# Print Design Longevity on High Quality 100% Cotton



## puw (Apr 12, 2015)

Can someone please help confirm through personal experience of wearing and washing T's that have both colourful high quality images to simple text based slogans with artwork, using a 100% cotton T such as Bella Canvas 3001 (high quality) & purchased say through a fullfilment company such as "The Dream Junction", how lasting the colours and images and text and artwork are by comparison between each for:

a) Screen Printing

b) DTG

and please include if you machine cold or hot wash.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

a) Screen printing - imprint, regardless of image or text, will outlast the shirt.

b) DTG - imprint, regardless of image or text, will start to fade after the first wash and could fade up to 50% during the life of the garment.


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## wncprinter (Sep 15, 2017)

> a) Screen printing - imprint, regardless of image or text, will outlast the shirt.
> 
> b) DTG - imprint, regardless of image or text, will start to fade after the first wash and could fade up to 50% during the life of the garment.


This may be the first time I have ever disagreed with anyone on this forum. I used to believe this exact same thing and it just ins't true anymore.

Yes, screen printing still last longer and is more durable. It can also be more cost effective for longer runs (say maybe 100 or more).

However, after working with the Epson F2000 white edition I no longer believe that all DTG sucks. With the proper settings and pretreatment they can last almost as long. I have printed shirts for a festival last summer. I am still wearing one of them once every week, and it hasn't even started to fade. 

Now...that being said, I don't know that I would use a fulfillment company to do my work since I wouldn't have control of the settings.


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## puw (Apr 12, 2015)

wncprinter said:


> This may be the first time I have ever disagreed with anyone on this forum. I used to believe this exact same thing and it just ins't true anymore.
> 
> Yes, screen printing still last longer and is more durable. It can also be more cost effective for longer runs (say maybe 100 or more).
> 
> ...


That you're still wearing one that you made 6 months ago is a great sign for the DTG for me, as my long term belief was also that DTG sucked once the shiny newness wore off.

Now I was waiting to go into CONFLICT mode (lol) as I asked a specialist DTG fullfilment company that uses Kornit Avalanche 1000's and after 4 years of testing every brands fabrics and creating the perfect settings for each version of each brands T, they replied that DTG under 'cold' washing lasts the longest and that if the design were boxed or unboxed, screent T's would begin cracking before the DTG's and I'm quoting them word for word as follows:

"For strictly washability DTG prints (in our experience) have the longest lasting print when ran under cold water. 
Screen printing shirts will generally begin to “crack” before DTG prints, especially with solid box designs. The number of colors don’t particularly matter. There is a higher probability of a garment, either DTG or screen print, to crack when it is a solid box versus having breaks (a “design” for example).

end quote"

Now my question is not about starting a war between factions, it's to get to the truth and the simple facts, regardless of variations in machine setups and inks used etc.

That's why I was specific referencing the type of T fabric, hot & cold wash, 3 types of design styles and from a large fullfilment service (so the machines & inks used should be of the highest and latest tech).

My perception about DTG might be changing. More confirmations please, either way, based on the criteria set:

1 - Raster full colours (photos)
2 - Vector or raster images full colour (such as fantasy art)
3 - Text with or without vector artwork (max 2 colours)
4 - 100% ring spun combed cotton
5 - Hot and/or cold wash over a period like 6 months
6 - Large fullfilment service

Also, does anyone know what % of the population only 'cold washes' clothes? I feel as though to be able to say with confidence as I've seen over and over again by manufacturers large and small, that my T's don't fade after 500 washes (meaning cold washes) while a customer washes in warm-hot washing machine water and thinks their T's are bad as they're fading after less than 10 washes they do.

It's like saying my car will last for a million miles guaranteed and then teenager buys it and blows it up after a week. I'm not talking about always going to be exceptions to the rule, I'm talking about misperception through advertising based on it will do what I say based on the user using the product in an unreal 'fair' usage way.

Or using the example of 'lifetime' guarantee, the customer misinterprets that statement to mean 'their' lifetime and buys the product in the knowledge they'll always get a replacement while they're alive (lol).

A teenager will not use or lookafter their T like a grandma would theirs (as an extreme example).


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## KobraRoyal69 (Jan 29, 2017)

Hello,

me 9 years of experience in DTG printing Kornit starts with 2 storm and now avalanche 1000, the durability of the printing on the t shirt a lot of factor comes into play:
• pre-treatment
• the quality of the t-shirt (especially cotton)
• the drying time and degree of cooking

in my case I still have t shirt over 8 years old which has not moved and washed at 30-40 degrees Celsius

Regards
Sebastien


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