8 Best Direct To Garment Printer For You In 2023
The best direct to garment printer is dependent on the type of print business. The most significant aspects are budget, production volume, apparel, embellishments, and your experience. What’s best for one may not be for others.
Any digital image can be printed on t-shirts, facemasks, hoodies, and tote bags, saving time, lowering maintenance, and reducing ink usage. The automatic head cleaning and white ink agitation system saves time and is simple to operate. Finally, the dual ink carriages save ink by producing the smallest ink drop size of 3pl.
Being uncertain about which direct to garment printer to purchase is a very typical occurrence. Due to the wide variety of direct to garment printers available on the market, this conundrum exists.
We have put together a comprehensive guide on choosing the best direct to garment printers on the market to help you out of your quandary.
Factors To Consider While Buying Direct To Garment Printer
1. Type Of Garment
Determining your print application impacts all subsequent decisions for capital investment in a direct-to-garment printing solution. While most direct to garment applications consist of T-shirt printing, you may consider printing on other items such as aprons, sweatshirts, polo shirts, fleece, pants, and tote bags.
Printing on various products requires different platens and fixtures to apply the printed decoration onto the garment. Narrowing the selection of products you plan to print makes it easier to choose the optimal direct to garment printing solution.
2. Fabric
After defining the type of garments to decorate, the fabrics you intend to use affect printer selection. Most direct to garments consist of either Cotton, Cotton/Poly, Polyester, or Polyester/Spandex blends.
If you plan to work exclusively with polyester and polyester/spandex materials, then purchasing a sublimation printer would be the best option in terms of wash fastness and the overall feeling (i.e., hand) of the printed image on the shirt.
A pigment or toner printing solution provides the best results on Cotton and Cotton/Poly blends and the flexibility to print on polyester materials.
3. Color Of The Printed Garment
The color of the garment before printing directly impacts the cost of the printed product and the printing technology. The transparent nature of Sublimation inks limits printing to white or light-colored clothes. Pigment or toner printing systems provide the versatility to print on white, light, black, and darker colored shirts.
However, working with dark-colored shirts requires using white ink or toner that the direct to garment system prints on the garment before printing the cyan, magenta, yellow, and black process colors.
Achieving good color and image results also means printing two to four times more white than process color inks and toner. This can add $1 or more to the cost of the printed product.
4. Production Capacity
You determine the types of decorated garments you plan to produce in terms of product type, fabric, and colors. Now the next important question. How many can I print and sell? Correctly estimating your production capacity impacts the overall profitability of your printer investment.
Underestimating your number of printed pieces leaves money on the table because you cannot fulfill orders and potentially lose valuable customers. On the other hand, excess capacity results in idle printers and staff costs that negatively affect your return on investment and your cost per garment.
Find The Best Direct To Garment Printer For You
| Image | Product | Check Price | Features | Ratings |
 | Ricoh Ri 2000 | Check on Site | Prints in 27 seconds or less. | 4.5/5 |
 | Brother GTX | Check on Site | Best for medium scale production. | 5/5 |
 | Freejet 330tx Plus | Check on Site | Most versatile DTG printer. | 3/5 |
 | Epson SureColor F3070 | Check on Site | Best DTG printer for start-ups. | 4/5 |
 | Polyprint Texjet Echo 2 | Check on Site | Best hybrid DTG printer | 4.2/5 |
 | M&R Maverick | Check on Site | Best DTG printer for colorful printing. | 4.5/5 |
 | Coldesi DTG G4 | Check on Site | Best DTG printer exclusively for t-shirts, jerseys, sweatshirts, hoodies, and more | 4.2/5 |
 | Epson f2100 | Check on Site | Best-seller DTG printer. | 4.7/5 |
Our Recommended Best Direct To Garment Printer In 2022
Ricoh Ri 2000
The most recent di printer to be released is the Ricoh Ri 2000. Several substrates, including 100% cotton and high-cotton mixes, 100% light poly, up to 50% dark poly, wood, canvas, and more, are ideal for printing.
T-shirts, face masks, sweatshirts, tote bags, socks, and other products are available. It tops the list due to its lightning-fast print speeds, ease of use, and simple maintenance.
Price: Check on Site
Number of Colors: It contains water-based pigmented CMYK and white inks that are Genuine Ricoh certified. Additionally, it has 16 ink channels with 192 nozzles per channel and 8 Ricoh printheads.
Print Speed: On light-colored clothing, the Ri 2000 can print a 10-inch by 8-inch design in 9 seconds. Superfine print quality, however, requires 58 seconds. On the other hand, it typically takes 54 seconds to print 10-inch by 8-inch designs on dark clothing. It takes 97 seconds to produce a superfine print.
Maximum Print Area: With the addition of a large platen, the Ri 2000 can print images up to a maximum size of 16″ x 19.6″ (40.6 cm x 49.8 cm). Moreover, you receive an 8 pass, 1200 x 1200 dpi maximum print resolution.
Maintenance: It has automated ink maintenance and a precise ink monitoring mechanism. Additionally, clogging is avoided by automated print head cleaning. Further, a power surge mechanism removes ink from the system.
Printer Dimensions: Ricoh Ri 2000 is 20.5′′H x 65.4′′L x 34′′W overall. It also weighs about 308.6 lbs.
Warranty: The general 1-Year Limited Warranty applies to the Ricoh Ri 2000. Additionally, it comes with a 90-day limited guarantee on parts and repairs.
Brother GTX
High volume direct-to-garment printing is available with the Brother GTX Pro B model. The Brother GTX Pro, the entry-level model, is appropriate for medium-scale manufacturing. Print speed and size are the main distinctions between the Brother GTX Pro and Brother GTX Pro B. Other traits, in contrast, continue to be quite similar.
Price: Check on Site
Number of Colors: White and CMYK inks are water-based on the Brother GTX printer. Each of the piezo head’s two print heads has eight ink channels. Additionally, various print options are available, including single or double with CMYK and beneath base with white.
Print Speed: Up to 42 dark and 57 light garments can be printed every hour. The design is 11″ x 11″ and is printed in high-speed/standard CMYK mode at 1200 dpi in CMYK+White.
Maximum Print Area: The maximum print size for the Brother GTX Pro B direct to garment printer is 16′′ x 21′′. (40.6 cm x 53.3 cm).
Maintenance: It is internally agitated, and the white ink that circulates maintains the ink suspended and reduces maintenance requirements. As a result, it gives printers more time to print and avoids regular maintenance and clogging.
A humidity sensor is also included to guarantee that your direct to garment printer functions in the proper conditions. Moreover, ink cartridges do not need to be changed. Brother produces refillable Innobella Ink.
Printer Dimensions: The Brother GTX Pro B is 70″ x 51″ x 48″ in size overall (1780mm x 1300mm x 1210mm). Additionally, it weighs 364 lbs.
Warranty: A one-year warranty is included with the Brother GTX printers. Additionally, you have 30 days from the date of receipt to return or exchange the item.
Freejet 330tx Plus
The Freejet 330tx Plus is a printer for white and dark clothing. It includes cap, standard adult, 2-up adult, juvenile, sleeve, and infant adjustable platens. It is a versatile direct to garment printing device for printing on personalized t-shirts, hoodies, hats, towels, mouse pads, jeans, and more.
For high-resolution prints with a 5760 DPI on both light and dark-colored clothing, Direct Rip Technology, and Gamut Plus Inks are used by the direct to garment printer. Freejet 330tx Plus also won the 2020 Product of the Year Award from SGIA.
Price: Check on Site
Number of Colors: It uses an 8-ink channel (CMYK + 4 White) or (CMYK, CMYK) color setup for direct-to-garment inkjet printing. Each channel has 180 nozzles.
Print Speed: Normally, the Freejet 330tx plus can print a 1010 picture in bi/uni-directional mode at 1440720 resolution on light-colored clothing in 45 seconds. However, the actual print speed may change depending on the size, style, and fabric of the garment being printed.
Maximum Print Area: The Freejet 330tx plus can print at a maximum resolution of 5760 x 1440 DPI and a maximum print area of 12.75 x 22.5 inches. Printing on materials made entirely of cotton, 100% polyester, or cotton/polyester blends is simple.
Maintenance: A wet cap no-clog maintenance method is present. Additionally, it permits a bulk ink system that enables you to buy inks in large quantities. It thus lowers your ink cost per liter by more than 50%. Using a high-flow bulk ink system, you may print with high-resolution and lower printing costs.
Printer Dimensions: The printer’s overall measurements are 640 x 1065 x 460 mm, weighing 150 lbs.
Warranty: A 2-year printer warranty and a 1-year print head warranty are provided with the Freejet 330tx plus.
Epson SureColor F3070
Epson SureColor SC-F3070 is a direct garment printer for start-ups and businesses engaged in the personalized T-shirt printing business.
Price: Check on Site
Number of Colors: The Epson SureColor 3070 has five ink colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, and White. It produces prints with a maximum print resolution of 1,200 x 1,200 DPI with an ink droplet size of 12.1 pl. Additionally, it has a 1,500 ml ink storage capacity.
Print Speed: With 1,200 x 600 dpi resolution, you can print a light-colored item of clothing in 14 seconds and a dark-colored article in 26 seconds.
Maximum Print Area: Ink droplet placement technology from Epson, Micro Piezo Technology, produces precise dot alignment at rapid print speeds. While preserving the white ink’s density helps produce brighter colors on darker clothing.
Maintenance: It has automatic maintenance tools, including a dust collector and cap cleaner. The system is kept running with minimum maintenance downtime thanks to the fabric head wiper system and separate cleaning solution passages.
Printer Dimensions: The Epson direct to garment printer is 1,712 x 1,809 x 1,336 mm in total (Width x Depth x Height). It also weighs 330 kg.
Warranty: The warranty for the Epson SureColor 3070 is one year.
Polyprint Texjet Echo 2
A hybrid direct to garment device, the Texjet Echo 2 combines screen printers and direct to garment printers (optional). While digital printing is ideal for CMYK colors that save time and money by avoiding several screens, screen printing bypasses pre-treatment and is less expensive with a white foundation on dark textiles.
Among the materials printed on cotton are light-colored polyester, cotton/poly blends, linen, viscose, leather, canvas, and denim.
Price: Check on Site
Number of Colors: For bright, dark, or both varieties of garments, Texjet provides a color configuration. For more vibrancy and wash fastness, it includes Dupont (CMYKW) and Power Inks (CMYK) color configurations.
It comes in two color schemes, one of which has CMYK +4W for both light and dark clothing. Additionally, there is a 2x CMYK color setup for quicker printing on light fabrics or artwork without white ink.
Print Speed: Printing on dark fabrics often takes 120 seconds, while printing on white fabrics takes 60 seconds. In two hours, 50 t-shirts can be made. It works best for frequent, high-volume runs.
Maximum Print Area: It can print on an area up to 41 x 60 cm (16.1 x 23.6 in). It has ten quick-swap platens with print areas ranging from 6 inches by 6 inches to 41 inches by 60 inches. Additionally, it includes a shoe platen.
Maintenance: Better ink flows from sealed cartridges than bulk ink, resulting in less cleaning and longer production times. The maintenance procedure just takes five minutes if you follow the guidelines on the display once you’re ready to run.
This direct to garment printer keeps data records to allow support employees to diagnose issues remotely. It maintains the comprehensive archives of your print counts to keep track of your maintenance intervals.
Printer Dimensions: The Texjet Echo 2 measures 1280 mm x 750 mm x 458 mm overall and weighs 95 kg (204 lbs).
Warranty: The Texjet Echo 2 comes with 3-year limited warranty with 1-year on the printhead.
M&R Maverick
M&R Maverick is a commercial-grade direct to garment printer appropriate for the apparel decoration sector. It has multiple shuttling independent pallets and automatic ink recirculation to minimize clogging and is ideal for quick, full-color printing.
Additionally, it includes two pallets of standard size. They are Youth: 25 x 51 cm (10″ x 20″) and Sleeve: 13 x 51 cm (5″ x 20″) with a printing surface of 10 x 48 cm (4″ x 19″) and respectively.
Price: Check on Site
Number of Colors: Twelve printheads are on the Maverick. White ink requires six, while Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Red, and Green inks require the remaining six. There are two 5-liter white main tanks and two 5-liter main tanks each. The natural resolution of each printhead, which has 1,280 nozzles, is 600 DPI in single-pass mode and 600 x 1200 DPI in dual-pass mode.
Print Speed: A top-notch commercial direct to garment printer, the M&R Maverick can print up to 130 full-size white shirts per hour and 100 full-size dark shirts per hour. Additionally, it produces prints with a maximum resolution of 600 x 1200 dpi. 2,000 prints may be produced daily by the direct to garment printing device.
Maximum Print Area: The M&R Maverick can print on a surface up to 38 x 48.25 cm (15″ x 19″). Additionally, it includes a standard pallet measuring 40.6 × 50.8 cm (16 x 20).
Maintenance: The industrial direct to garment printer’s chassis is sturdy, completely welded steel. It has a magnetic encoder and an industrial bearing rail system that offers precise and trouble-free movement to ensure long-term operation.
Additionally, the printheads are constructed from commercial-grade steel for exceptional durability and a longer lifespan. It is an M&R product, after all.
Printer Dimensions: M&R Maverick measures 190 x 305 x 229 cm (75′′ x 120′′ x 90′′) in total. Its shipping weight is 1597 kg as well (3520 lb).
Warranty: There is a one-year limited warranty for M&R Maverick. At M&R, parts and supplies are available.
Coldesi DTG G4
The Coldesi direct to garment printer G4 is a specialized direct-to-garment printer for t-shirts, jerseys, sweatshirts, hoodies, and other garments. The easy-to-use direct to garment printer has a 7′′ Touch screen interface, automated cleaning, a vacuum platen to reduce ink waste, frequent print head maintenance, and more. It also has automatic cleaning and a vacuum platen.
Price: Check on Site
Number of Colors: It has four Ricoh Piezo (CMYK + W) print heads with 192 nozzles, each for a different color. Additionally, it has 768 (192 x 4) specifically designated white ink nozzles. Furthermore, it features 6 color cartridges (CMYK+2W) with a 200ml ink storage capacity.
Print Speed: A white T-shirt with an 8 by 10-inch (CMYK) design can be printed with Coldesi direct to garment printer M4 in 28 seconds and two passes at 600 dpi. And a black T-shirt with an 8 x 10 inch (CMYK + W) design, printed in four passes at 600 x 600 dpi in 55 seconds. A total of 1,000 shirts can be printed each month.
Maximum Print Area: A maximum print size of 16 x 20 inches and a maximum print resolution of 1200 x 1200 are produced by direct to garment printer G4 (16 passes).
Maintenance: The ink is not sprayed onto the t-shirt using the direct to garment G4. A vacuum platen prevents the ink from sputtering into the air and concentrates it entirely on the t-shirt. Consequently, you receive crisp, high-quality prints, and printheads don’t need to be maintained daily.
The G4 also uses Kodak inks requiring less automated maintenance and head cleaning. If you don’t use the printer for 30 days, it won’t impact your output when you do.
Printer Dimensions: The direct to garment printer G4 is 53.5 x 38.5 x 18.3 inches. It measures 98kg (216 lbs).
Warranty: A two-year guarantee is provided for the direct to garment printer G4, including a year for print heads.
Epson f2100
One of the most popular direct to garment printers for customizing t-shirts, mousepads, towels, onesies, pillow covers, aprons, shoes, hats, and other items is the Epson f2100. Depending on the product, you can change the platten height from 0.5 mm to 25 mm thick.
Price: Check on Site
Number of Colors: The Epson f2100 has 10-channel print heads with 360 nozzles per channel that are configured with CMYK + W ink. It contains one 700ml cleaning cartridge in addition to six 600ml color cartridges. It also includes optional five additional platens: extra small, small, medium grooved, extensive, and sleeve. Clothing can be personalized for infants, children, teenagers, and adults.
Print Speed: A 10 x 8-inch image is printed by the Epson f2100 on a white t-shirt in 15 seconds. A 10 x 8-inch image is simultaneously printed on a black t-shirt in 50 seconds.
Maximum Print Area: With a maximum print resolution of 1440 dpi for white ink and 1440 dpi for color ink, the Epson f2100 can produce prints up to 16″ x 20″.
Maintenance: The Epson f2100 printer has an integrated automatic cleaning mechanism that enables daily maintenance to minimize downtime. The printer maintains its freshness and readiness for the following day by self-cleaning. Additionally, a printer maintenance kit is included.
Printer Dimensions: The Epson f2100 is 39′′W x 59′′D x 20′′H in total (985 x 1,485 x 490 mm). Therefore, it can be used in a tiny space. It is 183 pounds (83 kg).
Warranty: The direct to garment printer comes with a standard 1-year onsite warranty from Epson.
Best Direct To Garment Printer Buying Guide 2022
Direct to garment printers, while less expensive than screen printers, are nonetheless costly machinery. As a result, you must understand what you are purchasing before investing. Keep the following in mind while buying a printer:
1. High-Quality Printing
Nobody wants a blurry, dull print, especially in a clothing line. As a result, getting a printer that can produce high-quality results is critical. What factors influence the print output? The resolution of the printer, for the most part.
The higher the resolution, then it is obvious that the higher the quality of the prints produced by your device. Your printer must have a minimum resolution of 1200 dpi to print DTG. Anything less than this value would produce substandard results, damaging the fabric’s overall appearance.
2. Media In Print
Direct to garment printers, as the name implies, print on cloth. However, each company’s type of fabric and garment may vary. T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and socks are all available. Additionally, ensure that the garment you’re printing on contains at least 50% cotton to absorb the ink effectively.
3. Fabric Printing On A Wide Range of Materials
A quality direct to garment printer can print on every prominent fabric type. Cotton apparel can be printed on T-shirts, polo shirts, casual wear, hoodies, and jeans; the printer can manage them all. You may also print designs on stretchy leggings, baby bodysuits, bibs, sleeves, socks, underwear, pockets, and silk scarves.
4. Quick Reaction
Customers expect companies to respond quickly; you’ll need a competent direct to garment printer to match this need. This crucial piece of equipment is an excellent feature for small businesses.
We all want our products delivered within 24 hours as buyers. Consider yourself a buyer. This printer appears to be nothing short of a blessing to you. You should not overwork this device because anything below 20 pounds is ideal.
5. Printable Resolutions
Let’s say you need a direct to garment printer for large-scale or small-scale printing. In that case, it’s critical to get one with excellent resolution.
For a high-quality direct to garment printer, a minimum resolution of 1440 dots per inch (dpi) is necessary. Just under 1440 dpi resolution can result in poor and hazy images, which might be an issue for your business. Invest your money in a printer with a resolution of 1440 dpi or above.
6. Clothing Styles
A best direct to garment printer can be used for more than just printing T-shirts. Aprons, hoodies, and even shopping bags may now be printed with a direct to garment printer. You must be sure that the best aspect is the printer’s size and function.
Most direct to garment printers on the market have various capabilities that allow you to customize your t-shirts and other clothing materials, so spend your money on one that is right for your garment business.
7. Area To Print
Having a high-speed direct to garment printer isn’t the only way to increase your apparel business efficiency. Yes! You heard us correctly. You can now choose printers with a significantly wider printed area than usual to get numerous high-quality prints at once.
Depending on your budget, you can select between industrial-level machines that can print four to five shirts in a single pass or a traditional compact model offered in the mid-price range.
FAQS For Best Direct To Garment Printer 2022
1. How often does direct garment printing price in comparison to screen printing?
Direct to garment printing is often less expensive than screen printing for small quantities (less than 24 pieces). Screen printing is often less costly than direct to garment printing for large orders (more than 24 units).
2. What is a DTF printer?
As the name implies, a direct-to-film printer makes it easy to share a layout on a film and transmit it to a target surface, like cloth.
3. Is a heat press required for a direct to garment printer?
Direct to garment ink can be dried on clothing in two methods. The first option is to use a conveyor dryer, while the second is to utilize a heat press. The optimal method for curing direct to garment ink is determined by several factors, including your production needs, budget, and available space.
4. Is DTF preferable to sublimation?
The DTF transfer is superior to sublimation in image quality—the sharper and more vibrant the image quality, the greater the polyester percentage of the fabric. The fabric design for DTF feels pleasant to the touch.
5. Is DTF printing long-lasting?
DTF prints do not have the same soft hand feel as direct to garment prints but are more durable. Direct-to-film transfers are flexible and wash well. So they won’t crack or peel, making them ideal for high-use items.
6. DTF uses what kind of ink?
Printing to DTF Film (Direct to Film Transfers) with a direct to garment printer uses DTF Ink. DTF ink/transfers can be applied to a wide range of textiles and fabrics (cotton, polyester, and others) and other substrates.
7. What kinds of things can DTF be used for?
Cotton, nylon, processed leather, 50/50 blends, and other materials can all be treated with DTF (light and dark fabrics).
8. What is the most effective method for drying direct to garment ink?
Tumble dry direct to garment on a low heat setting. However, hang-drying is preferred. Use a cool iron inside-out if you plan on ironing. The print should not be ironed.
9. Is digital textile printing the same as screen printing?
DTF printers seem different from regular paper printers, although they perform identically to conventional inkjet printers. On the other hand, screen printing needs dozens of stages, making it cost-effective mainly for the simplest designs or printing many goods.
Conclusion
You acquire all the knowledge required to introduce a brand-new collection of premium personalized garments with your preferred full-color prints.
There is a solution that suits your needs, and you can discover your ideal partner, whether you’re searching for exceptional detail, massive volume capability, or a soft-touch print finish. We outlined the various direct to garment printers on the market in this guide.
The essential advice for success in garment printing is to conduct your research before starting because there are many possibilities available (even more than I have been able to list here).
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10 Best Sublimation Printer for T-shirts: The Ultimate Guide
Top 12 Tshirt Press Machines in 2022 [Compared & Tested]
Mark Dalio
Mark is a tech-obsessed serial entrepreneur who also enjoys reading and writing. He has a strong urge to keep learning and talking about technology, which led him to become an author. Mark has co-founded two successful startups, one of which was acquired in 2018.
