DTG vs screen printing comes down to your run, color count, and fabric: DTG prints unlimited colors and photos with no setup and no minimum — best for small runs on 100% cotton, while screen printing is cheapest per shirt and most durable for big runs of bold, few-color designs. Both blanks are a flat 99¢ a unit by the pack.
The choice comes down to run size, color, and fabric: DTG for small full-color runs on cotton, screen printing for big bold-color runs.
DTG has no setup and no minimum, so it wins small orders, one-offs, and full-color or photographic art.
Screen printing is cheapest per shirt at volume — it usually wins above roughly 50 shirts with a low color count, because the setup cost spreads across the run.
DTG needs a high-cotton blank — ideally 100% ring-spun cotton; it struggles on polyester and needs pretreat plus a white underbase on darks.
Screen printing is the durability gold standard and prints on any fabric — cotton, blends, polyester, and dark colors.
The blank costs the same either way — print-ready tees at a flat 99¢ a unit, the same in every size and pack.
— The Press Room, Bayou Blanks"DTG the small full-color cotton jobs, screen the big bold runs: color and short runs go digital, volume and durability go to screens."
DTG and screen printing are the two cotton-tee workhorses. The right one depends on how many you're printing, how many colors, and what the blank is made of. Here's how they stack up.
| Attribute | DTG (Direct-to-Garment) | Screen Printing |
|---|---|---|
| Best run size 5.3–6.0 oz | Any size — one-offs to small runs | Large runs (50+) |
| Color & detail 5.3–6.0 oz | Full color, photos, gradients | Bold spot colors, few colors |
| Fabrics 5.3–6.0 oz | Best on 100% cotton | Any fabric — cotton, poly, blends |
| Dark garments 5.3–6.0 oz | Needs pretreat + white underbase | Needs a separate underbase screen |
| Setup cost 5.3–6.0 oz | None | Per color (one screen each) |
| Hand feel 5.3–6.0 oz | Very soft — ink absorbs into cotton | Soft; more hand on big solids |
| Durability 5.3–6.0 oz | 40–60 washes on cotton | Gold standard; 60–100+ washes |
| From (per unit) By the pack | $0.99 | $0.99 |
Cotton, polyester, and dark blanks on the floor in Hattiesburg, sold by the pack. Prices shown per unit — no account.
A smooth cotton crew with deep stock — DTG's ideal blank. High cotton content and a tight knit let full-color, photographic prints absorb soft and sharp. Prints great with screens too.
S–2XL
$3.96 / 4-Pack
A polyester performance tee — where DTG is weakest. Poly needs a special pretreat and can suffer dye migration, so screen printing (or DTF) is the safer call on this blank.
S–3XL
$3.96 / 4-Pack
Deep-stock athletic raglan in a dark heather. On darks, DTG needs a solid pretreat and a white underbase to stay vivid; screen printing adds a separate underbase screen. Plan for the underbase either way.
S–5XL
$3.96 / 4-Pack
A contrast crew raglan in a full size run — versatile for either method: DTG a full-color design on the cotton-rich body, or screen-print a bold logo.
S–5XL
$3.96 / 4-Pack
Every blank prints either way at a flat 99¢/unit, the same in every size and pack. Stock is liquidation overstock, so specific colors and sizes rotate — check each product for live availability.
Neither is universally better — it depends on your order. DTG wins small runs, full-color or photographic art, and soft prints on cotton, with no setup and no minimum. Screen printing wins large runs of bold, few-color designs — it's the cheapest per shirt at volume and the most durable, and it prints on any fabric.
Properly cured screen printing is the durability gold standard — the ink becomes part of the fabric and typically lasts 60–100+ washes, though heavy plastisol can crack over many years. Well-executed DTG on 100% cotton usually holds 40–60 washes with a gradual fade, comparable to DTF when the blank is pretreated and cured correctly.
For small orders and multicolor art, yes — DTG has no screens to set up, so there's no per-color cost. Screen printing gets cheaper per shirt as the run grows because the setup cost spreads across more pieces, so it usually wins above roughly 50 shirts with a low color count. The blank itself costs the same either way.
DTG works best on 100% cotton. Polyester is difficult — it needs a special poly-pretreat and can suffer dye migration — and dark garments need a solid pretreat plus a white underbase to stay vibrant. For polyester or stubborn darks, screen printing or DTF is often the safer choice.
A smooth, high-cotton tee — ideally 100% ring-spun cotton in a light color. The higher the cotton content (at least about 80%) and the tighter the knit, the sharper and more durable the print. Blends and triblends print softer but less vivid, because the polyester in them takes the water-based ink less readily.
Yes. DTG ink absorbs into the cotton for a very soft, almost no-feel print — that soft hand is part of its appeal. Screen-printed ink cures as a thin layer on top of the fabric: soft on small or water-based prints, with a bit more hand on large solid plastisol designs.
The real cost per shirt: a flat 99¢ a unit, the same in every size and pack. Shown up front, no account, same price every size.
100% cotton tees for DTG, plus poly and dark overstock for screens — S–5XL, print-ready, with new pallets landing weekly.
Packed and shipped from our Mississippi warehouse — central, fast, and real people on the floor.
No account, no resale certificate, no business required — buy a single pack at the same per-unit price.
Whichever method you print, the blank is the same flat price — 100% cotton tees for DTG, any fabric for screens, a flat 99¢ a unit, every size one price, no account, inspected and shipped from Hattiesburg.
