Digital Print (DTG) for T-Shirts — Photo Quality from a Single Piece

About Digital Print (DTG)

Digital textile printing — known internationally as DTG (Direct-to-Garment) — is a digital inkjet printing process that applies pigment ink directly onto the fabric. The first commercial DTG printers appeared in the early 2000s (US patent US6280535 from 2001; commercial maturity with Kornit from 2003 and Brother GT-541 from 2005). Since then, DTG has become the standard for small runs, personalisation and photorealistic motifs.

Facts:

• Introduced: commercially from ~2003 (Kornit Digital, Brother Industries)
• Print principle: pigment ink via inkjet + optional white underbase + heat fixation
• Materials: 100 % cotton is ideal; minimum 80 % cotton recommended
• Durability: 40-60 wash cycles with proper care
• Economical quantity: from 1 piece
• Wikipedia: Direct-to-garment printing (en.wikipedia.org)
• Manufacturer references: Kornit Digital · Brother — DTG printers
• Industry association: FESPA — Digital Textile section

Why ShirtStore?

• From 1 piece — no minimum order, no setup costs.
• Photo quality — any colours, any gradients, photorealistic.
• Made in EU — print in our own works, no subcontractors.
• 24-48h dispatch — order by 2 PM on a working day, in production the next day.

What is digital print (DTG)?

Digital print in the textile sector — DTG for "Direct to Garment" — works technically like a large inkjet printer that prints directly onto the textile. The t-shirt is mounted on a print platen, a high-resolution print head moves over it and applies pigment ink precisely to the fabric. On dark fabrics, a white base coat — the "white underbase" — is printed first so the colours can shine on top. Then the shirt cures in a hot-air tunnel and the ink permanently bonds with the cotton fibre.

The decisive difference from screen printing: no screen, no stencil, no setup costs. Every motif can be printed immediately without preparation. This makes DTG ideal for personalised single items, small runs with individual designs and photo motifs that would not be feasible in screen printing or only via halftone raster.

When is digital print worthwhile?

Digital print pays off everywhere where quantities are small, designs complex and fabrics cotton-heavy. Specifically:

• Fabrics — 100 % cotton is ideal, at least 80 % cotton is required. Pure polyester and functional fabrics do not work — for those there is DTF print.
• Designs — photo motifs, photorealistic illustrations, complex gradients, any number of colours. Even very fine lines are no problem.
• Quantities — from 1 piece up to around 50 pieces per design. Beyond that, screen print or DTF usually becomes cheaper.
• Applications — hen-do shirts, photo gifts, custom t-shirts with sayings, small streetwear drops, personalised employee goodies, small club special editions.

If your quantity per design is high (50+), look at screen printing. If your fabric is polyester or a blend, check DTF print.

Benefits and limits of digital print

Benefits:

• From 1 piece — no minimum order, no setup costs.
• Photo quality — any colours and gradients, photorealistic.
• Soft handfeel — ink bonds with the fibre, hardly any noticeable difference from the fabric.
• Fast production — no preparation effort, ideal for express orders.
• Mixed motifs at no extra cost — every order can contain entirely individual designs.

Limits:

• Cotton only — at least 80 %, ideally 100 %. Polyester and functional fabrics do not work.
• Lower durability than screen print — around 30-40 washes with proper care.
• Higher unit price — DTG is more expensive per unit than screen print at larger volumes.
• Visible white underbase — on very dark fabrics a slight gloss difference may be visible.
• More sensitive care — wash cold, no tumble dryer.

Minimum order and prices

Digital print technically has no minimum order. Prices are largely constant because no setup costs apply. The price is mainly influenced by print area and fabric colour (dark is more expensive due to the white underbase).

For larger orders (50+ pieces) volume discount applies in the configurator. Exact final prices including fabric are visible directly in the configurator or via enquiry.

Examples from our production

A selection of typical orders:

• Hen-do shirts bachelorette party — 12 personalised t-shirts, each with individual photo and nickname. Fabric: 100 % organic cotton Stanley/Stella. Delivery in 4 working days. Unit price including print approximately EUR 22.
• Photo shirt birthday — single item with family photo on the chest and custom saying on the back. Unit price including print approximately EUR 32.
• Custom streetwear drop — 35 hoodies with complex photorealistic graphic, each piece individually numbered. Unit price including print approximately EUR 45.
• Employee goodies — 28 polo shirts with employee names, individually printed each. Because the polos had a high polyester content, DTF print was actually used instead of DTG — a good example of why fabric choice is decisive.

How ShirtStore works

1. Choose your product — preferably 100 % cotton. Compatible models are flagged in the configurator.
2. Upload your design — photo, logo, lettering, all possible. The file requirements explain resolution and colour mode.
3. Mock-up and approval — you receive a preview before we produce.
4. Production and dispatch — single items often in 3-5 working days, express even faster.

Further Reading

• Direct-to-garment printing — Wikipedia — process, history and applications of DTG
• Kornit Digital — manufacturer of industrial DTG and DTF printing systems
• FESPA Digital Print Reports — industry studies on digital and textile print