DTG vs. DTF Printing: What’s Best for Custom T-Shirts

If you’re shopping around for custom t-shirt printing in Toronto, you’ve probably come across two popular methods: Direct-to-Garment (DTG) and Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing. Both have their unique strengths and are ideal for different types of orders. Whether you're a small business, a band getting merch made, a school ordering spirit wear, or planning custom tees for an event, knowing the difference between DTG and DTF can help you make the right choice.

Let’s break it down in a casual, easy-to-understand way.

What is DTG (Direct-to-Garment) Printing?

DTG is like using an inkjet printer — but for t-shirts. The design is printed directly onto the fabric using water-based inks. It works best on cotton and natural fiber garments.

DTG printing on white t-shirt

Perfect for:

  • Detailed, full-color artwork
  • Small runs or one-offs
  • Soft-feel prints

Pros of DTG Printing:

Photo-quality prints: Great for detailed designs and gradients.

Soft finish: The ink soaks into the fabric, making the print feel like part of the shirt.

Low minimum order: Ideal for small batches

Cons of DTG Printing:

Limited fabric types: Works best on 100% cotton or cotton blends.

Not as vibrant on dark garments: Especially polyester or synthetic blends.

Slower for large runs: Compared to other methods like screen or DTF.

T-Shirt Styles Ideal for DTG Printing

  • Softstyle® T-Shirt Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Gildan Softstyle® T-Shirt 64000

  • Jersey Tee Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Bella + Canvas Jersey Tee 3001

  • 6 oz. Heavyweight Tee Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Bella + Canvas 6 oz. Heavyweight Tee 3010

  • Garment-Dyed Heavyweight T-Shirt Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Comfort Colors Garment-Dyed Heavyweight T-Shirt 1717

  • King Fashion Super Weight Jersey Short Sleeve T-Shirt - KF900 Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    King Fashion King Fashion Super Weight Jersey Short Sleeve T-Shirt - KF900 KF900

  • 100% Ring Spun Cotton T-Shirt Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Jerico 100% Ring Spun Cotton T-Shirt 35

  • Epic Unisex T-Shirt Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Threadfast Apparel Epic Unisex T-Shirt T1000

  • Heavyweight Cotton Tee Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    American Apparel Heavyweight Cotton Tee 1301

  • Heavyweight Cotton Long Sleeve Tee Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    American Apparel Heavyweight Cotton Long Sleeve Tee 1304

  • Women's Fine Jersey Boxy Tee Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    American Apparel Women's Fine Jersey Boxy Tee 102

  • Fine Jersey Tee Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    American Apparel Fine Jersey Tee 2001

  • Sueded Cloud Jersey Tee Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    American Apparel Sueded Cloud Jersey Tee 5389

What is DTF (Direct-to-Film) Printing?

DTF is a newer technology that prints your design onto a special film, which is then heat-pressed onto the garment. It works well on a wider variety of fabrics and colours.

DTF print on light coloured t-shirt

Perfect for:

  • Polyester, nylon, and synthetic fabrics
  • Dark-coloured shirts
  • Bulk orders

Pros of DTF Printing:

Versatile: Works on cotton, polyester, blends, nylon — pretty much anything.

Great for dark garments: The transfer layer makes colours pop.

Faster for large runs: Ideal for events or team apparel.

Cons of DTF Printing:

Heavier feel: The print sits on top of the fabric, which can feel thicker.

Less ideal for fading gradients: DTG might win out for images with transparencies.

T-Shirt Styles Ideal for DTF printing

  • Core 365 Men's Origin Performance Piqué Polo - 88181 Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Core 365 Core 365 Men's Origin Performance Piqué Polo - 88181 88181

  • Core 365 Ladies' Origin Performance Piqué Polo - 78181 Thumbnail
    Direct To Garment / Direct to Film Printing from as low as
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Core 365 Core 365 Ladies' Origin Performance Piqué Polo - 78181 78181

  • Core365 Youth Origin Performance Piqué Polo - 88181Y Thumbnail
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Core 365 Core365 Youth Origin Performance Piqué Polo - 88181Y 88181Y

  • Team 365 Men's Zone Performance T-Shirt - TT11 Thumbnail
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Team 365 Team 365 Men's Zone Performance T-Shirt - TT11 TT11

  • Team 365 Ladies' Zone Performance T-Shirt - TT11W Thumbnail
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Team 365 Team 365 Ladies' Zone Performance T-Shirt - TT11W TT11W

  • Team 365 Youth Zone Performance T-Shirt - TT11Y Thumbnail
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Team 365 Team 365 Youth Zone Performance T-Shirt - TT11Y TT11Y

  • Team 365 Men's Sonic Heather Performance T-Shirt - TT11H Thumbnail
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Team 365 Team 365 Men's Sonic Heather Performance T-Shirt - TT11H TT11H

  • Team 365 Ladies' Sonic Heather Performance T-Shirt - TT11HW Thumbnail
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Team 365 Team 365 Ladies' Sonic Heather Performance T-Shirt - TT11HW TT11HW

  • Team 365 Youth Sonic Heather Performance T-Shirt - TT11HY Thumbnail
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Team 365 Team 365 Youth Sonic Heather Performance T-Shirt - TT11HY TT11HY

  • Team 365 Men's Zone Performance Long-Sleeve T-Shirt - TT11L Thumbnail
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Team 365 Team 365 Men's Zone Performance Long-Sleeve T-Shirt - TT11L TT11L

  • Team 365 Ladies' Zone Performance Long-Sleeve T-Shirt - TT11WL Thumbnail
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Team 365 Team 365 Ladies' Zone Performance Long-Sleeve T-Shirt - TT11WL TT11WL

  • Team 365 Youth Zone Performance Long-Sleeve T-Shirt - TT11YL Thumbnail
    Embroidery from as low as
    Screen Printing from as low as
    + HST

    Team 365 Team 365 Youth Zone Performance Long-Sleeve T-Shirt - TT11YL TT11YL

DTG DTF Comparison on Black T-Shirt

DTG

DTG on black tshirt

DTF

DTF on black tshirt

DTG vs. DTF: How to Choose

Here’s a quick cheat sheet:

Choose DTG if you want soft prints with fine detail on light-colored cotton shirts.

Choose DTF if you need bold designs on darker or synthetic garments, especially for bulk.

Both options work great for small businesses, school gear, music merch, and promotional tees in Toronto — it really just depends on your design and fabric choice.

Pricing: DTG vs. DTF

In general:

DTG can be more cost-effective for low-volume or highly detailed orders.

DTF is usually more budget-friendly for bulk orders or when printing on synthetic fabrics.

For both methods, final pricing depends on:

Quantity

Number of print locations

Artwork complexity and size

Garment type (cotton, poly, etc.)

DTG print on dark t-shirt
DTG print on white t-shirt

Submitting Your Artwork for DTF and DTG

To get the best results:

Send vector files (.AI, .EPS, .PDF) or high-res PNGs with transparent backgrounds

Make sure your files are at least 300 DPI

Convert fonts to outlines or include the font files

Need help? Our team can assist with setup and optimization for either DTG or DTF printing!

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to custom t-shirt printing in Toronto. Whether you go with DTG for its soft, detailed feel or DTF for vibrant, durable prints on any fabric, you’re in good hands.

Still not sure which to choose? Reach out to us and we’ll guide you based on your design, quantity, and fabric. We're here to help Toronto businesses, bands, schools, and event planners bring their vision to life with custom apparel!

Other Useful Pages

Link to FAQ page
Link to screen printing information
Link to apparel catalogue
Link to request a quote
Search
Your cart is empty
Search

Select Currency

{CC} - {CN}
Cancel