DTF vs screen print: which one for your Reno order?
Two good ways to put a design on a shirt. One is cheaper at 48 and up with flat colors; the other has no setup and prints photos. Battle Born Clothing does both, screen print in our own shop and DTF transfers from a Carson City partner pressed in our shop, so we do not have a side to argue.
The short version
| Your job | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 48+ shirts, 1-3 flat colors | Screen print | $4.34 per location at 48; screens amortize |
| 1-47 shirts | DTF | No screens, no minimum; quoted per job |
| Photo, gradient, 4+ colors | DTF | Full color in one pass |
| Soft vintage hand on cotton | Screen print (water-based or discharge) | Ink in the fiber, not on it |
| Dark polyester, mixed fabrics | DTF or plastisol | Discharge will not work on poly |
| Names or numbers on 15 shirts | DTF | Each one is its own transfer |
| A uniform logo that should last years | Embroidery | See the embroidery page |
How screen printing works and what it costs
Each ink color gets its own screen, a mesh stencil we burn from your separated artwork. The press lays one color at a time, we flash between colors on dark shirts, and the shirt goes through a conveyor dryer to cure. The setup is the cost: $20 per screen per color. The print itself is $4.34 per location per piece at 48 pieces, plus $0.25 flash on darks. On a $6.04 PC61 that is $10.63 all-in for a 1-color front and $15.22 for front and back. Other quantities and color counts are quoted per job.
How DTF works and what it costs
The design is printed in full color onto a film with a white backing layer and a hot-melt adhesive powder. Our partner in Carson City produces the transfers; we press them in our shop on a commercial heat press. There is no screen and no color count. Price is driven by the size of the print and the number of pieces, so DTF is quoted per job. Under 48 pieces it is usually the cheaper route; at 1 piece it is the only sensible one.
Feel and durability
- Plastisol screen print: sits on the fabric, bright, very durable when cured right. The standard for crew and event shirts.
- Water-based / discharge screen print: soaks in, no hand, best on 100% cotton. The merch feel.
- DTF: sits on the fabric like a thin plastisol print, stretches with the shirt, washable. Large solid areas feel heavier than a discharge print would.
Fabric
Plastisol and DTF print on cotton, blends, tri-blends and polyester. Water-based and discharge inks need 100% cotton; discharge also needs a dye that discharges, which most Comfort Colors and PC61 colors do and most heathers do not. Polyester performance tees like the Sport-Tek ST350 can bleed dye into a print; we use the right plastisol or DTF to block it.
The 48-piece line, with numbers
| Count | Screen print | DTF |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Quoted per job; $20 screen over 12 shirts | Quoted per job; usually lower |
| 24 | Quoted per job | Quoted per job; often close |
| 48 | $10.63 + $20 screen | Quoted per job; usually higher |
| 144 | Quoted per job; lower than 48 | Quoted per job; higher than screen print |
If your count is between 24 and 60 and the art is 1 or 2 colors, ask for both prices on the quote form. We will give you both and say which we would pick.
Questions
Can I mix DTF and screen print in one order?
Yes. For example, 48 screen-printed event tees plus 6 full-color staff shirts via DTF.
Which lasts longer?
A properly cured plastisol print generally outlasts a DTF transfer, and both outlast most shirts. Wash inside out, cold, no high heat.
Does DTF have a minimum?
No. Screen print has no hard minimum either; we recommend 48 and up because of the screens.