Impressions - March 2021 - 41

by screen printing.The decorator needs a way to fill the void that
exists somewhere between one and 1,000 shirts.
Most DTG decorating instantly produces a completely custom, full-color product on any garment color. Time wise and
financially, however, instant printing does not translate well in
quantities greater than a few dozen. Prior to these new hybrids,
DTG production times averaged two minutes per shirt. Screen
printers can produce hundreds per hour. And ink costs were
higher, averaging $2 per garment, while screen-printing ink is
just pennies per print.
Screen printing is most efficient when it comes to quantity.
A decorator can produce just a dozen shirts profitably if the
graphic is only one or two colors. But as colors get added, the
number of prints required to ensure efficiency multiplies. A
full-color (six-screen) image for most decorators only becomes
profitable at 100 or more pieces. Most screen printers make a
living at one- to three-color images, with full-color printing
being outside their expertise.
Many customers who, in the past, would buy 10,000 pieces now
ask for only a few hundred pieces, with future orders repeating
in the same quantity.These customers are looking through fresh
eyes, saying they no longer want to risk capital on large quantities
of inventory, but prefer to replenish stock as needed.

The new hybrid decorator uses
technology that's priced at a fraction
of the cost of earlier, more expensive
machines.

screen-printing efficiency by operating multiple DTG printers,
even simultaneously.

New DTG Capabilities Close the Gap

Comparing Finished Products

New developments in DTG machines in the past year or so
have helped fill this gap. These new printers offer lower costs,
sometimes half the ink cost of traditional DTG printing. Plus,
they offer faster production speeds, often double what DTG
machines were capable of only a couple of years ago.These factors
make the break-even point lower when choosing to embellish
garments via DTG or screen printing.
Higher DTG-printing speeds have been available for quite
some time, but at a high cost of entry. New DTG machines that
are available on the market today are a fraction of the cost of
these earlier machines. Decorators also have attempted to match

Many consumers probably would be surprised to know how
many DTG-printed products they own that they assume have
been screen printed. If the product was bought online, chances
are good that it's a DTG print. For online resellers, the ability
to maintain blank inventory while printing on demand has
been the force driving DTG production.
With screen or DTG printing, you can produce an excellent
finished print.With proper preparation and proper curing, you
will produce a permanent print. In our industry, 50 or more
washes without image degradation is considered a permanent
print.
Some screen printers like to use DTG technology to fill in
inventory gaps.To accomplish this, the art department must
simulate a screen-printed image by using halftone dots (55
lines, for instance) rather than full CMYK process printing.
Screen printing a full-color image often is accomplished
through simulated-process printing using a minimum of six
screens. A DTG print may have 100 colors or shades of colors
in an image.
Most DTG decorators still use heat presses to cure their
finished prints. But in the new hybrid world, using a conveyor
dryer - like screen printers - is almost required to be most
efficient. Attempting to maintain the production capability of

Bulk-ink systems can cut
print costs in half - or more.

Decorators have
attempted to match
screen-printing
efficiency by operating
multiple DTG printers,
even simultaneously.
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Impressions - March 2021

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