Screen Print vs DTG for Team T-Shirts: Full Guide
Most teams overspend on custom shirts by choosing the wrong print method. For orders of 24 or more identical shirts, screen printing costs 30–50% less per unit than direct-to-garment (DTG), and the print quality difference on a simple logo is negligible.
This guide breaks down screen printing, DTG, and heat transfer vinyl (HTV) so you can match each method to your order size, design complexity, and budget before you contact a printer.
The Three Main Methods
Screen printing, DTG, and heat transfer vinyl cover the vast majority of custom team shirt orders placed in the UK. Each has a distinct cost structure. Screen printing amortises a fixed setup cost across volume, so the per-shirt price falls sharply as quantity rises. DTG charges a flat per-shirt rate regardless of how many you order. HTV suits small runs where speed and low equipment cost matter more than the finished result's longevity.
Sublimation printing is a fourth method. It bonds dye directly into polyester fibres, producing a result that cannot crack or peel. It is the standard process for football kits and cycling jerseys. For cotton event shirts and team tees, the three methods above cover almost every situation.
Screen Printing
Screen printing forces ink through a fine mesh stencil onto the fabric. Each colour in the design requires its own screen. Setup runs roughly £15–£30 per colour per screen. Once those screens exist, the per-shirt cost drops fast with volume.
At 50 shirts with a two-colour design, expect £4–£6 per shirt including setup. At 100 shirts, that figure often falls below £4. A 250-unit corporate event run can reach £2.50–£3.50 per shirt. The numbers work decisively in favour of screen printing once you pass 24 units on a consistent design.
Screen printing suits sports teams with 24 or more players, corporate event giveaways, charity fun runs, and any order where the design has one to three colours. It is not the right choice for gradients or photographic artwork, or for orders under 12 shirts where the setup cost cannot be spread across enough units.
The Gildan Heavy Cotton T-Shirt bulk pack is the most widely used base shirt in UK screen printing. Its consistent 185 g/m² weight produces repeatable ink absorption across a full run, and it comes in more than 50 colours. Most trade printers stock it as their default blank.
DTG (Direct-to-Garment)
DTG works like a precision inkjet printer adapted for fabric. Water-based inks spray directly onto the shirt surface through a converted industrial print head. There are no screens and no per-colour setup fees. A 12-colour design costs the same to set up as a 2-colour one.
The trade-off is per-shirt price. Expect £8–£20 per shirt for a full-colour chest print at small quantities. Volume discounts exist but are shallower than screen printing, because there are no screens to amortise.
DTG suits runs of 1–15 shirts, photographic artwork, designs with gradients or many colours, and personalised orders where each shirt needs a different name or number. It does not suit dark-coloured polyester fabrics, nor high-volume identical runs where cost is the main consideration.
On dark shirts, DTG requires a white underbase layer before the colour inks. That adds cost and can reduce vibrancy slightly. On mid-tone or light shirts, the results are excellent and the print edges are sharp enough to satisfy most clients.
Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)
HTV uses a cutting machine to shape coloured vinyl film into the desired design, which is then heat-pressed onto the fabric. There is no ink. The vinyl layer bonds to the shirt surface under heat and pressure.
Material cost per shirt depends on design size and colour count. Simple text-and-number designs for a small sports club might cost £2–£5 per shirt in vinyl materials. The equipment investment is modest: an entry-level Cricut cutter handles the cutting step, and a basic heat press starts around £80.
HTV suits club kits with simple text and player numbers, runs of 5–20 shirts, and situations where a team coordinator is doing the production themselves. It does not suit fine detail, complex multi-colour artwork, or shirts that will go through heavy regular washing. Vinyl tends to crack or peel after 30–50 machine washes if not heat-pressed at the correct temperature and dwell time.
For clubs exploring HTV, the Siser EasyWeed Heat Transfer Vinyl is a reliable starting point. It cuts cleanly, weeds quickly, and adheres consistently to cotton and poly-cotton blends.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Method | Min. qty | Per shirt at 50 units | Design complexity | Wash durability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen printing | 12–24 | £4–£6 | 1–3 colours | Excellent (50–100+ washes) |
| DTG | 1 | £10–£18 | Unlimited | Good on 100% cotton |
| HTV | 1 | £3–£8 | Low to medium | Moderate (30–50 washes) |
Fabric and Print Method Are Linked
Print method and fabric are not independent choices. DTG requires at least 80% cotton content. Below that threshold, the water-based inks cannot absorb into the fibres properly and the print fades within a dozen washes. If your team is wearing a 100% polyester performance kit, DTG is off the table.
Screen printing handles cotton, cotton-poly blends, and 100% polyester without issue, though printing on polyester with plastisol inks can cause dye migration on some dark fabric colours. HTV bonds to virtually any fabric, including synthetics, which is one reason it appears frequently on football training tops.
What to Tell Your Printer Before Requesting a Quote
Arrive at the quote stage with four things confirmed: your total quantity and size breakdown (the S/M/L/XL split), your artwork as a vector file (AI, EPS, or SVG) or a high-resolution PNG at 300 DPI minimum, the number of print colours, and your chosen shirt colour.
Shirt colour affects final cost more than most buyers anticipate. Printing a light design on a dark shirt requires an underbase layer in both screen printing and DTG, adding £0.50–£2 per shirt. Mid-tone shirts with dark inks avoid that cost entirely. For budget-sensitive event runs, a mid-tone shirt and a one-to-two colour design is the lowest-cost combination that still looks professional.
The Fruit of the Loom Valueweight T-Shirt is a practical choice for ordering a small sizing sample pack before committing to a full run. Its consistent cut across sizes means the sample results translate reliably to a 100-unit order, so you avoid the cost of reshipping incorrectly sized stock.
FAQ
What is the minimum order quantity for custom screen printing in the UK?
Most UK printers set a minimum of 12–24 shirts for screen printing. Below that threshold, setup costs push the per-shirt price above DTG rates, removing the main economic advantage of the method.
Can I have different names or numbers on each shirt with screen printing?
Not efficiently at scale. Screen printing uses fixed stencils, so variable personalisation requires a separate process. Many printers offer hybrid runs: screen print the main design, then add individual names or numbers via DTG or HTV at a small extra charge per shirt.
How many washes do custom-printed t-shirts survive?
Screen-printed shirts typically last 50–100 cold washes before noticeable fading, assuming no tumble drying and washing inside-out. DTG on quality 100% cotton performs similarly. HTV prints tend to crack or peel after 30–50 washes if the vinyl was heat-pressed at incorrect temperature or pressure settings.
What file format should I send to the printer?
Vector files (AI, EPS, SVG) are ideal because they scale without quality loss at any print size. A high-resolution PNG at 300 DPI is acceptable. Avoid JPEG for logos: JPEG compression introduces artefacts around text edges and sharp colour transitions that become visible in the final print.
Is screen printing or DTG better for a charity fun run with 60 shirts?
At 60 identical shirts with a two-colour design, screen printing will cost 35–50% less per shirt than DTG. DTG makes sense at that quantity only if the design uses many colours or if individual personalisation is required on each shirt, such as runner names.
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