Rush order tees or same day printing
One day printing may become the norm rather than the exception. The technology has changed so fast that traditional screen printing might be a process destined for the trash pile.
I will try and list the advantages of direct to garment printing
Environmentaly safe
Most important is that the inks are environmentally friendly. Direct to Garment inks meet all federal consumer guidelines for children less than 12 years of age. The ink is safe to use in a factory setting which allows employees to work in a factory safe environment.
No minimum order size
Because DTG does not require a separate screen for each color in the design the set up process is very fast and easy to do. The key here is good clean art work. (300 dpi or better)
No limit on colors
Screen printing is limited by the number of colors in the design. Generally small shops only offer four colors. Large shops can offer up to nine colors. The amount of colors in the design increases the cost and print time. Set up time is very expensive for small orders.
Direct to Garment there is no limit on colors. The process is the same as a ink jet color printer. This changes the game plan for DTG companies. They can actually do as little as one piece orders. This is not the norm but it can be done.
Design detail
Design detail is always suspect with screen printing. Because the mechanical process of making screens for a design some of the detail will be lost. DTG printing is always photo quality. With DTG the computer does the work and the detail is always better.
Durability
DTG printed shirts will hold up as long as screen printed one. We even believe they will last longer than screen printed shirts.
Print on demand
Once the design is set in the computer it is always available to call up for repeat orders with no set up charges. Screen printing always has a charge for repeat orders.