Getting Started with DTG Printing

There are 3 important factors to consider when getting started with a DTG.

1. Fabric

Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing is ideal for all-over prints on cotton garments. Determine if you will be printing on white/light-colored garments, black/dark-coloured garments, or both. Printing on darker-coloured garments is more expensive due to the equipment and extra inks that are needed.

To get an idea of when you can start making a return on your investment, use the DTG ROI Calculator.

2. Equipment

Stahls' recommends the Epson® F2000 SureColor® White version printer, which allows for printing on both dark and light-coloured garments.

In addition to a DTG printer, there are 2 other pieces of equipment that are needed to complete the DTG process:

• Pre-treatment machine (dark garments only)
• Heat press machine

Epson SureColor® F2000 DTG Printer
Viper™ XPT-6000 Pre-Treatment Machine
Hotronix® Dual Air Fusion™ Heat Press

3. Design Software

You may already have experience with Corel® or Adobe® software; if not, opt for production-ready files like those available from Great Dane Graphics.

Download the Getting Started with a DTG Printer Checklist for Low Volume.
Download the Getting Started with a DTG Printer Checklist for Medium to High Volume.