Two Common Methods of DTG on Dark Shirts: Pros & Cons
DTG on dark shirts has long been a challenge in the apparel industry. Achieving vibrant and durable prints on dark cotton t-shirts, sweatshirts poses difficulties for many garment manufacturers. This article explores two mainstream DTG techniques for dark shirts, offering practical solutions for apparel businesses.
1. Screen Printing Underbase + Color DTG Printing
Process Overview: This method involves first applying a layer of white plastisol ink (or other suitable underbase) onto the dark t-shirt, followed by printing the color design using a direct-to-garment printer.
The underbase provides a white background, making the colored inks appear more vibrant, especially on dark fabrics.
Advantages
● High Efficiency and Low Cost: The cost of the underbase and screen setup is generally lower than using full ink coverage in DTG printing, offering excellent cost-effectiveness for large-scale production.
● Faster Production Speed: Compared to DTG printing with white ink, this method is faster, especially suitable for high-volume production runs.
● Wide Applicability: It can be applied to various types of dark fabrics and is adaptable to different styles and design requirements.
However, due to the use of the plastisol underbase, a coating is created on the fabric surface, potentially affecting the t-shirt's softness. Post-treatment with fabric softeners is recommended.
This process is ideal for large-scale production, especially for printed t-shirts for sportswear and trend-driven brands. Due to its lower per-unit cost and high production speed, many well-known brands, such as Anta and Adidas, have adopted this process.
In practical applications, some large factories invest in hybrid direct to garment printers, which integrate with screen printing squeegees and pretreatment spray equipment to create fully automated production lines, improving efficiency and consistency.
2. DTG Printing with White Ink
Process Overview: This method directly prints white ink onto the dark t-shirt as a base layer using a DTG printer, followed by printing the colored inks. This process eliminates the need for an additional underbase layer, better preserving the fabric's softness.
Advantages
● Better Hand Feel: Since there is no screen printing coating, the printed area remains soft and comfortable to the touch.
● Vibrant Color Reproduction: The white pigment ink underbase allows colored inks to achieve brighter and more saturated colors, making it especially suitable for high-quality artistic designs and detailed displays.
● Ideal for High-Precision Designs: This method works better for intricate patterns and complex color gradations, particularly for multi-color prints or gradient effects on dark T-shirts.
Because white and colored inks are printed in layers, this places higher demands on the precision of the digital textile printer. Improper handling may lead to accuracy deviations, especially during drying, which could cause ink bleeding and affect the clarity of the design.
Furthermore, compared to the screen-printed underbase method, white ink DTG printing is slightly slower due to the need for two printing and drying passes.
DTG printing with white ink is particularly popular for high-end brands, custom fashion designs, and small-batch productions that demand superior print quality. This process can reproduce every detail and rich color from the design artwork, achieving finely detailed and richly colored prints on dark t-shirts.
The HPRT DA067D DTG printer uses high-precision inkjet technology to precisely control the white ink printing, ensuring a uniform base layer. This enhances the vibrancy and depth of the colors in subsequent prints, effectively preventing ink bleeding and blurring, and ensuring the clarity and sharpness of the design.
Faced with two processes, each with its own advantages, garment manufacturers should weigh order types, efficiency, print quality, and cost budgets. With the continuous advancement of direct-to-garment and direct-to-fabric printing technology, high-precision and high-quality fabric printing effects are gradually becoming the industry standard.
If you are interested in an innovative digital textile printing solution, please feel free to contact us for more information.
Our experienced technical team is ready to provide customized equipment configurations and process optimization solutions based on your specific needs, helping you leverage the benefits of DTG printing technology and enhance your business value.
