DTG vs Screen Printing: Best for Custom T-Shirts
Most buyers ordering custom t-shirts choose the wrong print method and pay 35-40% more than necessary. The direct answer: screen printing is cheapest for orders above 24 units with a simple 1-5 colour design; DTG (direct-to-garment) is the right call for small runs, photographic artwork, or one-off personalised pieces. Heat transfer vinyl fills the gap for small streetwear batches built around lettering and bold block shapes.
The rest of this guide covers what each method actually costs in 2026, which fabrics work with each process, and how to prepare your artwork so nothing gets lost in translation.
Screen Printing: Built for Volume
Screen printing forces ink through a mesh stencil onto the fabric. Each colour in the design requires its own screen, and producing that screen typically costs between £15 and £30. That setup fee is fixed regardless of how many shirts you order, so the per-unit price falls sharply as quantity rises.
At 50 units with a 3-colour front print on a standard blank, expect to pay roughly £5-£8 per shirt. At 12 units the same job runs £14-£18 each, because setup costs are spread over fewer pieces. Designs with more than 6 spot colours become expensive at any run size.
Durability is where screen printing pulls ahead. Plastisol ink sits on top of the fabric fibres and survives 50+ washes without visible fade. That matters for workwear, event stock, and retail drops where longevity is non-negotiable. If you are sourcing your own blanks before sending them to a printer, Gildan Heavy Cotton T-Shirts in multipacks are the industry standard starting point for screen print jobs across the UK.
Hard limits: screens must be cleaned between colour passes, so gradients and photographic images are not practical. Most UK print shops require a minimum of 12-24 units per design.
DTG Printing: Designed for Flexibility
A DTG printer works like an oversized inkjet. The garment sits flat on a platen and the machine fires water-based ink directly into the fibres. No screens. No setup fees. No minimum order.
Unit cost stays high regardless of quantity because there is no economy of scale. A single shirt typically costs £12-£18 to print, and at 50 units you are still paying close to that per piece. Above 24 units with a simple design, screen printing almost always undercuts it on price.
DTG wins outright on three things: full-colour photographic artwork, fine gradients, and orders where every garment carries a unique image. A band selling 10 limited-edition shirts with a different design on each? DTG is the only practical option.
Fabric choice matters more with DTG than with any other method. The ink bonds reliably with 100% ring-spun cotton. Polyester-heavy blends produce washed-out results from the first print. On dark garments, a white pre-treatment layer must be applied before printing, adding roughly £1-£2 per unit to the job and slightly muting the final colours. Always request a sample before committing a large dark-garment run.
Heat Transfer Vinyl: The Streetwear Shortcut
HTV is cut from coloured vinyl sheets using a plotter cutter and then heat-pressed onto the garment. It handles block text, large numbers, and simple graphic shapes extremely well. Turnaround can be same-day, and the entry cost for a basic setup is far lower than either of the methods above.
The tradeoff is tactile. HTV sits as a raised layer on top of the fabric. Applied at the wrong temperature or pressed onto a heavily stretching fabric, it cracks within a few washes. It is not suitable for soft-hand finishes or anything claiming a premium retail positioning.
For personalised sportswear, club kits, or any order where every garment gets a different name or number, HTV beats DTG on cost by a meaningful margin. Siser EasyWeed Heat Transfer Vinyl is the most-used material in UK print shops for exactly this use case: it cuts cleanly, weeds fast, and bonds reliably to cotton-poly blends. Speaking of blanks, Gildan Heavy Blend Adult Hooded Sweatshirts are the go-to choice for HTV hoodie work because the tight fabric surface lets vinyl adhere without bubbling or lifting at the edges.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | Screen Print | DTG | HTV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Min. order | 12-24 units | 1 unit | 1 unit |
| Colour limit | 1-6 spot colours | Unlimited / full colour | 1-4 colours |
| Durability | Excellent (50+ washes) | Good on 100% cotton | Fair (cracks if overstretched) |
| Unit cost at 50 | Low (£5-£8) | High (£12-£18) | Medium |
| Photographic images | Not practical | Yes | No |
| Best fabric | Cotton, most blends | 100% ring-spun cotton | Cotton-poly blends |
| Setup cost | £15-£30 per colour | None | None (plotter file only) |
How to Choose
Start with two questions: how many units do you need, and how complex is the artwork?
If the design has more than 6 colours or any gradient, DTG is almost always right regardless of quantity. If the design is a clean 1-3 colour logo and you need 30 or more pieces, screen printing will be cheaper per unit and the print will last longer under repeated washing.
Streetwear labels launching a capsule collection often do both. Screen print the core pieces at 50+ units to keep margins healthy, then use DTG for the limited-edition run of 10-15 with detailed artwork. HTV works for the personalised or one-off pieces where cutting by hand stays quick enough to be worthwhile. Above 30 HTV units, the cutting and weeding time starts eating into any cost advantage.
File Preparation
Screen printing requires vector artwork: AI, EPS, or a layered PDF with each colour on a separate layer. Sending a JPEG forces the printer to separate colours manually, which adds cost and introduces errors.
DTG accepts high-resolution raster files. PNG with a transparent background at 300 DPI at the intended print size is standard. A JPEG with a white background will produce a white rectangle on any dark garment.
HTV requires clean vector artwork with no overlapping paths. The cutter follows vector outlines, so stray anchor points or complex nodes cause mis-cuts. Black-and-white vector artwork with simple closed shapes processes fastest.
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FAQ
Can I mix DTG and screen printing on the same order?
Yes. Some UK print shops will screen print the main design and then DTG a personalised element (a name or number on the back) as a second pass. This adds cost and lead time, so confirm the workflow with your printer before placing the order.
How many washes does a DTG print last compared to screen printing?
A properly cured DTG print on 100% cotton typically survives 30-40 washes before visible fading begins. Plastisol screen prints regularly reach 50+ washes. Both figures improve noticeably when garments are washed inside-out in cold water.
What is the minimum order for screen printing in the UK?
Most UK screen printers set their minimum at 12-24 units per design. Some specialist shops accept 6-unit runs at a significant price premium. Below 12 units, DTG or HTV will almost always be cheaper.
Does DTG printing work on black or dark garments?
Yes, but a white under-base (pre-treatment) layer must be printed first, adding roughly £1-£2 per unit and slightly softening colour vibrancy. Always order a sample on the specific dark fabric before committing to a full run, as pre-treatment results vary between garment brands.
Is HTV the same as iron-on transfers you buy in craft shops?
They are related but not the same. Consumer iron-on sheets are a basic form of heat transfer material. Professional HTV, cut on a plotter cutter, is thinner, more flexible, and significantly more durable. The finish and feel differ enough that experienced buyers can tell them apart immediately.