Screen printing, DTG or transfer — what really stands up to washing

Open your closet. Somewhere there's a T-shirt whose print today looks like cracked plaster — and next to it an equally old one, which he's wearing as if it were just rolled off the press yesterday. The difference between them is not in price, but in technology.

Why don't you find out

E-shops indicate cut, material, grammage and color. As a rule, they don't use printing technology — not because they keep it a secret, but because they don't bother to mention it, and the customer doesn't ask because he doesn't know that he should.

The result is that you buy half the product blindly. You chose the cotton consciously, the print was assigned to you by fate.

Screen printing

The oldest of the trio and still the most widespread in larger series. The color is pushed through a fine sieve directly onto the fabric — one sieve per color. It is then thermally cured.

Almost everything else follows from this:

• Each color costs preparation. That's why screen printing is cheap in hundreds of pieces and expensive in one, and that's why simple motifs are made in it, not photos.
• The paint layer is thicker. You can usually feel it on your T-shirt.
• If it is properly cured, it lasts a long time. The "if" is important. There are several documented causes of premature failure: under-curing, but also over-curing, poor adhesion between layers and inappropriate combination of paint and fabric. Neither of them is "the main one" — they're four different ways to screw up the same thing.

There are two main types of paint used. Plastisol it remains as a layer on the surface of the fabric and is typical of those tangible films. Dilutable with water it penetrates more into the fibers and is softer to the touch, almost imperceptible.

Which lasts longer? The direction is the same: plastisol forms a continuous film and tends to be more durable, diluted with water goes into the fiber and has a shorter lifespan. We couldn't find a measured comparison — take it as a direction, not a figure.

DTG — direct digital printing

Imagine an inkjet printer in which you put a T-shirt instead of paper. That's exactly what DTG is.

• No preparation for paint. A photo costs the same as a single-color logo, which is why DTG is the king of piece production.
• It is softer to the touch than plastisol screen printing — the ink goes into the fibers.
• It's more difficult on a dark T-shirt. The ink is translucent, so a white background is placed under the motif and the fabric is pre-treated. More layers means more places to crack.

It is not just a theoretical concern — the manufacturer of DTG printers Kornit confirms that the white background can degrade and the print on a dark T-shirt therefore fades faster. The mechanism is documented. No one can say how much faster.

DTG likes smooth, finely spun cotton. On a thicker, hairier fabric, the pattern is softer and less sharp.

Transfer — be careful, it's not one thing

This is where most misunderstandings arise. "Transfer" is not a technology, but a method of application: something is made elsewhere and then heat-glued. One word hides things with a completely different lifespan.

Cut film (flex, flock). A shape is cut out of the foil and pressed. The color is rich, but it is a plastic layer on the surface. Simple shapes and inscriptions yes, fine details no.

Iron-on paper from a home printer. The thing that gives a yellowed rectangle around the motif after a few washes. If someone's print has cracked in a month, it's usually this.

DTF (print on film). The motif is printed on foil, sprinkled with adhesive powder and pressed. It handles detailing even dark T-shirts without fabric treatment and has spread very quickly.

How long DTF will last compared to screen printing cannot be honestly said today. The technology expanded around 2020 to 2022, there was no time for a long-term comparison. "100 washes" tests come from film and ink manufacturers and are usually done on a single piece. It's not a test, it's a sample.

It doesn't mean DTF is bad. It means that whoever tells you the exact number either wrote it down or made it up.

Sublimation. The only one of the group where the motif is not a layer on fabric, but dye v her. It cannot be felt and will not crack, because there is nothing to peel. The catch: it only works on polyester and can't print white, so dark t-shirts fall out. That's why you see it on jerseys, not on cotton T-shirts.

Why is it so hard to find the truth in this area?

When you start checking this out, you'll run into the same thing we ran into.

Most sources are printer blogs — and they sell the very technology they write about. The article "why DTF is better than screen printing" was written by a company that makes DTF. They don't even lie; they tell the truth about what works for them. They just won't tell you the other half.

Independent comparative tests according to washing standards practically do not exist. The standards for durability tests exist and so do the devices. What is missing is someone who would run them through four technologies at once on the same fabric and publish the result. Nobody has a commercial interest in it.

The numbers you find have no methodology. "Lasts 50 washes" does not say at what temperature, with what agent or where the border is beyond which the print is "worn out".

Therefore, in this article there are directions and mechanisms, not tables with numbers. Not out of caution — we have nowhere to get those numbers from, and to make them up would mean joining those who do.

What actually decides

Technology is only one of four factors. The other three are mentioned less, although they make the same decisions:

1. Fixation. A poorly cured first-class print will lose to an honestly made cheap one.
2. Background. Smoother and more finely spun cotton holds the drawing better. In addition, the composition of the substance determines which methods even come into consideration.
3. Theme size. A large continuous area of paint is stiffer than a fine drawing, so it takes more effort when worn.
4. How do you wash it? There is a separate article about that — this is where you can go wrong the most and the fastest.

How do you recognize it on a finished T-shirt?

The seller didn't tell you this, but the T-shirt will tell you by itself:

• Swipe your finger over the theme. A distinct tactile layer with a sharp edge indicates plastisol screen printing or transfer. You almost feel nothing with DTG, water-soluble screen printing and sublimation.
• Look at the edge of the motif. A visible border or a slightly shiny outline around the drawing is usually a sign of transfer film or paper.
• Gently stretch the fabric — on your shirt, not in the store. A print that stretches with the fabric is better than one that crumbles right away.
• Turn the shirt inside out. During sublimation, the motif often slightly shines through, because the dye is in the fiber itself.

What is worth asking before buying?

Two questions are enough and you will know the answer before you pay:

Which printing method was used?

How should I wash it?

If the seller can answer both, he usually knows what he is doing. If the answer is limited to "normal," that's not a good sign — none of these technologies like what most people consider normal laundry.

So what

There is no single best technology — just good and bad for what you want.

• A simple motif, more pieces, should last → screen printing.
• One piece, many colors or photo → DTG.
• Inscription or number, rich color → cut foil.
• Sport, polyester, light color → sublimation, if someone offers it.
• Iron-on paper from a home printer → only as a temporary solution.

And one more thing that applies across the board: an honestly made cheaper technology beats a sloppy expensive one. The name of the method in the product description is less important than whether someone did it properly — and, unfortunately, you won't know that from the e-shop. That's why it's worth asking.