DTF, Screen Print, Vinyl, DTG or Embroidery? An Honest Guide to Choosing

Search for "custom T-shirt printing" and you'll be hit by a wall of jargon: DTF, DTG, HTV, screen print, sublimation, embroidery. Every printer seems to swear by whichever method they happen to own. So which one is actually right for you?

The honest answer is that it depends on what you're making. A full-colour photo on twelve hoodies, a stitched logo on fifty staff polos and five hundred one-colour festival tees are three completely different jobs, and each has a different best answer. In this guide we explain every method in plain English, score them side by side, and match them to real jobs. We'll also be straight about where DTF isn't the best choice.

The quick answer: DTF is the best all-rounder for full-colour designs, dark garments, mixed fabrics and small-to-medium orders. Embroidery wins for a premium, textured logo on workwear. Screen printing wins on price for big runs of simple designs. DTG gives the softest feel on cotton, and sublimation is unbeatable for all-over prints on white polyester.

The six methods, in plain English

DTF (direct to film)

How it works: the design is printed onto a special film with a white backing, coated in a stretchy powdered glue, then heat-pressed onto the garment.

Best for: full-colour designs and photos, dark garments, polyester and sportswear, personalised names, and orders from one to several hundred.

Watch out for: a very large solid print can feel slightly heavier than the shirt around it, which is why good designers break big areas into dots.

Screen printing

How it works: ink is pushed through a fine mesh stencil, one screen per colour, each made and lined up by hand.

Best for: big runs of simple designs, exact brand (Pantone) colours, and heavy-duty laundering.

Watch out for: set-up costs for every colour and every print position, which makes small orders and photos expensive. Thick inks can crack where the fabric stretches.

Heat-transfer vinyl (HTV)

How it works: a sheet of coloured vinyl is cut by a plotter, the waste is picked away by hand (called weeding), and the shapes are heat-pressed on.

Best for: simple one-colour names, numbers and text.

Watch out for: every colour is a separate layer, it doesn't breathe, and it tends to lift at sharp corners. It typically lasts 20–50 washes.

DTG (direct to garment)

How it works: an inkjet printer sprays ink straight into the fabric, a bit like a paper printer.

Best for: detailed, full-colour art on 100% cotton where the softest possible feel matters.

Watch out for: it's weak on polyester, dark garments need a pre-treatment spray, and colours typically fade sooner than DTF, in around 30–50 washes.

Sublimation

How it works: special dye is turned into a gas with heat and absorbed right into polyester fibres, so the print becomes part of the fabric.

Best for: all-over prints on white or light polyester, like cycling jerseys and running tops. It can't crack because there's no layer on top.

Watch out for: it only works on polyester, and only on white or light colours. It can't print white or go on dark garments.

Embroidery

How it works: the logo is converted into a stitch file (called digitising) and sewn into the garment with thread.

Best for: a premium, textured look on polos, fleeces, jackets and workwear, and logos that need to survive a lot of washing.

Watch out for: it can't do photos or very fine detail, and dense stitching can pucker light, stretchy fabrics. At Print Press we stitch in-house on Tajima machines with German Madeira thread, and our team digitises every logo itself.

Side by side: how they compare

Here's how the six stack up on the things customers care about most. Notice that every method has at least one weak spot, and that's exactly why a good print shop uses more than one.

A few things jump out. DTF has the fewest weak spots, which is why it has become the go-to for most custom orders. Embroidery is the only method that truly wins on a premium, textured look. And screen printing is still the champion on price once you're into hundreds of identical shirts with a simple design.

Match the method to the job

The easiest way to choose is to start from what you're ordering, not from the method. Find the order closest to yours:

Some jobs are best done with two methods together. A common combination is an embroidered logo on the chest of a polo with a full-colour DTF print on the back, or a screen-printed main design with DTF names and numbers added, so you don't need a new screen for every name.

Your questions, answered

Which method lasts the longest? Screen print, sublimation, embroidery and a well-made DTF print can all last a very long time. DTF and screen print typically reach 50–100 home washes; vinyl and DTG usually show wear sooner. For workwear that goes through hot industrial laundries, embroidery is the safest bet.

Which feels the softest? DTG and sublimation, because the colour goes into the fabric rather than sitting on it. DTF comes close when big solid areas are broken up into fine dots.

Which is cheapest? It depends on the order. For small runs and full-colour designs, DTF usually wins because there are no screens to pay for. For several hundred identical shirts in one or two colours, screen printing usually wins.

Can I mix methods on one garment? Yes. An embroidered chest logo with a printed back design is a popular combination for staff and club wear.

I still can't decide. What should I do? Tell us what you're making, how many, and what it's for. We'll recommend the method that suits the job, not the one that suits us.

Honest advice, in-house expertise

At Print Press we print DTF and stitch embroidery in-house, with Epson ink technology, Tajima embroidery machines and German Madeira thread, and a design team that prepares and digitises every job. So we can recommend the method that genuinely suits your order, and if another method would serve you better, we'll say so.

Not sure which to choose? Send your idea to printpress.clothing and we'll point you in the right direction.