Screen printing and DTF (direct-to-film) transfers are both legitimate ways to put a design on a shirt, and shops that only offer one will tell you theirs is always the answer. We run both, so here is the honest version: quantity and design decide, not loyalty to a process.
Not sure which process fits your job?
We run both in-house. Send the design and quantity and we will quote it both ways with a straight recommendation – same business day.
The 30-second answer
Bulk orders of one design in a few ink colors: screen printing, no contest – the per-piece price drops steeply with volume and nothing matches cured plastisol for durability. Small runs, tiny quantities per design, full-color art, or dozens of names and numbers: DTF, because it has no screens to burn and every impression costs the same.
Where the costs actually cross
| Factor | Screen printing | DTF |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Screens per color/location (we charge no setup fees, but setup is real work – which is why minimums exist) | None – print the film, press the shirt |
| Per-piece at volume | Drops steeply – hundreds of pieces get dramatically cheaper | Roughly flat at every quantity |
| Color count | Each color adds a screen; photorealistic needs simulated process | Unlimited color at no extra cost |
| Feel & durability | Ink bonds into the fabric; softest hand and the longest wash life | A thin film layer on top; good modern DTF wears well but sits on the shirt |
| Per-piece personalization | Impractical – each change is a new screen | Trivial – names, numbers, variants |
The crossover sits around a few dozen pieces per design. Below roughly 24 pieces, screens are not worth burning and DTF wins on price. Above it, screen printing pulls ahead fast – and by a few hundred pieces it is not close.
The cases people get wrong
A 500-piece run of a full-color photographic design sounds like DTF, but at that volume simulated process screen printing is usually cheaper per piece and feels better on the shirt. A 50-piece run across 4 designs sounds like screen printing, but it is really four 12-piece jobs – DTF. Performance polyester tilts toward DTF at small quantities because it sidesteps dye migration; at volume we screen print it with low-bleed underbases instead. And team uniforms with names and numbers are the classic hybrid: screen print the shared front, DTF the personalization.
For resellers: quote both, sell the right one
If you broker printing, the both-ways quote is your margin protector – a job quoted only as screen printing loses to DTF pricing under 30 pieces, and a job quoted only as DTF gets crushed on price at 300. On contract work we will quote both routes on request, and our guide to how contract printing works covers where each process fits a supply chain.
Frequently asked questions
Is DTF cheaper than screen printing?
Below roughly 24 pieces per design, usually yes. Above that, screen printing gets cheaper per piece with every volume break, and at hundreds of pieces it is dramatically cheaper.
Does DTF last as long as screen printing?
Modern DTF survives 50+ washes when pressed correctly, but plastisol screen printing remains the durability benchmark – the ink is bonded into the fabric rather than sitting on it.
Which feels softer on the shirt?
Screen printing, especially with soft-hand or water-based approaches. DTF is a thin film and always has some hand to it, most noticeable on large solid designs.
Can one order combine both processes?
Yes – the common pattern is screen printing the shared design and DTF for names, numbers or small per-piece variations.
What is the minimum for each?
Screen printing has a 24-piece minimum. DTF has no practical minimum, which is exactly what it is for.
Get it quoted both ways
Send the design and quantity – we will price both processes and tell you which we would pick and why.