DTF vs DTG vs Screen Printing vs Sublimation: The Complete Comparison
How DTF, DTG, screen printing and sublimation compare on fabric, shirt color, cost by quantity, feel and durability, with a simple way to pick the right one.
Short answer: DTF is the most flexible of the four: full color on any fabric color, cotton or polyester, with no minimum. DTG gives the softest feel on 100% cotton but costs more per shirt and struggles on polyester. Screen printing is the cheapest and most durable once you print roughly 50–100+ of the same design in a few colors. Sublimation has zero feel and never cracks, but it only works on white or light polyester.
Most people asking this question are not choosing a printer to buy. They have an order to fill: 30 shirts for a team, a first drop for a small brand, one hoodie for a gift. The right method depends on four things you already know: the fabric, the shirt color, how many pieces, and how many colors are in the design. This guide is the hub of our comparison series. It sits next to our complete guide to DTF printing, and every head-to-head article below links back here. We print BeeDTF DTF transfers every day, so we are biased toward DTF; where another method wins, we say so plainly.
The four methods at a glance
- DTF: printed film + adhesive, heat-pressed. Any fabric color, cotton or poly, no minimum.
- DTG: ink sprayed into the fabric. Softest on 100% cotton; dark shirts need pretreatment.
- Screen printing: one screen per color. Cheapest and toughest at volume; setup costs make small runs expensive.
- Sublimation: dye turns to gas inside polyester. No feel at all; white or light polyester only.
- Rule of thumb: small runs and full color → DTF; big runs, few colors → screen print.
In this guide
- How do DTF, DTG, screen printing and sublimation compare?
- How does each method put a design on a shirt?
- What is the difference between DTF and DTG?
- Which method works on which fabric and shirt color?
- Which method is cheapest at 1, 24, 100 and 500 shirts?
- How do the prints feel, and how long do they last?
- Which method handles photos, gradients and fine detail best?
- Which printing method should you choose?
- Frequently asked questions
How do DTF, DTG, screen printing and sublimation compare?
Here is the whole comparison in one table. The rest of the article explains each row, with the cases where the "winner" changes.
| DTF | DTG | Screen printing | Sublimation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabrics | Cotton, poly, blends, nylon (test) | Best on 100% cotton | Cotton, blends; poly with special ink | Polyester only (high-poly blends fade) |
| Shirt colors | Any, including black | Any; darks need pretreatment | Any | White or light only |
| Minimum | None | None | Usually 12–24+ per design | None |
| Setup cost | None | None | Per color / per screen | None |
| Full color and photos | Yes | Yes | Hard and costly | Yes |
| Feel | Thin, smooth, flexible | Softest; ink is in the fibers | Thin to thick, depends on ink | None at all |
| Durability | 50+ washes when pressed right | Good; fades gradually | Excellent | Excellent; dye is permanent |
| Best for | Small–medium runs, mixed fabrics, dark shirts | One-offs on cotton, soft feel | Large runs, 1–4 colors | Sportswear, all-over prints, mugs |
How does each method put a design on a shirt?
All four methods end with heat, but the ink travels a different way in each one. That path is what decides fabric, feel and cost.
| Method | How the design gets onto the shirt |
|---|---|
| DTF (direct-to-film) | Design is printed in reverse on clear PET film, white ink on top, then coated with adhesive powder and cured. You press the film onto the shirt and peel it off. |
| DTG (direct-to-garment) | An inkjet printer sprays water-based ink straight into the shirt. Dark shirts get a pretreatment spray and a white underbase first. |
| Screen printing | Ink is pushed through a fine mesh screen, one screen for each color, then cured with heat. |
| Sublimation | Dye is printed on transfer paper. Under the press it turns into gas and bonds inside polyester fibers. |
If you want the DTF steps in more depth, see what the PET film does in DTF printing.
What is the difference between DTF and DTG?
DTF prints onto film and is pressed onto the shirt; DTG prints straight into the shirt. That one difference explains almost everything else. DTG ink soaks into cotton, so it feels like part of the fabric, but it needs cotton to grab onto and a pretreatment on dark shirts. DTF ink sits on a thin adhesive layer, so it bonds to cotton, polyester and blends alike, with no pretreatment.
| Question | DTF | DTG |
|---|---|---|
| Polyester and blends? | Yes, at 275°F | Weak; colors look dull and wash out |
| Black shirts? | Yes, white ink is on the film | Yes, with pretreatment, which can leave a visible box |
| Feel on the shirt | Thin layer you can feel slightly | Almost none on light shirts |
| Who presses it? | You, any time, with a heat press | The printer shop; prints are made per garment |
| Order ahead, press later? | Yes; transfers store for months | No; the shirt must be at the printer |
| Cost per print | Low, falls with gang sheets | Higher; ink and pretreatment per shirt |
DTG still wins in one clear case: a single, very soft, photo-style print on a light 100% cotton tee, where you never want to feel the print. For nearly everything else, especially dark shirts, hoodies and polyester, DTF is easier and cheaper.
Which method works on which fabric and shirt color?
Fabric rules out options faster than anything else. Check the garment label first.
| Garment | DTF | DTG | Screen | Sublimation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% cotton tee | Yes | Best | Yes | No |
| 50/50 blend | Yes | Fair | Yes | Faded look |
| 100% polyester jersey | Yes | Poor | With low-bleed ink | Best (light colors) |
| Black or navy anything | Yes | With pretreatment | Yes | No |
| Fleece hoodie | Yes | Fair | Yes | No (unless white poly) |
| Nylon jacket | Test first | No | Special ink | No |
| Canvas tote | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Polyester has its own rules for DTF, mainly keeping the heat at 275°F so the shirt dye does not bleed into the print. Our DTF on polyester guide covers it.
Which method is cheapest at 1, 24, 100 and 500 shirts?
Cost is where the methods trade places. DTF, DTG and sublimation have no setup, so the first shirt costs about the same as the hundredth. Screen printing has a setup cost for every color, so it starts expensive and gets cheaper with every extra shirt.
| Order size (one design, 2–4 colors) | Usually cheapest | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1–11 shirts | DTF | No setup, no minimum |
| 12–49 shirts | DTF | Screen setup is spread over too few shirts |
| 50–100 shirts | Depends on colors | Screen printing catches up when the design has 1–3 colors |
| 100–500+ shirts | Screen printing | Setup is spread thin; ink per shirt is cheap |
| Any quantity, full color or photo | DTF | Screen printing needs many screens or simulated process |
Real BeeDTF numbers make the DTF side concrete. A 22″ × 12″ gang sheet costs $6 and holds eighteen 3.5″ left-chest logos, about $0.33 each. A 10″ × 12″ adult front print works out to roughly $3.06 on a gang sheet, or about $2.08 at our 1,000″ wholesale rate of $0.34 per inch. Single designs start at $1.25 with DTF transfers by size. The full cost math for print shops is in DTF vs screen printing.
How do the prints feel, and how long do they last?
A good print in any of the four methods outlasts most cheap blanks. Differences show up in how each one ages.
| Method | Feel | How it ages |
|---|---|---|
| DTF | Thin and smooth; you can feel a soft layer | Stays bright; can crack if over-pressed or tumble-dried hot |
| DTG | Softest on light cotton | Fades gradually for a worn-in look |
| Screen printing | Light with water-based ink; thicker with plastisol | Very durable; plastisol can crack after many years |
| Sublimation | None; the dye is in the fiber | Doesn't crack or peel; can fade in strong sun |
For DTF the press and the laundry decide most of the lifespan. Our DTF durability guide covers the 24-hour rule, cold washing and drying. If you are worried about a heavy or plasticky feel, read does DTF feel like plastic.
Which method handles photos, gradients and fine detail best?
Photos, gradients, small text and many colors are easy for the digital methods and hard for screen printing.
- DTF: photos, gradients and fine text down to about 6 pt print cleanly, on any shirt color. Lines should be at least 1 mm.
- DTG: excellent detail on light cotton; on dark shirts the white underbase can soften edges.
- Screen printing: best for bold, flat colors. Photos need halftones or simulated process, which costs more screens.
- Sublimation: photo-quality color, but no white ink: white parts of the design show the shirt color.
Which printing method should you choose?
Answer three questions and the choice is usually obvious.
- Is the garment white or light polyester, and do you want zero feel? Sublimation.
- Is it 100+ shirts of the same design in 1–3 colors? Get a screen printing quote. It will likely win.
- Everything else (dark shirts, mixed fabrics, many designs, full color, small runs, names): DTF.
The head-to-head guides in this series go deeper on each pairing:
- DTF vs sublimation
- DTF vs screen printing
- DTF vs HTV (vinyl)
- screen print transfers vs DTF
- UV DTF vs DTF
- DTF vs embroidery
- DTF vs traditional heat transfers
- heat transfer vs sublimation
- how to use heat transfer paper
Frequently asked questions about DTF, DTG, screen printing and sublimation
Is DTF better than DTG?
For most orders, yes: DTF works on any fabric and color with no pretreatment and costs less per print. DTG is better for the softest possible feel on light 100% cotton.
Is DTF cheaper than screen printing?
For small and medium runs, and for full-color designs, yes. For 100+ shirts of one design in a few colors, screen printing is usually cheaper.
Can sublimation print on cotton?
Not well. Sublimation dye bonds only to polyester, so on cotton it washes out. Use DTF for cotton.
Which printing method lasts the longest?
Screen printing and sublimation are the most durable. A correctly pressed DTF print usually lasts as long as the shirt.
Which method is best for a small clothing brand?
DTF, in most cases: no minimums, full color, any blank, and you can press to order.
Try DTF on your next order
No minimums, no setup fees, any fabric color. Every file checked by a real person, shipped the same day when you order by 2 PM PT.