Direct-to-garment printing, also known as DTG printing, is a digital apparel decoration process that applies ink directly onto textiles using advanced inkjet printing technology. DTG is well suited for detailed artwork, full-color graphics, and designs that require a soft, natural feel on the garment. When properly produced and cared for, DTG prints can deliver vibrant color, strong detail, and a smooth finish that resists cracking, peeling, and fading over time.
Considerations
DTG printing is best suited for 100% cotton or high-cotton blends, such as 80% cotton / 20% polyester, in order to achieve optimal results. When preparing artwork for DTG printing, files should be exported with a transparent background whenever possible. For DTG printing on dark garments, a transparent background is required when using white ink. By default, the DTG printer will not print white ink onto white garments, so artwork preparation should take garment color into account before production.
Formats
We accept .JPG, .PNG, .TIFF, and .PSD files. JPG files are best suited for light garments when the artwork does not require white ink or transparency. If a JPG file contains a background, that background may print as part of the design. PNG and TIFF files are preferred for DTG printing because they preserve transparency and help maintain image quality. PSD files may also be accepted when layered artwork is required for review or adjustment prior to production.
Optimization
CMYK is the standard for digital printing processes. By default, most DTG Printers output CMYK and White ink. RGB utilizes an additive color model; meaning Red Green and Blue are compiled to form a color gamut much larger than CMYK. When you converting your digital Artwork from RGB to CMYK, many colors go "out of gamut", meaning they do not render verbatim using a CMYK color profile. For this reason it is best to design your Artwork in an RGB environment vs CMYK for the following reasons:
*Artwork for Web and most printers requires an RGB color mode so that there is no need for conversion from CMYK
*Most images and filter enhancements are only available in RGB color mode
*CMYK file sizes are roughly 25% larger in size than RGB files
Vector or Raster Artwork?
With Raster Artwork you cannot increase the resolution on a low-res image; you can only decrease resolution. For example, you cannot convert 72dpi Artwork and make it 300dpi, however, you can take 300dpi art and convert it to 72dpi. There is one exception as it pertains to resolution; if you have an image with extremely large dimensions, say 3,456 pixels by 2,808 pixels (48"x39") at a resolution of 72dpi, there is sufficient dpi (dots per inch) at this large scale that you can reduce the image dimensions to fit within your print parameters whilst maintaining a high quality output. Vector Artwork is created in Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW using mathematic equations within points, lines, and shapes to create images that maintain clarity when scaled, up or down in size, without loss of quality. Please note, that most DTG software will not read vector Artwork files, so you must export your design in a raster format.
