Screen printing and direct-to-garment (DTG) printing are both popular methods for printing designs on t-shirts and other garments, but they work in very different ways.
Screen printing involves creating a stencil, or "screen," of the design and then using it to push ink through the mesh of the screen onto the shirt. The ink is applied to the top of the stencil, and then a squeegee is used to force it through the mesh and onto the shirt. This method is great for producing high-quality prints in large quantities and is suitable for simple, bold designs.
Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, on the other hand, involves using a specialized inkjet printer to print the design directly onto the shirt. The printer uses a special water-based ink that is absorbed by the fibers of the shirt, resulting in a high-quality, detailed print. This method is great for producing high-quality prints in small quantities and is suitable for more detailed and intricate designs.
The main difference between these two printing methods is the way they apply the ink to the shirt. Screen printing uses stencils and squeegees to force the ink through the mesh of the screen, while DTG printing uses an inkjet printer to apply the ink directly to the shirt. Additionally, Screen printing is more cost-effective when it comes to big quantities while DTG is more cost-effective with small quantities, also, the color range of DTG is wider than screen printing.