screen per color. There's a setup step (burning screens), so it's not ideal for one-offs — but once you're running, each shirt is cheap and the print is thick, vivid, and extremely durable. It's the method behind most retail and band merch.

• Wins on: bulk orders, bold designs with a few solid colors, longevity.
• Struggles with: tiny quantities, photos, and gradients (each shade needs handling).

DTG (direct-to-garment)

Essentially an inkjet printer for fabric: water-based ink is sprayed directly into the shirt, so you get unlimited colors and photographic detail with zero setup. The catch is the per-shirt price stays flat, so it doesn't get cheaper in bulk the way screen printing does.

• Wins on: small runs, samples, full-color or photo art, soft hand-feel.
• Struggles with: large quantities (cost), and very dark synthetic blends.

The quick rule

Under ~24 shirts, or photo/gradient art → DTG. Two dozen and up with a bold, few-color design → screen printing. Not sure where your order lands? Build it in the designer and the live quote will make the call obvious.