Printwear & Promotion The Total Promotional Package
DTF and DTG are not an either/or for your business. Both printing processes complement each other by providing versatility, flexibility, and efficiency in your textile production. Director at Amaya Sales UK, Charlotte Darling, explains further.
Here’s a guide on how they work together and why you will benefit from having both technologies in your business:
- Versatility in printing options
DTG printing is ideal for printing directly onto garments, especially cotton and cotton blends. It excels in producing high quality, detailed prints with a soft to touch handle.
DTF Printing allows you to print onto a wider variety of fabrics, including polyester, nylon, and other synthetic materials.
- Flexibility in design and application
- Complex designs – DTG is perfect for intricate, multi-coloured designs with fine detail, gradients, fade effects, things that even screen print can’t cope with.
- Application versatility – DTF prints are durable and can be applied to a range of garment types, include those that are difficult to print onto like caps, bags and shoes.
- Effectiveness for different size orders
DTG wins hands-down for short run on-demand production with no set up cost and one shirt can be completed in minutes. Fulfillers working with a wide customer base, who print what they sell, will always choose DTG over DTF for cotton production.
DTF may work better for speciality products and an order which is bulk but across five or six different products.
- Enhanced production capabilities
DTG allows for on-demand printing, reducing the need for large inventories and enabling quick turnaround times for custom orders.
DTF stock transfers work well for repeat business, like a club logo, where you know the contract is ongoing and the same design will be ordered over and over again. The stock transfer can be produced in one batch and then applied to the garment as needed, meaning you stock transfers but not a range of garment types in sizes and colours.
- Sustainability
Both DTG and DTF printing tick the box for reduced harmful waste in comparison to traditional textile printing methods like screen print. The inks are eco-friendly water-based inks which are safe for the environment and end user.
After this point DTG tops DTF on the green front as there is no carrier film, but we are starting to see the beginnings of paper as a carrier rather than film, which when perfected will, I’m sure, become recyclable and put an end to this argument against DTF.
Why your business needs both
By incorporating both DTG and DTF printing your business can offer a more comprehensive range of garment decoration services catering to your various customer needs and preferences giving you the edge over your competition and allowing you to say yes to more orders.
The combination will also allow you to streamline your production, adapting it to different order sizes and types. Don’t ask the customer what process they want, they don’t know! You are the expert, and you can choose what delivers the best quality end garment, at the best profit margin for you, within the parameters the customer has asked for.
Example, customer wants a high-quality fashion T shirt, quality like a Stanley/Stella printed with their own creative artwork to be sold online. Quality shirt needs a quality feeling print, so only consider DTG, don’t confuse them with DTF as an option. And likewise, if a customer is wanting a small print high on the back neck of a polo shirt, don’t give yourself the headache of pre-treating this area and positioning on the platen, a DTF transfer will be faster and easier to apply.
Depending on the size of your organisation, DTG and DTF equipment come in all sizes. Hybrid machines are a great option as one piece of machinery will allow you to run DTG production and make a quick switch in the software and it will produce transfers for you in no time.
As volumes increase and you have the need for larger production of both methods the hybrid DTG printers can be left to run DTG and then you can invest in DTF machinery to suit your volume. Look for a brand that offers good support back up and warranty.
By leveraging both technologies, your business can meet diverse customer demands, enhance production capabilities, and maintain a competitive edge in the market.
