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: 30-40 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.
• Shipping 3–5 business days — standard delivery via DHL/UPS from stock.

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 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 and no setup costs. The price depends on the print area and the quantity per design, not on the fabric colour. It applies per print position, excluding the garment — equally for DTG and DTF, because DTF runs as digital print with us at the same prices.

Unit price (€ net per piece, per print position)

All prices net, plus VAT. Orientation: chest logo up to 10 × 10 cm → up to 15 × 10 cm; DIN A6 and DIN A5 → up to 25 × 20 cm; DIN A4 → up to 40 × 25 cm; DIN A3 → up to 45 × 35 cm. Every additional printed side (e.g. front and back) is its own print position per the same table.

The volume discount from 3 pieces (3 % → 10 % → 15 % → 25 % → 30 % → 32 % at 3/20/50/100/200/500) applies to the garments, not to the print. 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.
• Photo shirt birthday — single item with family photo on the chest and custom saying on the back.
• Custom streetwear drop — 35 hoodies with complex photorealistic graphic, each piece individually numbered.
• 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 — standard production in 5-7 working days, then dispatch; express on request.

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