Custom T-shirts - testing out different printing options

I ordered some samples from a T-shirt printing company recently because I was curious about their different options for print-on-demand apparel.

I thought you might be interested to see these options and vote on what you prefer! In all these photos, they are exactly the same t-shirt (cotton, navy blue) using the exactly the same dog design, the Podenco Andaluz which is in my next book. 

Embroidered designs

• Pros: lovely tactile quality. Bright colors. So cool.
• Cons: There is a limited color palette that I can choose from so if there are lots of colors in a design, this will be hard to do. I will have to swap out colors for what is available. The embroidered image is small, so this is not so good for detailed designs.

I will be testing this option for custom beanies and bucket hats.

DTF (Direct-to-film) printing

• Pros: Super sharp image quality. The printed area is smooth to touch, has a slight plastic sheen, and does not crinkle with the fabric because it sits on top of the fabric like a sticker. DTF works well with a variety of fabrics - natural and synthetic, and does justice to detailed artwork.
• Cons: The printed area feels stiff against bare skin. T-shirt feels a bit heavier because of the printed film. Not comfortable for large images.

DTG (Direct-to-garment) printing

• Pros: Inks are printed right into the fabric so the image is soft and flexible against skin. DTG works well with cotton/cotton-blend fabrics. Least expensive, quicker option that uses less ink. 
• Cons: Printed image feels a bit rough; and the colors may shift slightly depending on the t-shirt color that the image is printed on.

In case you didn't know, I take orders for custom t-shirts. The printed design could be a custom drawing of your dog/cat/other animal (please order this first) or any existing design you see in my shop. Your t-shirt will be printed using the DTG process.  CLICK HERE to order a t-shirt!

These three Podenco sample t-shirts are also available for purchase. They are all unisex small, and I have only one of each (embroidered, DTF, DTG) so it's first come first serve. $25 + $5 shipping within the USA. Contact me here if interested.

 - Lili