DTF prints your design onto a film and heat-presses it onto the shirt, so it works on cotton, polyester and blends in any garment colour and sits as a thin layer on top of the fabric. DTG sprays water-based ink straight into the garment, so the print feels like part of the shirt but needs cotton-rich fabric and extra preparation on dark colours.
For an Etsy seller the print method is not a technical footnote. It is what the buyer touches when the parcel opens, it limits which blanks you can offer, and it decides what you can honestly say about feel and washing in the listing. This comparison is for you if you are choosing a production partner, writing care instructions or answering a buyer who asks how the shirt will feel.
How each method works
DTG (direct-to-garment) works like an inkjet printer, spraying water-based ink directly onto the shirt. On light garments the ink goes straight on. Dark garments first need a pretreatment coat and a white ink underbase so the colours show.
DTF (direct-to-film) prints the design onto a special transfer film, coats it with adhesive powder and heat-presses it onto the garment. Because a white ink layer is printed on the film, the same transfer works on any fabric colour without treating the shirt first.
Both suit print on demand. One print provider's comparison notes that DTG and DTF run with no setup fees or minimum orders, which is what lets you sell one shirt at a time. Our explainers on what DTF printing is and when DTG is the better choice cover each method on its own.
DTF and DTG side by side
| Factor | DTF (direct-to-film) | DTG (direct-to-garment) |
|---|---|---|
| How it prints | Printed on film, coated with adhesive powder, heat-pressed | Water-based ink sprayed straight onto the shirt |
| Fabrics | Cotton, polyester, nylon and blends | 100% cotton or high-cotton blends |
| Dark garments | White layer on the film, no shirt pretreatment | Pretreatment coat plus a white underbase |
| Feel | Thin, smooth layer on top, firmer at first | Ink absorbs into the fibres |
| Colour on dark shirts | The film's white layer sits under the design | Can be less vibrant, gradients are tricky |
| Durability (one provider's estimate) | 50 to 100 washes | 50+ washes with proper care |
| Setup fees and minimums | None | None |
The durability figures are one provider's estimates, not guarantees, and real results depend on how the shirt is washed.
Feel, colour and fabric range
The difference a buyer notices first is the hand of the print. With DTG the ink absorbs into the fibers, so the print feels part of the shirt. With DTF there is a thin, smooth layer you can feel on top of the fabric, firmer than DTG until it softens over the first few washes. Another provider describes DTF as having a plastic feel that might be slightly stiff at first, with relatively low breathability. A design with large filled areas puts more film on the shirt than an open line design, so it feels heavier under DTF.
Colour on dark shirts can tip the other way. One provider notes that DTG on black or colourful garments may be less vibrant, and that gradients are tricky to print. Our guide to printing on dark garments explains how the white underbase changes what you see.
Fabric range is where DTF is clearly wider. DTG needs 100% cotton or high-cotton garments and is not recommended for nylon or polyester, because synthetic fibres repel water-based ink. DTF prints on cotton, polyester, nylon and blends alike. That matters more than it sounds, because heather colours are often blends: Gildan's spec sheet lists the heathers of the Gildan 5000 as 50/50 cotton/polyester, while the base fabric is 100% US cotton.
Durability and care
One provider estimates that a DTG print lasts 50+ washes with proper care before the colour fades gradually, and that a DTF print holds up for 50 to 100 washes before fading, cracking or peeling shows. Another provider adds that a DTF print might develop small cracks if the garment is washed in hot water.
Much of a print's life depends on how it is washed, so put care instructions in every listing: wash inside out in cold water, skip the hot dryer and do not iron over the print. Our guide on how to wash and care for DTF printed shirts has wording you can adapt.
What to tell buyers in your listing
Buyers do not need the chemistry, but they should know what will arrive. Say the shirt is printed on demand, describe the print plainly ("a smooth, flexible print that sits on the fabric" for DTF, "ink printed into the cotton" for DTG) and list the care steps. Accuracy protects you as well as the buyer: Etsy Purchase Protection covers a seller when an item matches the listing description and photos but the buyer claims it does not, and it does not cover an item that does not match the description.
Etsy also requires you to disclose your production partner on the listings it helps make. You can show buyers a descriptive title such as "Apparel printer" instead of the partner's name.
How Alomations prints
Apparel in the Alomations catalog is printed with DTF, with sublimation for the products that need it, and production for US orders is in the US. In practice the same method covers a white Gildan 5000, a 50/50 heather and a black Comfort Colors 1717. Products are listed with "from" prices on the catalog page, for example the Gildan 5000 from $6.89 and the Bella+Canvas 3001 from $8.40 as read on October 17, 2026, with shipping quoted separately.
The file matters as much as the method. Every design Alomations produces comes back print-ready at 12 inches and 300 DPI (3,600 pixels on the long side), as a transparent PNG with an SVG alongside. Transparency is not optional for shirts: one print provider warns that JPEG does not support transparency, so transparent areas can print as white. Alomations also makes a light and a dark version of each design and assigns one to each garment colour by tone rules, which you can override. Our guide to print file requirements covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Is DTF or DTG better for Etsy t-shirts?
Neither wins everywhere. DTF covers more fabrics and every garment colour with the same process, while DTG gives a print that feels part of the shirt on cotton. Choose by the blanks you sell and the feel your buyer expects.
Does DTF printing crack?
It can if it is washed badly. One provider says a DTF print might develop small cracks when washed in hot water, and another estimates 50 to 100 washes before fading, cracking or peeling shows. Clear care instructions help.
Can DTG print on polyester?
One print provider does not recommend DTG for nylon or polyester, because synthetic fibres repel water-based ink. For polyester and many blends, DTF is the more practical route.
What file do I need for DTF or DTG?
A transparent PNG sized to the real print dimensions. One provider recommends 300 DPI for JPEG and PNG files, and another advises sizing the file to the actual print dimensions so the DPI is calculated correctly.
Try the free plan to make a print-ready file and list it on a DTF-printed catalog shirt.