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French Press Custom
4,355+ Five-Star Reviews2026 Pricing GuideSanta Fe Springs, CA

How Much Does DTG Printing Cost in 2026?

DTG (direct-to-garment) printing costs $5 to $20 per print depending on quantity and garment color - with no minimum order and no setup fees. This guide breaks down every factor so you know exactly what full-color custom printing will cost before you order.

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2026 Pricing

DTG Printing Cost by Quantity

Decoration cost per print, per piece (does not include the blank garment). Dark garments include the white underbase needed for vivid color.

QuantityLight Garment / PrintDark Garment / PrintBest For
1-30$15.00$20.00No minimum - samples & one-offs
31-50$12.00$15.00Small batch runs
51-100$8.00$10.00Most popular for merch drops
101-250$6.00$8.00Best value for full-color
251+$5.00$6.50Best rate available

* Prices shown are decoration cost only (per print, per location). Add garment cost ($3-14 depending on blank). DTG has no minimum order and no screen/setup fees. All prices exclude CA sales tax (10.5%).

Price Factors

What Affects DTG Printing Cost?

Six factors determine your final per-shirt price. Understanding them helps you budget accurately and find savings.

Garment Color (Light vs Dark)

Dark garments need a white underbase layer printed first so your colors stay vivid. That extra ink pass makes dark garments cost more - about $5 more per print at low quantities. Light and white garments skip the underbase and print for less.

Print Size & Coverage

DTG is priced per print, so a full-front photographic print and a small left-chest logo fall in the same tier. Larger, ink-heavy designs use more ink but the tier pricing already accounts for a standard full-size print area.

Number of Print Locations

Each print location (front, back, sleeve) is a separate DTG pass and is priced separately. A front-only print is cheapest. Adding a back print roughly doubles the decoration cost since it prints as its own pass.

Garment Fabric

DTG bonds best to 100% cotton, which gives the most vivid, durable results. 50/50 and tri-blends still print well but colors are slightly softer. High-polyester athletic fabrics are better suited to DTF - we will recommend the right method for your blank.

Quantity

Because DTG uses no screens, there is no setup cost to spread out - but per-print cost still drops with volume. A 1-30 piece run prints at $15-20 each, while 251+ pieces print for $5-6.50 each. Ordering more always lowers the per-shirt price.

Turnaround & Rush

Turnaround depends on order size and our current production schedule - most DTG jobs run on a 1-3 week timeline. Because there are no screens to burn, small DTG orders can often turn faster than screen printing. Rush production may be available case-by-case.

DTG vs Screen Printing

Which Method Is Cheaper for You?

The most common DTG pricing question. Here is exactly when each method wins on cost.

When DTG is cheaper

DTG wins on full-color and photographic designs and on small runs. Because there are no screens to create, DTG has zero setup cost - so a detailed 12-shirt order with 50 colors costs the same to set up as a 1-color print. If your artwork has gradients, photos, or many colors, DTG is almost always the cheaper choice regardless of quantity.

When screen printing is cheaper

Screen printing wins on simple 1-2 color designs at higher quantities. Its setup fee ($25 per color) is fixed, so once you spread it across enough shirts, the low per-shirt ink cost takes over. For a simple 1-2 color logo, screen printing usually becomes cheaper somewhere around 50-72 pieces.

The quick rule of thumb

Full-color art or under ~50 pieces? Choose DTG. Simple 1-2 color design over ~72 pieces? Choose screen printing. Not sure? Send us your design and quantity and we will price it both ways and recommend the cheaper option. See our full screen printing pricing guide for the other side of the comparison.

Real Examples

What Real DTG Orders Actually Cost

Here are three common order scenarios with full price breakdowns so you can estimate your project.

Photo-Realistic Event Tee (25 shirts)

Garment

Bella+Canvas 3001 (White) $5.50/ea

Decoration

Full-color front (light garment) $15.00/ea

Setup Fee

$0 - no screens, no setup

Total Per Piece

$20.50/shirt

No minimum means a detailed 25-piece full-color run is easy. DTG shines on photographic and multi-color art that would need many screens in screen printing.

Order Total: $513

Small Business Merch (60 shirts)

Garment

Next Level 3600 (Black) $4.50/ea

Decoration

Full-color front (dark garment) $10.00/ea

Setup Fee

$0 - no screens, no setup

Total Per Piece

$14.50/shirt

The dark-garment price already includes the white underbase needed to keep colors bright on black. At 60 pieces the per-print cost drops into the $10 tier.

Order Total: $870

Full-Color Fundraiser (150 shirts)

Garment

Gildan 64000 (White) $4.00/ea

Decoration

Full-color front (light garment) $6.00/ea

Setup Fee

$0 - no screens, no setup

Total Per Piece

$10.00/shirt

At 150 pieces the per-print cost drops to $6. For full-color artwork, DTG is now competitive with a multi-color screen print - without any setup fees.

Order Total: $1,500

Save Money

5 Ways to Reduce DTG Printing Costs

Smart decisions during the planning phase can save you hundreds. Here are our top tips.

1. Choose light-colored garments

Light and white blanks skip the white underbase, so they print for about $5 less per shirt at low quantities. On 100 shirts that is a $500 difference versus dark garments.

2. Order more quantity

Per-print cost drops from $15-20 (1-30 pieces) to $5-6.50 (251+). If you are ordering 90 shirts, bumping to 101 moves you into a lower price tier.

3. Print one location only

Each print location is a separate DTG pass. A front-only print costs roughly half what a front + back print costs. Keep it to one location when the design allows.

4. Use 100% cotton blanks

Cotton gives the most vivid, wash-durable DTG results and avoids reprints. It also tends to be cheaper than premium performance blends.

5. Switch to screen printing for simple bulk designs

If your design is only 1-2 solid colors and you are ordering 100+ pieces, screen printing is usually cheaper. DTG wins on full-color art and smaller runs.

Common Questions

DTG Printing Pricing FAQ

Answers to the pricing questions we hear most from customers placing DTG orders.

How much does DTG printing cost per shirt?
DTG printing costs $5-20 per print on top of the garment, depending on quantity and garment color. Small orders of 1-30 pieces print at $15 (light garments) to $20 (dark garments) each. Bulk orders of 251+ pieces drop to $5-6.50 per print. There are no screen or setup fees, so the price you see is the full decoration cost. Use our online quote calculator for an instant estimate on your exact garment and quantity.
Is there a minimum order for DTG printing?
No. DTG (direct-to-garment) printing has no minimum order. Because it prints digitally with no screens to create, we can print a single shirt just as easily as 500. This makes DTG ideal for samples, one-off custom pieces, small merch batches, and full-color designs where screen printing minimums would not make sense.
DTG vs screen printing - which is cheaper?
It depends on your design and quantity. For full-color, photographic, or highly detailed artwork, DTG is cheaper at almost any quantity because screen printing would need a separate screen for every color. For simple 1-2 color designs, screen printing becomes cheaper once you pass roughly 50-72 pieces, since its fixed setup cost gets spread across more shirts. As a rule of thumb: small runs and full-color art favor DTG; large runs of simple designs favor screen printing.
Why does DTG cost more on dark shirts?
Printing on dark garments (black, navy, red) requires a white underbase layer printed beneath your design so the colors stay vivid instead of soaking into the dark fabric. That underbase is an extra ink pass, which is why dark-garment DTG runs about $5 more per print than light garments at low quantities. White and light-colored shirts do not need an underbase and print for less.
How long does DTG printing take?
Turnaround depends on order size and our current production schedule - most DTG jobs run on a 1-3 week timeline. Because DTG requires no screen creation, small orders can often be produced faster than the equivalent screen printing job. If you have a hard in-hand date, tell us up front and we will confirm whether rush production is available for your project.
Do bulk DTG orders get a discount?
Yes. DTG per-print pricing drops with volume. A 1-30 piece run prints at $15-20 each, 51-100 pieces at $8-10 each, 101-250 pieces at $6-8 each, and 251+ pieces at just $5-6.50 each. There is no setup fee to recover, so the discount comes entirely from lower per-print rates at higher quantities.
What garments work best for DTG printing?
100% cotton garments give the best DTG results - the ink bonds directly to the cotton fibers for vivid color and long wash life. 50/50 and tri-blends print well with slightly softer colors. High-polyester performance fabrics (athletic jerseys, moisture-wicking shirts) are better suited to DTF transfers, which bond to any fabric. We will always recommend the right method for the blank you choose.
How can I get an exact price for my DTG order?
The fastest way is to use our online quote calculator - choose DTG, your garment, color, and quantity for an instant estimate. You can also call us at (562) 407-3800 or email sales@frenchpresscustom.com with your project details and we will send a detailed quote within 24 hours.

Get Your Exact DTG Price in 24 Hours

Every order is unique. Use our instant quote calculator or send us your details and we will have a complete price breakdown for you within one business day.

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