Screen Printing vs DTG for Custom T-Shirts

Both methods produce excellent results when matched to the right job. Getting that match right before placing an order saves money, speeds up delivery, and gives you a better-looking final product. Here is exactly how to decide.

What Screen Printing Actually Is

Screen printing pushes ink through a fine mesh stencil onto the garment. Each colour in your design requires its own screen, so setup costs are fixed regardless of how many units you order. Most UK printers charge between £15 and £30 per screen. Order 100 shirts with a two-colour logo and that setup cost spreads to pennies per piece. Order 10 shirts and it dominates your unit price.

The ink sits on top of the fabric rather than bonding into the fibres. This creates a slightly raised, tactile finish with vivid, consistent colour. Pantone spot-colour matching is standard practice. If your brand specifies an exact colour reference, screen printing is the dependable choice.

What DTG Actually Is

DTG printing works like an inkjet printer adapted for fabric. The machine jets water-based ink directly into the fibres. No screens, no setup fees. You pay per print, which makes a single custom tee as affordable as a small run.

Detail is the strong point. Photographic gradients, thousands of colours in one pass, fine linework down to about 1 mm. Screen printing cannot reproduce a full-colour photograph affordably; DTG handles it without a single extra step.

The limitation is fabric type. DTG ink bonds with cotton fibres through a pre-treatment solution applied before printing. This works well on 100% cotton or high-cotton blends. On polyester-heavy fabrics, colour vibrancy drops noticeably. A 50/50 poly-cotton blend will look roughly 20-25% less saturated than the same design printed on pure cotton.

Cost Comparison

Approximate UK market rates in 2026 for a single-colour front chest print on a standard adult tee:

The crossover sits around 24-30 pieces for a simple one or two-colour design. Add a third or fourth colour to a screen print order and that crossover shifts higher, often past 50 pieces. DTG carries no colour-count penalty, which changes the calculation significantly for complex artwork.

Quality: Where Each Method Wins

Colour vibrancy on dark garments

Screen printing uses plastisol-based inks with a white underbase on dark shirts, keeping colours vivid after repeated washing. DTG also applies a white underbase on dark garments, but the result can look softer on heavily used pieces after 20 or more washes. For long-term merchandise washed weekly, screen printing holds colour better over time.

Fine detail and photography

DTG wins here. A screen cannot hold a smooth gradient cleanly; it uses halftone dots that become visible under close inspection. A DTG printer reproduces gradients at full resolution. Any artwork with photographic elements, complex shadows, or more than six colours should go through DTG.

Specialty finishes

Metallic ink, puff printing, discharge effects, and spot-gloss overlays all require screen printing. DTG cannot replicate those textured finishes. If a streetwear design calls for a raised or reflective element, screen printing is the only practical path.

Choosing the Right Blank Garment

The garment matters as much as the print method. For DTG jobs, a tightly woven 100% ring-spun cotton blank is the reliable choice. The Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton T-Shirt is a consistent performer: 185 gsm, pre-shrunk, and available in over 60 colours. Its smooth surface holds pre-treatment evenly, which translates directly to sharper ink adhesion and cleaner colour reproduction on the finished shirt.

For screen-printed hoodies and crewnecks, the Gildan 18500 Heavy Blend Hooded Sweatshirt is the UK industry standard at its price point. The 50/50 poly-cotton construction at 271 gsm resists pilling well, and the surface takes plastisol ink cleanly. Hundreds of UK printers stock it as their default blank for exactly this reason.

If you are producing streetwear pieces for retail and need a premium hand-feel, look at ring-spun 180-200 gsm options. The AS Colour Staple Tee, at 180 gsm ring-spun cotton, is noticeably softer out of the bag than budget blanks and retains print quality through heavy washing. A growing number of UK custom printers now carry it as their mid-premium option alongside the Gildan range.

Quick Decision Guide

Turnaround Times

Screen printing typically takes 7-10 working days in the UK after artwork approval. Screens must be prepared and dried before each run, and most printers charge a rush fee to get below five days. DTG jobs often ship in 3-5 working days because there is no screen preparation stage. Some print-on-demand platforms complete single units within 24 hours.

Always build in a buffer when ordering for an event. Add at least five working days to your printer's stated lead time to account for courier delays and any artwork revision rounds. That buffer has saved many an event organiser from a last-minute panic.