Screen Printing vs Digital Printing: What’s the Difference?

What is Screen Printing?

Screen printing uses a mesh screen and stencil to transfer ink onto a garment. Each colour in the artwork generally requires its own screen, with the individual colours printed in layers to build the finished design.

This setup makes screen printing particularly efficient for larger quantities. Once the screens are prepared, garments can be printed quickly and consistently, with the cost per print generally decreasing as quantities increase.

Screen printing is well suited to bold graphics, logos and artwork with defined colours. It also allows for precise colour matching and specialty inks such as puff, metallic and fluorescent finishes.

At Bottega Made, our standard minimum for screen printing is 25 units.

What is Digital Printing

Digital printing removes much of the physical setup required for screen printing and allows full-colour artwork to be reproduced directly from a digital file.

At Bottega Made, we primarily work with two digital printing methods: DTF and DTG.

DTF | Direct-to-Film

With DTF, the artwork is digitally printed onto a transfer film before being heat pressed onto the garment.

Because there are no individual screens to prepare for each colour, DTF works particularly well for detailed, multi-colour artwork and smaller quantities. It can also be applied to a broad variety of garments, products and print positions.

The trade-off is the finish. Because the design is transferred onto the surface of the garment, you can feel the printed layer. For smaller graphics this is rarely an issue, but a large, solid DTF print can feel heavier than DTG or some screen-printed designs.

For us, DTF is generally the first digital method we’d recommend for smaller runs and quick-turnaround orders.

DTG | Direct-to-Garment

DTG works more like a specialised inkjet printer. Rather than creating a transfer first, the machine prints the artwork directly onto the garment.

This gives DTG a much softer finish because the ink integrates more closely with the fabric rather than sitting as a transferred layer on top. It makes DTG particularly useful for larger print areas, detailed illustrations, photography, gradients and artwork containing many colours.

Our DTG orders typically have a minimum of 25 units, and the process can take a little longer and cost more than DTF. Depending on the artwork and quantity, screen printing may therefore make more commercial sense.

Screen Printing vs DTF vs DTG

Rather than looking at one method as better than another, it’s more useful to compare how they perform across the things that matter to your project.

Colour and Detail

Digital printing is particularly useful for artwork containing lots of colours, gradients, photographic imagery and fine details because additional colours don’t require additional screens. Screen printing can reproduce detailed artwork too, including through halftones, but additional colours increase the setup required.

Vibrancy

Screen printing is particularly strong when bright, solid and highly opaque colours are required, especially on dark garments. It also allows for precise Pantone colour matching. Modern DTF can produce extremely vibrant full-colour results, while DTG can achieve detailed colour reproduction and smooth gradients but may have a softer appearance depending on the artwork and garment.

Feel / Texture

DTG generally provides the softest result, particularly for large designs. Screen printing varies depending on the ink, artwork and coverage. DTF creates a smooth transferred layer on the garment, making it excellent for many applications but less suited to very large areas of solid coverage when a lightweight feel is important.

Quantity and Cost

Screen printing involves more initial setup, so it becomes increasingly economical as quantities grow. DTF has comparatively little setup and maintains a relatively consistent print cost, making it ideal for smaller quantities. DTG also avoids individual colour screens, although for the quantities we typically produce, either DTF or screen printing will often be the more economical choice.

Speed

For short runs and express jobs, we will generally recommend DTF because of the minimal setup involved. Once a screen printing job has been prepared, however, it is extremely efficient for producing larger quantities.

Which Printing Method Is Most Durable?

All three methods can produce durable, commercial-quality results when printed correctly. The garment itself also plays an important role. A quality print applied to a poor-quality garment isn’t going to extend the life of the fabric underneath it.

How each print ages is slightly different.

A screen print will naturally soften, distress and gradually fade with repeated wear and washing. DTF transfers also soften with use, while over an extended period the transferred layer can begin to thin or crack. DTG becomes increasingly soft as the garment is worn and washed, with colours gradually losing some of their original vibrancy.

Print quality, ink, curing, garment construction, washing and general wear all affect longevity, so there isn’t a universal lifespan for any of the three methods. Modern digital printing has improved significantly, and both screen and digital methods are capable of producing long-lasting apparel when the process is handled correctly.

What Type of Artwork Works Best?

As a general guide, screen printing is a strong choice for logos, typography, bold graphics, limited-colour artwork and designs requiring specific Pantone colours or specialty finishes.

DTF works particularly well for full-colour graphics, detailed illustrations, smaller logos, complex artwork and designs containing lots of colours especially when the quantity is low or turnaround is important.

DTG is worth considering for photographic artwork, gradients, highly detailed graphics and larger print areas where you want the finished print to remain soft and integrated with the garment.

These aren’t hard rules. Garment material, colour, print position, artwork and quantity can all change which process we’d recommend.

So, Should You Choose Screen Printing or Digital Printing?

There isn’t one printing method that’s better than the others.

For a large run of two-colour T-shirts, screen printing may be the obvious choice. For 15 shirts with detailed full-colour artwork, DTF will probably make considerably more sense. For a large photographic print where maintaining a soft finish is important, DTG may be worth considering.

The advantage of working with a printer that offers all three is that the production method can be chosen around the job not the other way around.

Alternative Decoration Methods

Screen printing and digital printing aren’t the only ways to customise apparel and merchandise. Depending on the product, artwork and finish you’re looking for, we can also recommend alternative decoration methods including embroidery, sublimation printing and custom labels, or even cut and sew for more customised products. The right approach depends on the project, and different methods can also be combined to achieve the desired result.