If you’ve ever tried to order custom shirts and found yourself staring at a quote sheet wondering what “DTG” even means — you’re not alone. After 20 years at Jersey Ink, I answer this question almost every single day. And while Google will give you a lot of generic comparisons, I want to give you the real answer: the one I’d give you if you were standing in our shop.
Here’s my honest breakdown of screen printing, heat transfers, and DTG — what each one is good for, where each one falls short, and how to figure out which one is right for your order.
A Little History (and a Lot of Experience)
Screen printing has actually been around for over 1,000 years. At Jersey Ink, it has been our bread and butter for the past two decades, and for good reason — it’s durable, cost-effective at quantity, and the results are stunning.
Heat transfers entered our world about ten years ago, and I’ll be honest: we weren’t fans at first. When we printed them in-house back then, they were thick — and not good. Doing a full front heat transfer in the summer was practically cruel to whoever was wearing the shirt. We sold them here and there, but we weren’t enthusiastic about them.
Fast forward to today? I’m a genuine fan. The technology has completely transformed. Transfers are thinner, the quality is exceptional, the finishes look incredible, and the pricing has gotten very reasonable because so many vendors are now printing them. Heat transfers have earned their place in our shop, and our customers love them.
DTG (Direct-to-Garment) is the third option, and honestly, it’s the one we use the least. We offer it, but we outsource it to a partner. We sell DTG a handful times a year. It has its place, but for most of our customers, heat transfers have filled the same role — and then some.
The Big Misconception About Pricing
Here’s something almost every customer gets wrong, and I want to clear it up right now.
With screen printing, the size of your print does not change the price. A small front left chest logo in one color costs the same as a full-front print in the same color. Why? Because screen printing pricing is based on the number of colors and screens, not the physical dimensions of the artwork. So when you choose screen printing, you’re essentially getting more coverage for your money — a full 12″ × 15″ print for the same cost as a 3″ chest hit.
With heat transfers, size absolutely matters. A small front left chest transfer runs about $5 per piece. A full-front 12″ × 15″ transfer will cost more per piece. Same goes for DTG — the larger the print area, the higher the cost.
This is one of the biggest reasons screen printing often wins on value for larger print areas.
How Durability Compares
Let me give you the honest truth on how each method holds up over time.
Screen printing is, in my opinion, the gold standard for durability. I always say screen printing will be on the shirt until the grave. The ink bonds directly into the fabric. Eventually, after years of washing and stretching, the ink will show natural wear — but that’s true of any garment. For long-term use, nothing beats it.
Heat transfers are excellent with proper care. We guarantee our transfers up to 50 washes, and in reality, we almost never hear complaints beyond that. The key is laundry habits — high-chemical detergents can break down a transfer faster. Wash inside-out in cold water, and your transfer will look great for years.
DTG has a beautiful quality to it, but it will develop a vintage, washed-out look over time because the ink sits differently in the fibers. For some customers, that’s actually the look they’re going for. For others who want a crisp, lasting print, it’s something to be aware of.
The Right Method for the Right Customer
After 20 years, I’ve noticed some clear patterns in who gravitates toward what:
Screen printing is what most of our customers ask for — small businesses, sports teams, corporations, schools. It’s the reliable workhorse for bulk orders with clean, bold designs. When customers have a one-, two-, or three-color logo and they need 24 or more pieces, screen printing is almost always the answer.
Heat transfers are the go-to when someone needs full color, high detail, or smaller quantities. If a design has a gradient, a complex illustrated element, or dozens of colors, a heat transfer can reproduce it perfectly without the alignment challenges that come with separating colors for screens. We also recommend heat transfers when someone needs fewer than 24 pieces — our minimum for screen printing.
DTG tends to attract customers looking for a specific look — something more vintage or artistic, or occasionally a very unique one-off piece. It has that old-school concert tee feeling that some people specifically love.
Understanding Minimums
This is straightforward, but worth knowing before you call:
Screen printing minimum: 24 pieces. And for each additional color in your design, the minimum increases by one dozen:
- 2 colors = 24-piece minimum
- 3 colors = 36-piece minimum
- 4 colors = 48-piece minimum
- And so on
Heat transfers and DTG: no minimums. Need 6 shirts? No problem. Need 1? We can do it. This flexibility is a huge reason heat transfers have become such an important part of what we offer.
A Real-World Pricing Example
Let me put real numbers to this so you can see how the methods actually compare.
Take a Gildan Softstyle tee with a 12″ × 15″ two-color full-front design at a quantity of 45 shirts. When you price out screen printing versus a full-front heat transfer for the exact same shirt and design, screen printing comes in roughly $5.00 less per shirt — that’s a meaningful difference when you’re ordering dozens of pieces.
But here’s where it flips: if you only need a small left chest logo rather than a full-front print, a heat transfer drops to about $10.25 per shirt — which can actually be more competitive than screen printing depending on your design and color count.
This is exactly why print size matters so much when comparing the two methods. Screen printing charges the same whether your design is 3 inches or 15 inches. Heat transfers scale with size. So a large, full-coverage design almost always favors screen printing on price, while a small, simple logo or a highly detailed full-color design may favor heat transfers.
The method that wins on price depends on what you’re printing, how big it is, and how many pieces you need. That’s why I always price out both options and let customers decide.
Turnaround Time
All three methods run on roughly a three-week turnaround in our shop. That said:
- Screen printing is booked out two to three weeks because our press stays full. Rush orders are possible but have to be approved based on the production schedule.
- Heat transfers can sometimes be pushed up a little more easily, since they’re done as orders come in rather than on a dedicated press schedule.
- DTG is a three-week turnaround, but can be rushed.
If you have a deadline, tell us upfront. We’ll always do our best to accommodate — but we’d rather know on day one than day twelve.
What I Wish Every Customer Knew
Two things:
First — come in (or reach out) with a clear vision of what you want your shirt to look like. The more you can tell me about your design, your shirt color, and how many pieces you need, the faster I can steer you in the right direction and price out the best options.
Second — if you’ve written off heat transfers because you had a bad experience years ago, give them another chance. The thick, peeling transfers of ten years ago are not what you’ll get today. The quality is genuinely great, the finishes are polished, and customers love them. I was skeptical too — and now I recommend them confidently every day.
My Final Advice
If you’re still not sure which method is right for you, here’s what I tell every customer:
Tell me everything — your design, how many colors, your shirt colors, the style of shirt you’re thinking, and your quantity range. I’ll price out both screen printing and heat transfers, and we’ll figure it out together. I’ve been doing this for 20 years. I’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, and what will make your shirts look exactly the way you’re picturing them. That experience is here for you.
That’s the Jersey Ink difference. We’re not just taking an order — we’re helping you get the right product for your needs, your budget, and your brand.
Ready to get started? Contact us and let’s talk through your project.
Jersey Ink has been a custom apparel shop for over 20 years, specializing in screen printing, heat transfers, and embroidery for businesses, sports teams, schools, and organizations.