# Should I use DTG or Screen printing?



## Nvr2Old (Oct 14, 2009)

I am trying to achieve a slightly opaque look for my designs. I have seen t-shirts that have a very soft hand and the design colors blend into the shirt color. What process should I use to achieve this with mostly light colored 100% cotton t-shirts? DTG or Screen printing?


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## Pwear (Mar 7, 2008)

I'd be looking at water based screen printing if you're working with 100% cotton lights. You can get away with using alot of curable reducer and plastisol inks, but for a true soft-hand print, water based is about the softest print you can get..


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## DesignByRyan (Jan 2, 2010)

I'd go for DTG. I know some DTG machines use water based inks.


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## equipmentzone (Mar 26, 2008)

Nvr2Old said:


> I am trying to achieve a slightly opaque look for my designs. I have seen t-shirts that have a very soft hand and the design colors blend into the shirt color. What process should I use to achieve this with mostly light colored 100% cotton t-shirts? DTG or Screen printing?




Go with a digital direct to garment printer. On light colored shirts the water based ink used by the printers should give you prints with no hand at all. The prints will feel as soft as the fabric its printed on.

Harry
Equipment Zone


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## mrbigjack50 (Jun 9, 2008)

I'd actually say waterbase screen on this one because, i had a shirt waterbase screen and blacks were blacker and fading didn't barely happen, even after a gallion washes.
Than again, this is based on quan. your look to do to make it feasible.
DTG is awesome but all depends what your going for at the end ; )


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## betee (Mar 11, 2008)

mrbigjack50 said:


> I'd actually say waterbase screen on this one because, i had a shirt waterbase screen and blacks were blacker and fading didn't barely happen, even after a gallion washes.
> Than again, this is based on quan. your look to do to make it feasible.
> DTG is awesome but all depends what your going for at the end ; )


 

what do you mean by "depends what you going for at the end?'

I'm looking to print my shirts as well, but still not sure what method to use, DTG or screen print waterbased. help!


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## mrbigjack50 (Jun 9, 2008)

Waterbase screen is higher quality than DTG, I know someone will bash me for saying that any sec. but true.
Color are more vibrant and last more wash cycles with less deterioration.

When I meant on depends... a few things you gotta look at, are you doing a higher volume of work to justify cost difference between the two?
How many colors is the art work, and are you looking to do on dark garments?
Doing darks with waterbase screen need shirt to have discharge added which need to be washed before being worn by client, as DTG can be worn immediately.

Again, not saying DTg bad, I do DTG so it would be like be shooting myself in foot to bad mouth it, just saying that waterbase screen has certain qualities I like as well.
I'd recommend getting a sample of a DTG shirt from a vendor and one with waterbase screen done and compare wash-ability, color fidelity ect.


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## zoom_monster (Sep 20, 2006)

JV, 
What is meant, is that if you are talking high volumes, Screening (waterbase spot color or discharge spot color) may be cheaper and more vivid. If this is 4 color process and you wish to sample less than 150 pc DTG may be better in quality and price per unit. All forms of printing have pros and cons. DTG is better at 4 color process because it's higher rez and you do not have to mess with screens, separations and set-ups. 4 color process is not opaque. Spot color is in most cases more "opaque" but this is usually not the softhand feel. Screenprint is cheaper per unit AFTER set-ups, separations.... so depending on you asperations for a particular idea or line, the economics will dictate the "best" way to go. Since you are in SoCal, I'd go to the Longbeach show this month and see for your self what the different processes do. Get samples, do wash tests and talk with the reps. Do not buy, untill you've researched fully all options.

Ian


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## betee (Mar 11, 2008)

mrbigjack50 said:


> Waterbase screen is higher quality than DTG, I know someone will bash me for saying that any sec. but true.
> Color are more vibrant and last more wash cycles with less deterioration.
> 
> When I meant on depends... a few things you gotta look at, are you doing a higher volume of work to justify cost difference between the two?
> ...


 
thanks for the explanations! appreciate it..
I ordered sample for DTG but haven't order waterbased yet.


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## equipmentzone (Mar 26, 2008)

You will have a harder time finding a textile screen printer who uses water based inks. The vast majority of screen printers use plastisol (vinyl based) inks. If you go to dark shirts then almost all screen printers use plastisol inks for them.

Harry
Equipment Zone


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## MICKEYRAWZ (Sep 20, 2007)

equipmentzone said:


> You will have a harder time finding a textile screen printer who uses water based inks. The vast majority of screen printers use plastisol (vinyl based) inks. If you go to dark shirts then almost all screen printers use plastisol inks for them.
> 
> Harry
> Equipment Zone



Harry,
Waterbased screen printing is not feasible on dark shirts?


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## JeridHill (Feb 8, 2006)

MICKEYRAWZ said:


> Harry,
> Waterbased screen printing is not feasible on dark shirts?


Waterbased white ink has come a very long way. There are now good waterbased white ink on the market.


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## loloxa (Sep 5, 2007)

I'm biased here because I use plastisol, BUT , if the opacity of plastisol white requires up to 3 pases depending on required coverage, I cannot imagine how many ,water-based white, might need. And to add to the debate, what is the smallest registration you can get with plastisol on darks? our white starts clogging pores in the screen after 3 passes limiting us to ,5 / ,7 mm minimum line width. 
Dtg above all has better detail output and cheaper intial cost ( for the client of course) in medium multicolorprints; with that in mind some designs are only worth doing with dtg.


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