DTG — Direct to Garment — for short runs with photographic artwork
Direct-to-garment printing (DTG) deposits UV-cured pigment ink on cotton fibre, which lets us reproduce images with the colour richness of a plotter but the texture of a textile print. It is the technique to reach for when the run is short — one to a hundred pieces —, when each garment carries different artwork or variable data such as the employee's name, and when the design includes photography, gradients or more than six colours that screen printing would price as an extra screen per ink.
When DTG beats the alternatives
DTG shines when the run is short and the garment is 100% cotton — pigment ink bonds to the natural fibre and the finished print carries the same drape as the unprinted tee. For runs of 1 to 25 pieces with complex artwork, DTG is almost always the most cost-effective option: no screen to burn, no film to print, no press to calibrate. Preparation reduces to loading the file and picking the right colour profile for the garment base.
When the run grows to 50 or 100 pieces and the design uses flat colours with clean vectors, it pays to step up to screen printing or DTF, which drop the unit cost. For runs with variable data — each tee with a different name — DTG stays competitive even at 300 pieces because the bottleneck stops being the technique and becomes the merge workflow with the client's HR roster.
Applications where DTG outperforms the rest
Personalised onboarding kits
Apparel with the new hire's name, their department and start date. We handle the merge from a client CSV or from an exported HR roster. Each tee comes off with its own individual data without the operator touching it piece by piece.
Capsule series and numbered drops
Limited editions for brand activations, numbered drops for corporate streetwear, one-off events where each tee carries a consecutive number. DTG makes numbering possible without investing in a separate system.
Samples and proof-of-concept runs
Before committing to a large screen-print run, pulling a sample on DTG validates size, placement and colour on the actual garment. Useful when the client is still refining the artwork and needs to see the physical result.
Personalised gifts by name
For year-end gifts, anniversary milestones or internal recognition, DTG lets each piece carry the recipient's name without driving up the cost for the personalisation step.
How we prepare artwork for DTG
The artwork file should be PNG or TIFF at a minimum of 200 DPI at the actual print size, with an sRGB or Adobe RGB colour profile. We run Kornit Atlas and Epson F2200 machines capable of 1,200 DPI, so a well-prepared file reproduces with photographic detail. Small text (under 8 points) and hairlines get thickened in pre-press so the ink does not bleed into the fibre.
Pre-treatment is where DTG quality is won. The garment receives a uniform layer of liquid pre-treatment that primes the fibre for the pigment ink — over white or light-coloured cotton we use the standard formula, over dark colours we intensify it because the white underbase needs to neutralise the background. Uneven pre-treatment shows up as a mottled print; that is why we run an automated pre-treatment station with a calibrated roller, not a hand spray.
Lead times, MOQ and after-care
The MOQ for DTG is one piece — useful for samples, individual gifts and proof runs. The price structure is per piece based on print size, number of colour passes (where high coverage is needed) and volume. Runs of 1 to 25 pieces are quoted individually; from 25 pieces upward the volume discount applies.
Cure: the pigment ink is fixed with UV heat during the print and reinforced with a heat-press pass at 180 °C. The result withstands domestic washing at 40 °C with mild detergent; bleach and dry cleaning are not recommended. The quote ships with a written care guide for recipients. We quote in MXN ex-IVA; the 16% IVA is itemised on a CFDI 4.0 stamped by SAT against your RFC.
FAQ — DTG printing in Mexico
What is the MOQ for DTG?
One piece. For samples and individual gifts there is no cost-effective minimum to meet; for runs the volume discount starts to bite from 25 pieces upward.
Does it work on coloured garments?
Yes — the pre-treatment and the white underbase ink prepare the surface. On black, navy and burgundy the result looks excellent; on very saturated colours (red, magenta) some contrast may drop.
Can you handle variable data such as employee names?
Yes — we accept a CSV with name, department, date or any field you want to print and generate the per-garment file. Useful for onboarding, recognition and personalised gifts.
How durable is a DTG print?
Properly cured, it survives more than 30 home wash cycles at 40 °C. The recommendation is to wash inside-out, no bleach, tumble-dry at medium heat. Industrial-wash uniforms are evaluated case by case.
What cotton type works best?
100% ringspun combed cotton at 180 to 220 GSM is the ideal surface. Polyester blends do not take the ink as well; for those we recommend DTF instead.
Request a DTG quote
Send us quantity, garment colour and type, a description of the artwork and whether you need variable data per name. If you already have a PNG or TIFF at good resolution, attach it; if not, we will talk through the desired result and walk you through pre-press.
Corp-Merch.MX is an independent apparel printing and corporate merch workshop. We are not a partner, sponsor or official supplier of the textile brands, trade shows, venues or events referenced on this page. Trademarks and brand names belong to their respective owners and are mentioned solely for descriptive purposes to identify the production context.