Detailed artwork
Ideal to assess for illustrations, colour blends and artwork with more tonal variation than a simple spot-colour logo.
DTG Printing for Custom Apparel Australia
Uniform branding method
DTG (direct-to-garment) printing uses a specialist inkjet process to print artwork directly onto a prepared garment. It is most often considered for detailed, full-colour designs on suitable cotton-rich apparel.
When is DTG worth considering?
Cotton-rich apparel
DTG is commonly matched to suitable cotton or cotton-rich T-shirts and casual garments that can accept the ink system.
Consider another method when
The garment is highly synthetic, treated, waterproof, extremely textured or needs a stitched or cut-film appearance.
How DTG printing works
Review artwork
The design is prepared at print size and checked for resolution, colour and transparency.
Prepare garment
Suitable garments may be pretreated so the ink bonds and colours reproduce correctly.
Print directly
The printer applies the artwork onto the garment rather than onto a separate transfer film.
Cure the print
Heat is used to set the ink according to the garment and print process.
DTG planning essentials
Garment composition
Fibre content strongly influences whether DTG is appropriate and how the finished colour and hand feel may appear.
Dark versus light garments
Dark garments typically require a white underbase and pretreatment, making their production different from light garments.
Artwork resolution
Because DTG can reproduce fine detail, low-resolution source files can become the limiting factor.
DTG printing questions
What is the difference between DTG and DTF?
DTG prints ink directly onto a prepared garment. DTF prints onto film first, then heat-applies the transfer to the garment.
Is DTG suitable for polyester uniforms?
DTG is generally associated with cotton-rich garments. Some synthetics create ink, curing or dye-migration challenges, so the specific garment must be assessed.
Does DTG suit photographs and gradients?
It can reproduce detailed tonal artwork when the source file and garment are suitable. Final colour appearance also depends on garment colour and pretreatment.
Is DTG suitable for bulk uniform orders?
It may be, but screen printing or another method can be more practical for some repeated, simpler designs. We compare the full brief rather than choosing by quantity alone.
How do I care for a DTG print?
Follow the supplied care directions, wash inside out where advised and avoid applying an iron directly to the printed area.
Compare uniform branding methods
Considering DTG for your artwork?
Send the design and proposed garment so we can check fibre content, garment colour, print size and the most suitable production method.
Request a quote