DTG, Hybrid, Screen Printing… Each printing method has their own pros and cons, and what will be most efficient for your business will depend on quantity, garments, and artwork. DTG and Digital Squeegee both involve digital printing processes that can be great for detailed artwork and photorealistic designs, but when should you choose one over the other?
When you have a large order that involves intricate artwork, Digital Squeegee is the way to go. It combines the traditional method of screen printing with the ease of digital printing to provide a streamlined process for jobs that require many colors. To break it down, the base and solid areas of the design are screen printed and the colors are printed digitally. White digital ink can get costly, so using white screen printing ink saves money. Another perk of Digital Squeegee is that it also offers the freedom to include specialty inks or additional applications such as glitter, foil, flock, puff, etc. Digital Squeegee printing delivers quality and accuracy at a competitive price.
Direct-to-Garment Printing is similar to your inkjet printer at home, except it prints on garments. Like Digital Squeegee, DTG allows the printing of detailed and photorealistic images with almost no color limitations. DTG Printing is great for one-offs because there’s essentially no setup process involved. It can also be great for businesses that want to test out different designs without the inventory investment, since DTG offers lower minimum order quantities.You can still order in bulk if needed, but DTG is better for lower quantities. 100% cotton garments are recommended for vibrant prints–you can print on blends, but your print will lose some vibrancy.
As you can see in the chart above, DTG printing is most cost & time efficient for quantities of 100 or lower. Digital Squeegee (Hybrid Printing) is most efficient for quantities starting at 100 or higher. Digital Squeegee bridges the gap between digital and screen printing, making it the perfect solution for those that want photorealistic images in large quantities.
