DTF Printing vs. Screen Printing: Which Is Right for Your Order?

How each process works

Screen printing pushes plastisol or water-based ink through a mesh screen, one screen per color. Setup takes time, but once the press is loaded each shirt prints in seconds.

DTF (direct-to-film) prints your full-color artwork onto a PET film, coats it with adhesive powder, cures it, and heat-presses it onto the garment. There are no screens and no per-color setup at all.

Color count and detail

Screen printing charges by color. A four-color front and a two-color back means six screens. DTF prints photographic gradients, fine text, and unlimited colors for the same price, which is why it wins for detailed team logos, mascots, and sponsor-heavy backs.

Minimums and cost per shirt

Screen printing gets cheaper the more shirts you run because the setup cost spreads out. Around 60–70 pieces of a simple one- or two-color design, screen printing usually pulls ahead.

DTF has no minimum. One shirt costs the same per piece as twenty-four, which is why every order on our site — including single custom tees and small team runs — is priced without a setup fee.

• 1–72 pieces, any color count: DTF is almost always cheaper and faster
• 72+ pieces, 1–2 spot colors: ask us for a screen print quote
• Full-color photo art at any quantity: DTF

Durability and hand feel

Modern DTF holds up to 50+ home washes when it is pressed correctly and washed inside out in cold water. Screen printing on a soft-hand water-based ink still feels slightly lighter on the garment, so for very large solid-fill chest prints we sometimes recommend it.

Turnaround

Because there are no screens to burn and reclaim, DTF orders move fast — most of our custom shirt orders press within a couple of business days after proof approval. That is the whole reason our team gear brand is named NextDay Apparel.