Screen Print vs DTF vs DTG vs Embroidery

The 20-second answer

Under 24 pieces, or full-colour art: DTF. 24+ with 1–3 colours: screen printing (24 is our screen minimum). Photographic art on white cotton: DTG. Polos, hats, uniforms: embroidery. All-over prints and hard promo goods: dye-sublimation. Everything below is why.

01 — SIDE BY SIDE

Every method, compared

Method	Best quantity	Colour handling	Fabrics	Feel	Durability	Setup cost
Screen printing	24+	Priced per colour; best at 1–4	Cotton, blends, most fabrics	Substantial, sits on fabric	Highest of the printed methods	Per colour, per location
DTF transfer	1–100	Unlimited colour, no extra cost	Nearly anything, incl. polyester & darks	Slight film feel	Very good	None
DTG	1–50	Unlimited colour, photographic	Cotton; best on lights	Softest — ink is in the fabric	Good	None
Embroidery	12+	Thread colours; fine detail is limited	Polos, caps, jackets, bags	Raised stitching	Outlasts the garment	One-time digitizing
Dye-sublimation	1+	Unlimited, edge to edge	Polyester & coated hard goods only	None — dyed into the fibre	Will not crack or peel	None

We run all of these. That is the reason the recommendation you get from us is not steered by what we happen to own.

02 — WHERE THE LINES CROSS

The quantity crossover, in plain numbers

Screen printing carries a fixed setup cost — a screen per colour, per location — and then prints very cheaply. Digital methods have no setup and a flat per-piece cost. So the two curves cross:

1–23 pieces: DTF or DTG. Screen printing is not on the table — our minimum is 24 per design, because below that you are paying for screens rather than shirts.
24–36 pieces: the crossover zone. One or two colours usually tips to screen printing; full-colour art stays digital.
36–75 pieces: screen printing wins on simple art, and the gap widens fast.
75+ pieces: screen printing, unless the artwork genuinely needs unlimited colour.

Add a second print location and the crossover moves right — every location is another setup. Add a fifth ink colour and it moves right again. This is why we ask for quantity and art before quoting rather than after.

03 — BY JOB

What we would actually recommend

The job	Method	Why
150 event tees, 2-colour logo	Screen printing	Quantity crushes the setup cost; nothing is more durable
18 band shirts, full-colour art	DTF	Below the 24-piece screen minimum; unlimited colour, works on black
Company polos with a logo	Embroidery	Reads as professional; survives industrial laundering
24 crew hoodies, front + back	Screen printing	Two locations still pencil out at this quantity
One-off sample or prototype	DTG or DTF	Single piece, no setup, fast
Dark performance tees for a 5K	DTF	Polyester and dark colour rule out DTG
Photo print on white cotton	DTG	Softest hand and the best tonal detail
Sublimated mugs, mousepads, all-over shirts	Dye-sublimation	Only method that dyes rather than coats

04 — MYTHS

Four things people get wrong

“Screen printing is always better.” Better at volume and durability. At twelve pieces of full-colour art it is not merely worse — it is unavailable, since screens only make sense from 24 up.
“DTF is just a heat transfer.” The iron-on you remember cracked because it was a vinyl carrier sheet. DTF is printed ink with an adhesive powder, and it flexes with the fabric.
“Embroidery can do anything a print can.” It cannot. Thread has a minimum readable size — small text and hairline detail turn to mush. We will tell you before we stitch it, not after.
“More colours means a better shirt.” Almost never. The best-selling shirts in our own retail brands are usually one or two colours.

05 — FAQ

Method FAQ

What is the difference between DTF and DTG?

DTG prints ink directly into the garment, so it needs cotton and works best on light colors, with a very soft result. DTF prints onto a film that is heat-pressed onto the garment, so it works on almost any fabric including polyester and dark colors, with a slightly more present feel. DTF is the more flexible of the two; DTG feels better on a white cotton tee.

Is screen printing better than DTF?

For quantity and durability, yes. Screen printing lays down more ink, survives more washes, and gets cheaper per piece the more you print. But it charges you per colour and per setup, and it starts at 24 pieces per design — so for a twelve-piece full-colour run DTF is not just cheaper, it is the only one of the two available. Quantity and colour count decide this, not quality alone.

Which method lasts the longest?

Embroidery, by a wide margin — it is thread, not ink, and it effectively outlives the garment. Among printed methods, a properly cured screen print is the most durable, followed by DTF, then DTG. All of them last longer if you wash cold and skip the hot dryer.

What is the cheapest method for 12 shirts?

DTF or DTG — screen printing is not an option at 12, because our screen minimum is 24 per design. Below that you would be paying for screens rather than shirts. At 24–36 screen printing starts to overtake digital, and past 75 it is not close.

Can you print on hats?

Hats are embroidery or a specialty transfer, not standard screen printing — the curve and the seam make flat screen printing impractical. Embroidery is the normal answer, it looks better on a cap anyway, and it starts at 12 pieces.

Which method should I use on dark polyester?

DTF. DTG struggles on polyester and on dark colors; screen printing can do it with an underbase but needs the quantity to justify setup. On a dark performance tee at low quantity, DTF is the clear answer.

Not sure which applies to your job? Send the art and the quantity — we will tell you which method we would use and why, even if it is the cheaper one.

Screen print vs DTF vs DTG vs embroidery.