Which printing method is best: screen printing, DTG, or DTF?
Choose by artwork, quantity and fabric, not by preference. Screen printing is the cheapest per unit at volume and gives the most opaque, durable result on bold graphics. DTG is best for small runs and photographic detail on cotton, but ink cost per unit stays high. DTF handles fine full-colour work on cotton blends and synthetics, with a slightly raised film hand-feel. At VANRD the method is chosen after the fabric and artwork are fixed, because the same file can succeed on one and fail on another.
Side-by-side
The decision usually comes down to three questions: how many colours are in the artwork, how many pieces you are printing, and what the fabric is. Screen printing needs a screen per colour, so setup cost is high and unit cost falls with volume. DTG and DTF have almost no setup, which makes them viable at small quantities but more expensive per piece at scale.
| Screen print | DTG | DTF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best quantity | 100+ for 1–3 colours; 300+ for 4+ colours | 1–50 | 1–200 (viable to 500) |
| Colours | 1–6 spot colours | Unlimited, photographic | Unlimited, photographic |
| Fabric | Cotton, blends, polyester and nylon with matched ink | Cotton-rich only | Cotton, blends, synthetics |
| Hand-feel | Flat, opaque | Soft, sinks into fabric | Slight film, raised edge |
| Durability | Excellent, 50–100+ washes | Good on cotton, 30–50 washes | Good, 50–100 washes; can crack on high-stretch zones |
| Setup cost | One screen per colour | None (per-piece pre-treatment) | None |
Where each one fails
Screen printing fails on gradients and photographic work: you cannot separate a photo into six spot colours without losing it. It also struggles on high-stretch areas unless the ink system is matched to the fabric.
DTG fails on dark polyester and on heavily brushed surfaces, where the ink sits on the nap rather than in the fibre. DTF fails on high-stretch zones and on very textured surfaces, where the film edge lifts.
Field example
A Tokyo label needed a 12-colour photographic back print on 60 pieces. Screen printing would have needed 12 screens and a high setup cost for sixty units. VANRD produced it DTF at 60 pieces, then moved the best-selling design to a four-colour screen print at 600 pieces — same artwork, different economics at different volumes.
Numbers that matter
- Screen printing wins from about 100 pieces in 1–3 colours, and 300+ in four or more
- DTG suits 1–50 pieces; DTF stays competitive to roughly 500
- DTF is the practical route for polyester and blends where DTG struggles
- Screen ink is matched to the fibre — plastisol for cotton, low-bleed for polyester
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