DIRECT TO GARMENT
DTG printing is ideal for complex, full-color (CMYK) designs printed on demand. This method delivers high-quality, durable prints on a wide variety of garment types with no minimum order requirements and no additional costs or restrictions for extra colors.
HOW IT WORKS
Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing uses water-based inks and a specialized curing process to produce high-quality, long-lasting prints. Before printing, a pre-treatment solution is heat-pressed into the garment, chemically preparing the fabric to accept the ink and form a durable bond. This step also smooths and aligns the fibers, resulting in crisp, clean prints with no mess.
Once prepared, the garment is placed onto a platen and printed using advanced DTG technology—similar in concept to an office inkjet printer, but designed specifically for fabric. This process allows for highly detailed, full-color designs without compromise and no additional cost for extra colors.
Because DTG inks are water-based, they perform best on organic and natural fibers such as cotton, bamboo, hemp, and linen, making DTG an excellent choice for vibrant, soft-to-the-touch prints.
When should I use
Direct to Garment Printing?
Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing is ideal for small print runs where detail and durability matter most. We recommend DTG for projects with fewer than 36 pieces or for producing sample garments.
Garments printed using this method are soft to the touch and breathable, without the heavy or “plastic” feel often associated with screen printing or vinyl-decorated apparel. This makes DTG an excellent choice for high-detail designs and comfortable everyday wear.
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Strengths
- No Minimums.
- No Limit on the amount of colors
- Works better on photorealistic designs
- Extremely Durable.
- Preserves Complex Details.
- Soft "part of the fabric" feeling.
- No special art files.
Limitations
- Screen Printing is more economical in bulk quantities.
- CMYK color printing can't reproduce certain tones or neon colors in maximum saturation.
- Only works on garments made with at least 50% natural fibers.
PRICING
Pricing your direct to garment order is simple! Because of Direct to Garment's flexible technology there are no set up fees, and we're able to print any high resolution image without art charges. That makes direct to garment the most economical option for low quantity print runs. The primary factor that governs the cost of your project is ink, so the size of your print area and type of garment are key.
Art Fees
Have ready to go art files? DTG is a nimble process that requires requires no specialty art preparation so you can skip this step, but if you want a little help polishing your art our team of talented designers are here for you!
Design Services:
(Optional)
Whether you need to recreate a shirt from your closet, tweak the style & content, or want skilled hands to bring your idea to reality we can help you cross the finish line.
$39.99 (per hour)
The art fee is 39.99 an hour, with nearly all designs being completed in a single hour. This step is not required if you already have print ready files for your artwork.
Looking for ground up help with your brand?
Check out our full suite of design and branding services including logo development and social media packs.
Printing
DTG printing requires different prices for different material thickness and absorbancies. To keep things simple, printing fees below include the cost of the garment!
Want to print on somthing unique? Ask us for a quote!
*Sizes 2XL and above incur a small surcharge for most garments.
5" x 5" Designs
Perfect for front left chest designs. Small doesn't have to mean simple. Create beautiful, highly detailed logo badges
in glorious CMYK full color.
12" x 12" Designs
Make bold and beautiful text or logo designs
that stand out from a distance.
(Be sure your art files have transparent backgrounds)
Photograph Designs
Direct to Garment Printing is capable of full spectrum
colorand shading allowing your photographs to be
recreated in crisp detail.
THE UNIFORM
5" x 5" Logo or Wordmark on front left chest.
12" x 12" Logo or Worrdmark on your full back.
Perfect for team or company shirts.
Tee
Hoodie
THE EVENT SHIRT
12" x 12" Photograph on front.
12" x 12" Photograph on back.
Add text at no extra cost!
Tee
Hoodie
Need something else?
There are even more options available in our catalog. Explore what we've got on hand in the SWAGTEX Garment Designer. Want to talk to someone, book a consultation with a designer or request a quote by email for information about bulk pricing.

