DTG Printing (Direct to Garment)

DTG (Direct to Garment) prints ink directly onto fabric — much like an inkjet printer on paper — using textile-specific ink that is then heat-cured to fix it in place. Startee uses ink certified to the OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT standard, safe on skin and suitable for children’s wear.

Why choose DTG

• No limit on the number of colors in a design — ideal for photographs, gradients and highly detailed artwork.
• No screen or plate setup required, so it stays cost-effective even for a single piece.
• Water-based ink that’s safe on skin, suitable for children’s t-shirts and other garments worn close to the body.
• A soft print that sits into the fabric fibers rather than a thick layer of ink sitting on top.

Limitations to know

• Works best on cotton or high-cotton-blend fabric — on 100% polyester the color will not print accurately.
• Per-piece cost doesn’t drop as much with volume as screen printing does — for a few hundred pieces of one design, screen printing is usually cheaper.
• On dark fabric, a white pre-treatment base layer is needed before printing to get accurate color.

DTG printing in Vietnam: what we run

Startee’s DTG orders are printed on a Brother GTX — a dedicated direct-to-garment machine — with Innobella ink certified to OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT, at a partner workshop in Startee’s Hanoi production network. There is no minimum order, so DTG is cost-effective from a single piece, and small runs typically finish in 3–5 working days. On dark cotton we apply a white pre-treatment base so colors stay accurate.

What we need to quote your order

• Artwork — a PNG with a transparent background at 300 dpi or higher, or a vector file (AI/PDF), sized to the real print area.
• Quantity and the garment (t-shirt, polo, hoodie), plus fabric — DTG needs cotton or a high-cotton blend.
• Print positions (left chest, center, full front or back) and the shirt colors.
• Your deadline and delivery country, so we can quote production and shipping.