Every printed t-shirt starts the same way — a design and a blank shirt — but how the two get combined makes a real difference in how the print looks, feels and holds up in the wash. The two methods you'll run into most often are DTG (direct-to-garment) and screen printing. Neither one is universally "better." They're built for different jobs. Here's what actually separates them.
What Is DTG (Direct-to-Garment) Printing?
DTG works a lot like an inkjet printer, except the paper is a t-shirt. A specialised printer sprays fine layers of ink directly onto the fabric, building up the design pixel by pixel. Because it's a digital process, there's no real limit on the number of colours or the amount of detail — gradients, shading, and photo-quality images all print in a single pass. This is also why DTG is the go-to for one-off, highly detailed work like our Custom Portrait Print Tee, where every order is a different photo.
What Is Screen Printing?
Screen printing is older and more mechanical. A mesh stencil (the "screen") is created for each colour in the design, and ink is pushed through it onto the shirt with a squeegee, one layer at a time. A three-colour design needs three screens and three passes. Because the ink sits on top of the fabric in a thicker layer, screen prints tend to look bold and saturated, and they hold up extremely well to repeated washing — which is exactly why it's been the standard for team merch and bulk event tees for decades.
DTG vs Screen Printing: A Side-by-Side Comparison
Durability: Screen printing generally wins here — the thicker ink layer resists cracking and fading over many wash cycles. Good DTG holds up well too, but it's more dependent on ink quality and how the shirt is washed.
Detail and colour range: DTG is the clear winner. Photo-style images, gradients and unlimited colours print in one go, with no extra setup cost per colour. Screen printing works best with flat, solid colours and simpler artwork.
Cost at small quantities: DTG wins decisively. There's no screen-making cost, so printing one shirt costs roughly the same per piece as printing fifty. Screen printing needs a new screen per colour, which only pays off at higher volumes.
Best use cases: Screen printing suits large, simple-design bulk orders — think college fest merch or corporate uniforms. DTG suits detailed, small-batch, or single-piece printing, including anything customised per customer.
Whichever method is used, the print is only as good as the shirt underneath it. A loosely woven, low-quality blank will let ink bleed or crack faster than a well-made one — our fabric and GSM guide covers what to look for.
Why DTG Fits a Made-to-Order Model Better
Printly doesn't keep stock sitting in a warehouse — every tee is printed after you place an order over WhatsApp. That's the core idea behind the print-on-demand model, and DTG is what makes it practical: there's no minimum order quantity, no screen setup between designs, and switching from one customer's order to the next costs nothing extra. It's the only realistic way to offer 21 different designs, in a range of sizes, without pre-printing shirts that might never sell.
How to Make a DTG Print Last Longer
DTG ink sits closer to the fabric surface, so it's more sensitive to heat and friction than screen printing. Wash inside-out in cold water, skip the dryer where possible, and never iron directly over the print. Detergent matters too — harsh bleach-based ones will dull the colours faster than a mild one.
How to Make a Screen Print Last Longer
Screen prints are tougher but not indestructible. The ink layer can still crack if it's folded sharply or ironed at high heat over and over. Cold water washes, turning the shirt inside out, and air-drying will keep a screen-printed design looking sharp for years rather than months. For a full breakdown of washing and drying habits that protect any print, see our guide to caring for printed t-shirts.
Which One Should You Choose?
If you're ordering one shirt with a detailed or photo-based design, DTG is the practical choice — and it's what we use for anything custom. If you needed fifty identical shirts with a simple two-colour logo, screen printing would be more cost-effective, though that's not the business we run. Either method, done with quality ink on a well-made blank, produces a print that lasts. Because every Printly order is printed specifically for you, all sales are final except in the case of a genuine manufacturing defect — so it's worth confirming your design and size before you check out.
