DTF or DTG: price, finish and durability compared

DTF or DTG: price, finish and durability compared

DTF or DTG? On a light cotton t-shirt ordered in a run of around ten, DTG costs the least and gives the softest feel. On a dark garment, on polyester, on a cap or from around fifty units, DTF becomes the cheapest, and its price keeps falling as the quantity grows.

The essentials in 4 points:

• DTG prints the ink straight into the fibre of a cotton garment; DTF heat-transfers a design printed on film, which holds on almost any fabric, cotton and polyester alike.
• On a light t-shirt, DTG is the cheapest at 10 units; from 50, DTF catches up, then pulls ahead: around €2 against €3 for a small logo at 100 units (our prices for the marking alone, excluding VAT, subject to change: as checked on 1 October 2026, for guidance only).
• On a dark garment, DTG costs more than twice as much as on a light one in small runs, whereas the price of DTF does not depend on the garment colour.
• Our technique pages give both the same durability in the wash, very good; DTF is ordered online, DTG on quotation, from 10 units for either.

A club orders 50 black custom t-shirts with a logo on the chest. An association orders 10 white t-shirts with a large photo on the front. Both want a full-colour digital print for their merch, and yet the right technique is not the same: the club will pay less than half as much for its marking in DTF, the association much less for its own in DTG.

So the choice is not about which technique has the better reputation, but about four criteria: the garment colour, its fabric, the quantity and the size of the design. Here is how each one tips the balance, with our price grids to back it up.

Into the fibre or onto the fibre: the difference in one sentence

DTG prints the ink straight into the fibre of the garment; DTF first prints the design on a film, then heat-transfers it onto the fabric, where it forms a thin, flexible layer. Everything else follows from that: DTG becomes one with the cotton, DTF grips almost any fabric. Our guides to DTG printing and DTF printing cover each process in detail; here, we put them side by side on a real order.

The price of DTF and DTG: our grids at 10, 50 and 100 units

On a light garment, DTG is the cheapest at 10 units and DTF from 50; on a dark garment, DTF is the cheapest at every quantity. The price of the marking depends on the technique, the size of the design and, for DTG only, the colour of the garment. Here are our prices for the marking alone, excluding VAT, per unit, rounded to the nearest half-euro: as checked on 1 October 2026 on our DTG printing and DTF printing pages, given as a guide, with prices that may change. The garment price is added on top.

A chest logo (A6 format, the smallest in our grids)

A large design on the front or back (A4 format)

At 50 units, DTF beats DTG by only a few cents on the large light design, but clearly on the small logo. Beyond 100, the gap widens further: the price of DTG stops moving, while that of DTF keeps falling, down to around €1.50 for the small logo at 1,000 units.

Light or dark garment: what changes the price of DTG

On a dark garment, DTG costs more than twice as much as on a light one in small runs: around €8.50 against €4 for a chest logo at 10 units (our prices excluding VAT, 1 October 2026). The gap comes from the process: on black or navy, DTG must first lay down a white underbase for the colours to stand out, as our guide to DTG printing explains. It narrows with quantity without disappearing: around €4 against €3 at 100 units.

DTF, for its part, is prepared entirely on its film before being transferred: the colour of the garment changes nothing in its price. For a club in black or an association in navy, this is often the deciding point. Garment colour also weighs on other techniques, such as screen printing: our article on sweatshirt colour puts figures on it.

Cotton, polyester, caps: the garments compatible with DTF and DTG

DTG is reserved for fabrics that are mostly cotton, while DTF goes on cotton as well as polyester and blends. In our catalogue, 1,108 items accept DTG, almost all of them t-shirts, sweatshirts, polo shirts and shirts; 2,227 accept DTF, including 408 caps and 474 bags.

For a polyester sports t-shirt, the question does not even arise: it will be DTF. For a cap or a bag, almost always too. The choice only really comes into play on cotton garments, where both techniques are possible.

Finish and feel of DTF and DTG

DTG offers the most discreet feel on light cotton, DTF very sharp edges on almost any fabric; both print in unlimited colours, photos and gradients included. With DTG, the ink goes into the fibre: the feel is almost nil and the result comes closest to a photo. With DTF, the design forms a thin, flexible layer with fine details, but a slightly filmy feel on large solid areas.

On a chest logo, the difference is barely noticeable. On a design that covers the whole back of a light t-shirt, DTG stays the most discreet under the hand.

Durability of DTF and DTG in the wash

DTF and DTG hold up equally well in the wash: our technique pages give them the same rating, very good. This criterion does not separate them. To see how they compare with screen printing and embroidery, our overview of marking techniques ranks them on this point too.

DTF or DTG: the choice depending on your order

The four criteria come down to six cases:

• Light cotton t-shirts, around ten units, a photo or a large design: DTG, cheaper and softer to the touch.
• Black, navy, forest green or other dark-coloured garments: DTF, cheaper at every quantity.
• A polyester fabric: DTF, since DTG is reserved for fabrics that are mostly cotton.
• A cap or a bag: DTF too, in almost every case.
• Fifty units or more: DTF, cheaper from that tier, and its price keeps falling beyond 100, while that of DTG stops moving.
• A one-colour logo, in a run: also look at screen printing, often the most economical from 50 units.

Back to our two orders. On our grids excluding VAT of 1 October 2026, the club and its 50 black t-shirts pay around €2.50 for the chest logo in DTF, against €5.50 in DTG. The association and its 10 white t-shirts pay around €4.50 for the large photo in DTG, against €7.50 in DTF.

DTF online, DTG on quotation

The two techniques are not ordered the same way with us. DTF is ordered directly online: choose the garment, place your design, and the price is shown for every quantity, from 10 units. DTG is priced on quotation: describe the project and the quantity, and the proposal arrives within 24 working hours.

To decide without risk, start with the designer: it is free to use, and you only pay when you order. Place your logo in it, it suggests the marking technique based on your design and the quantity, and you judge the result on the garment before spending a cent.

Key takeaways

• DTG prints into the cotton fibre; DTF transfers a thin printed layer from a film, which holds on almost any fabric.
• On a light cotton garment, DTG is the cheapest at 10 units; DTF catches up at 50 and pulls ahead after that.
• On a dark garment, DTF is cheaper at every quantity.
• Polyester, caps, bags: DTF.
• Feel: DTG is the most discreet on light cotton, DTF slightly filmy on large solid areas.
• Durability in the wash: very good for both, according to our technique pages.