DTF and DTG sound almost the same, they're both ways to print on shirts, and the acronyms are only one letter apart. No wonder people mix them up.
They are two different processes with different machines, different workflows, and different reasons to choose one over the other. Read on and I'll explain the difference between DTF and DTG, which one is better for what you're making, and how they stack up against the other transfer methods you've probably heard of.
DTF vs DTG
Like the names say, DTG (Direct to Garmen) prints ink directly onto the shirt while DTF (Direct to Film) prints onto a film first, then that film transfers onto the shirt.
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| DTG printing onto a black shirt |
That single difference is where everything else comes from - what fabrics work, how it holds up, how much maintenance the machine needs, and how much it costs to start.
What is DTG printing?
DTG stands for Direct to Garment. The printer prints your design straight onto the shirt, the same way an inkjet prints onto paper. A lot of people like it because there's very little hand. The image is not a transfer but instead printed directly onto the shirt.
With DTG you can print onto any color shirt or garment.
One caution though - with the exception of a white shirt - DTG printing is NOT as simple as just throw a shirt on the printer and print.
Because the ink goes right into the fibers, DTG works best on cotton and higher cotton blends. On dark shirts the printer lays down a white ink underbase first so the colors show, and dark garments need to be pretreated before printing which adds a few extra steps.
I run my DTG printing on the Epson F2100 line (now the F2270), and Epson also makes a smaller desktop combo machine, the F1070, that does both DTG and DTF. If you want to see one of these combo machines in person, I unboxed the F1070 here: meet the Epson F1070 DTF and DTG printer.
Want the full walkthrough of how DTG actually works start to finish including what other equipment besides the printer you'll need? I go deep on it in this DTG printing deep dive.
What is DTF printing?
DTF stands for Direct to Film. Instead of printing onto the shirt, the printer prints your design onto a special film. Powder adhesive is applied to the wet ink and cured, and then that transfer gets heat pressed onto the garment.
Because it's a transfer rather than ink soaking into the fabric, DTF goes on almost anything - cotton, polyester, blends, any color including black. It prints white ink too, so dark shirts are no problem. The tradeoff is that the design sits on top of the fabric, so there is a hand to it, and a transfer can crack or peel over time if it's not applied or washed correctly.
DTF is also the more flexible business model, because you don't even need a printer to use it. You can buy ready made DTF transfers, or upload your art to a gang sheet builder and have them shipped to you.
DTF vs DTG comparison
| DTG | DTF | |
| How it prints | Ink directly onto the shirt | Onto film, then pressed onto the shirt |
| Best fabrics | Cotton and high cotton blends | Cotton, poly, blends, almost anything |
| Dark garments | Yes, with pretreatment | Yes, no pretreatment needed |
| Hand or feel | None, ink soaks in | Sits on top of the fabric |
| Pretreatment | Required for darks | None |
| Can you outsource it | No, you need the printer | Yes, buy transfers or gang sheets |
| Maintenance | White ink upkeep, regular use needed | White ink upkeep, regular use needed |
DTF vs DTG: which is better?
Neither is better across the board. It comes down to what you're printing and how you want to run things.
DTG is better if you're printing mostly cotton shirts, you want a soft finish with no feel to it, you're only doing white shirt (skip the entire pre-treat step), you're doing low volume runs, and you want the design to look like it's part of the shirt rather than sitting on top. It's the more premium feel for apparel.
DTF is better if you print on a wide mix of fabrics and colors, you want the flexibility to buy transfers instead of running a machine every day, you're looking for a fully automated system that do the entire workflow (I love my xTool Apparel Printer with Shaker and Oven for that very reason) or you're pressing onto things beyond basic cotton tees. It's the more versatile and lower barrier to entry option.
Both need white ink, which means both need regular use to stay healthy. That's the maintenance reality of either one, and it's a bigger factor than most people expect. Before you buy either machine, I'd watch what else you actually need for DTF and DTG - it's the gear and cost nobody mentions until after you've bought the printer.
If you've landed on DTF and want to know which machine, I put my picks in best DTF printer for small business.
And if you want one machine that can do both, the xTool O1 Omni UV + DT adds a dedicated fabric head, so it handles direct to garment alongside the UV side.
How DTF and DTG compare to other methods
DTF and DTG aren't the only games in town. Here's how they line up against the other methods you've probably run into:
Sublimation infuses dye into polyester and poly-coated surfaces. It has no hand at all and works on hard goods like tumblers, but it can't do cotton or dark garments. Full breakdown here: sublimation vs DTF.
Screen printing is still the king for very high volume runs of the same design, but the setup per color makes it slow and expensive for small or one-off orders, which is exactly where DTF and DTG win.
Vinyl and HTV mean cutting and weeding, and each color is a layer. DTF and DTG both skip all of that and handle full color detail a cutter can't touch.
What about printing on hard goods?
If you're not trying to decorate fabric at all, and instead want to print on hard objects like tumblers, phone cases, acrylic, and wood, that's a different process called direct to object, and it's done on a UV printer rather than a DTF or DTG machine.
That's a whole separate lane. If that's what you're after, start with DTF vs UV DTF and what is UV DTF printing.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!
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