A DTG printer prints your artwork straight onto the garment. The ink soaks into the fibers, so the print feels soft and moves with the fabric. It's the right fit when most of your orders are cotton tees, hoodies and totes.
Here you'll find hybrid DTG and DTF printers, industrial DTG printers for production shops, and DTG starter kits.
What a DTG printer does for your shop
Your design goes from the computer to the shirt, with no screens and no complicated setup. Dark shirts print too, once they're pretreated for white ink.
Choosing a direct to garment printer
Mostly cotton: go DTG. Blends need at least 50% cotton for white ink, and colors get more subdued as polyester climbs.
Cotton plus polyester, hats or shoes: a hybrid prints DTG on cotton and DTF transfers on the same machine.
High volume: industrial DTG printers add dual printheads and larger ink packs, and several can share one conveyor dryer.
What a DTG setup needs besides the printer
Pretreatment: needed for white ink on dark shirts and for polyester. Apply it by roller, sprayer or pretreatment machine, and let it dry before printing.
Curing: a DTG print has to be heat-set or the color can wash out. A heat press handles it, and busier shops use a conveyor dryer.
Our DTG starter kits bundle a heat press, a pretreatment machine and supplies.
DTG printer questions
Is a DTG printer worth it?
It is when most of your orders are cotton apparel and customers want a soft print. For lots of polyester, hats or shoes, a hybrid covers more.
How much does a DTG printer cost?
Price starts with the class of printer, from hybrids up to dual-printhead industrial machines, plus the heat press, pretreatment gear and supplies. Running costs depend on your ink, pretreatment and designs. Current pricing is in the listings below.
Is DTG or DTF better?
DTG soaks into cotton for a soft feel, while DTF presses a printed film on top and works on polyester, blends, hats and shoes without pretreatment. Pick DTG for mostly cotton orders or a hybrid for a mix, and our DTG vs DTF guide walks through the choice.
Not sure which setup fits your orders?Talk to a print specialist about what you print and how much. Multiple financing options, including Affirm and Synchrony, are available.
