A digital inkjet printing method that sprays specialized textile inks directly onto fabric fibers, requiring pre-treatment and heat curing.
DTG (Direct to Garment) printing is a digital method that operates similarly to a standard office inkjet paper printer, but adapted for textiles. To print, the garment must first be sprayed with a chemical pre-treatment solution (a liquid mixture containing polyvalent metal salts) which acts as a primer, preventing water-based inks from bleeding into the fabric fibers. Once the pre-treatment is heat-pressed dry, the garment is loaded onto a flatbed platter. The printheads spray CMYK and white textile inks directly into the cotton yarn fibers, after which the garment is dried in a conveyor oven or heat press to cure the inks. While DTG provides an exceptionally soft hand-feel (making the print almost imperceptible to the touch), it has major drawbacks: it requires garments to be at least 80% cotton (failing entirely on polyester), struggles to achieve high opacity and vibrancy on dark fabrics compared to DTF, demands frequent and expensive printhead maintenance, and is highly prone to print fading after a few domestic washes if the pre-treatment is applied incorrectly.