Silkscreen vs DTF printing for corporate apparel decoration in Tbilisi

Name: Merch.com.ge
Address: GE

When silkscreen is the right answer for high-volume apparel decoration, and when DTF (direct-to-film) heat transfer is the right answer for short-run, multi-colour or photographic-quality artwork on apparel.

Pick the print process Corporate polo

What the two processes do

Silkscreen (also called screen print) pushes ink through a mesh screen onto the fabric. The screen is a fine mesh stretched on a frame; the artwork is transferred to the mesh as a stencil (the open areas allow ink through, the closed areas block ink); the screen is mounted on a press; ink is pushed through the open areas onto the fabric below. Each colour in the artwork requires a separate screen; the screens are registered to each other and the ink is cured after printing.

DTF (direct-to-film) prints the artwork onto a special PET film using a digital inkjet printer, then transfers the printed image from the film onto the garment using a heat press. The artwork is printed as a mirror image on the film with a white underbase; the powder adhesive is applied to the wet ink; the film is heat-pressed onto the garment; the film is peeled away, leaving the image bonded to the fabric. The process handles full-colour and photographic-quality artwork in a single transfer.

Each process has a sweet spot. Silkscreen is the right answer for high-volume, single-colour or limited-colour artwork where the per-unit cost matters. DTF is the right answer for short-run, multi-colour, photographic-quality or one-off personalised artwork where the setup cost matters.

Cost, durability and the break-even volume

Silkscreen cost is dominated by the screen-exposure step. Each screen is a one-time cost of GEL 30 to 80 depending on the screen size and the mesh count; the artwork preparation is a one-time cost per artwork; the run cost is the ink consumption per garment. For a 1-colour print on a 500-unit programme the per-garment decoration cost is roughly GEL 1.50 to 3.00 depending on the artwork size.

DTF cost is dominated by the film and the ink. The film is a per-print cost (typically GEL 0.50 to 2.00 per A4 sheet depending on the size); the ink is a per-print cost based on the artwork coverage; the heat-press step is a per-garment cost of GEL 0.30 to 0.60. For a full-colour A4 print on a 100-unit programme the per-garment decoration cost is roughly GEL 4 to 8.

The break-even between the two depends on the colour count. For a 1-colour print, silkscreen is cheaper above 100 units; for a 4-colour print, silkscreen is cheaper above 400 units; for an 8-colour print, silkscreen is rarely cheaper because the screen cost dominates. For full-colour photographic-quality artwork, silkscreen is not feasible (the colour count is too high) and DTF is the only answer.

Durability differs. Silkscreen is the more durable of the two — the ink is cured into the fabric, the print survives 50+ wash cycles, and the hand-feel is the standard fabric hand-feel (the ink is on the surface, not in the fabric, but is thin enough not to interfere). DTF is durable but the print sits on top of the fabric as a thin transfer film; the hand-feel is slightly rubbery; the print survives 30 to 40 wash cycles without visible degradation.

When each process is the right answer

Silkscreen is the right answer for: high-volume single-colour corporate polos; high-volume 2-colour or 3-colour corporate apparel where the artwork is solid colours; corporate apparel programmes above 200 units per SKU where the colour count is 4 or below; sustainability-mandated programmes that use OEKO-TEX water-based ink.

DTF is the right answer for: short-run programmes (below 100 units per SKU) where the screen-exposure cost cannot be amortised; full-colour photographic-quality artwork; one-off personalised programmes where each unit has a different name or image; multi-colour artwork where the colour count is 5 or above (DTF handles all colours in a single transfer); sample programmes where the buyer needs to see the artwork before committing to a volume run.

For a programme that combines both — for example, a 500-unit corporate polo programme where most polos are 1-colour but 50 units are full-colour personalised for the executive team — the answer is silkscreen for the 450 standard polos and DTF for the 50 personalised polos. We run this configuration frequently for executive welcome kits, board welcome kits, and VIP recipient lists.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper per garment for a 500-unit 1-colour polo programme?

Silkscreen. The per-garment decoration cost is roughly GEL 1.50 to 3.00 versus GEL 3 to 6 for DTF on a single-colour print.

Which supports full-colour photographic-quality artwork?

DTF. Silkscreen requires a separate screen per colour and cannot reproduce photographic-quality images economically.

Which is more durable?

Silkscreen. The ink is cured into the fabric and survives 50+ wash cycles. DTF survives 30 to 40 wash cycles.

Which is OEKO-TEX-certified?

Both. We use OEKO-TEX-certified silkscreen inks (Union Ink Eco, Matsui) and OEKO-TEX-certified DTF films and powders.

Corp-Merch is an independent corporate merchandise producer in Georgia. We are not a partner, sponsor or official supplier of any print equipment vendor, ink supplier, conference, awards body, association or government body named anywhere on merch.com.ge.

Pick the print process

Send the artwork, the volume, the colour count and the substrate. A named production lead will reply within one working day with the recommended process and the per-garment cost.