No minimums, no setup feesFree proof before it prints
Free decision tool
Screen Print vs Digital Print
Screen printing is the volume champion, while digital printing (DTG and DTF) wins on full color, no setup, and short runs. Set your priorities and run size to see which fits your order. When you have your numbers, see real prices in our pocket print tshirt collection, no minimum order.
What matters most?
Recommended method
DTF
Best fit for your priority and run size.
Where the other method wins shows in the matrix below.
Email me this comparison
Get the side-by-side and a price for your exact job, plus an extra no minimums. Free. No spam.
No single winner. The right method is the one that fits your run size, fabric, and budget. When a method loses on one axis it usually wins on another, which is why the tool recommends by your priority.
When to Choose Each Method
Screen Printing. Best at 100+. Solid spot colors. Cost: Cheapest at volume.
DTG. Best at 1-50. Full color, photographic. Cost: Flat per unit.
DTF. Best at 1-100. Full color, vivid. Cost: Affordable small to mid.
Arklavo runs all of these in house with no minimums and two-day shipping, so we recommend the method that fits your job, not the one we feel like running — if stitched decoration is also on the table, our guide to screen print vs embroidery covers that trade-off too. Ask for a price and we will confirm the best fit.
Get a price for your job
Email the comparison plus a quote for your exact garment and quantity, with an extra no minimums. Grab it here.
FAQ
It depends on your run size, fabric, and budget. Use the tool above: set what matters most and your quantity, and it recommends one and shows the full side-by-side. There is no single winner, only the right fit for your job.
Yes, a lot. Screen printing gets cheaper per unit as the run grows because the setup spreads out, while digital methods stay flat. For a dozen shirts, digital usually wins; for hundreds, screen printing usually wins.
Embroidery and a properly cured screen print are the most durable, lasting the life of the garment with normal care. DTG and DTF last well too when you wash cold and dry low. Heat is what shortens any decoration's life.
DTG feels softest because the ink soaks into the fabric. DTF has a slight transfer feel, screen print sits on top, and embroidery is raised stitching. For a no-feel print, DTG leads.
DTF is the most fabric-flexible, working on cotton, polyester, and blends. DTG is best on 100% cotton, screen printing is best on cotton, and embroidery suits structured garments like polos, caps, and jackets.
Tell us your garment, quantity, colors, and decoration method and we will price it. There are no minimums and no setup surprises. Use the quote link in the tool, or try our cost calculators for an instant estimate.
Screen printing vs digital print for custom t-shirts - a free Arklavo comparison with a decision tool, same-day quote and no minimums. Or skip ahead and browse Arklavo's custom t-shirts collection to see current blanks for either method.
Screen print vs digital print: which is better?
On orders of 50 or more t-shirts with 1 to 6 flat colors, screen printing wins on cost per unit, durability, and specialty ink effects. On orders of 1 to 50 shirts with photographic, multi-color, or complex artwork, digital printing (DTG) wins on setup cost, design flexibility, and no-minimum fulfillment. The breakeven point where screen printing becomes cheaper than digital is typically 25 to 50 units depending on color count and print size. Screen printing lasts 60 to 80 wash cycles; digital prints last 40 to 60 cycles. Neither is universally better, they’re built for different order profiles. For more, see our custom t-shirt questions.
Key Takeaways
Screen printing wins at volume. Per-unit cost drops to $3-$6 at 100+ units for simple designs. Digital stays at $8-$14 regardless of quantity.
Digital wins on low quantities and complex art. No setup cost, unlimited colors, and no minimum order make it the only practical method for 1-24 unit orders.
Setup cost separates the methods. Screen printing charges $25-$75 per color for screens. Digital charges nothing.
Durability favors screen printing. Plastisol prints last 60-80 washes vs 40-60 for digital. Water-based screen inks come in at 50-70 washes.
Digital has a softer hand-feel. Ink absorbs into cotton; screen printing sits on top of the fabric in a raised layer.
Specialty inks are screen-only. Neon, metallic, puff, reflective, and glow-in-the-dark require screen printing. Digital cannot reproduce these.
Fabric matters. Digital printing works only on cotton-forward fabrics (50%+ cotton). Screen printing works on cotton, blends, and most polyester with appropriate ink.
How Each Method Actually Prints
Same logo, two methods. The screen-printed surface is raised and tactile. The digital surface feels like the shirt itself.
What is the difference between screen printing and digital printing on t-shirts?
Screen printing pushes ink through a mesh stencil onto fabric using a squeegee. Each color in the design requires a separate screen and a separate press pass. The ink cures under heat into a durable flat layer on the fabric surface. Digital printing (usually DTG, direct-to-garment) sprays water-based ink directly onto the fabric using an inkjet printer, similar to a paper printer but with modified heads for cotton. Ink absorbs into the fabric fibers and cures under heat. Screen printing excels at volume and durability; digital excels at color flexibility and small runs.
Screen printing process
Design is separated into individual color layers.
A screen (mesh stretched on a frame) is prepared for each color using a photo-emulsion process.
Shirts are loaded onto a carousel press, one station per color.
Ink is pushed through each screen onto the shirt with a squeegee.
Prints are flash-cured between colors and fully cured at 320-340°F at the end.
Digital printing (DTG) process
Design file is sent straight from computer to printer.
Dark garments are pretreated with a primer and pre-cured.
Shirt is placed flat on the printer platen.
White underbase (on darks) and CMYK ink layer are sprayed in a single print pass.
Print is heat-cured at 330-356°F for 90-180 seconds.
The fundamental difference: screen printing is a mechanical, analog process optimised for repetition; digital printing is a computer-controlled process optimised for variability and single-unit production.
Cost Comparison: Screen Print vs Digital Print
Is screen printing cheaper than digital printing?
At volume, yes. Screen printing costs $3 to $6 per shirt at 100 units or more, while digital stays at $8 to $14 per shirt regardless of quantity. At low volume, no. Screen printing charges $25 to $75 per color for screen setup, which makes single-piece orders prohibitively expensive. Digital has zero setup, so it’s cheaper on any order under about 25 shirts. The crossover point where screen printing becomes cheaper depends on color count: 1-color designs break even around 20 units, 4-color designs around 50 units.
Quantity
Screen print (1 color)
Screen print (3 colors)
Digital (DTG)
1 shirt
$55-$80
$100-$175
$14-$24
12 shirts
$10-$15 each
$15-$22 each
$12-$20 each
50 shirts
$5-$8 each
$7-$11 each
$9-$15 each
100 shirts
$4-$6 each
$5-$8 each
$8-$14 each
250 shirts
$3-$5 each
$4-$7 each
$8-$13 each
500 shirts
$2.50-$4 each
$3-$5 each
$7-$12 each
Pricing includes blank t-shirt plus decoration. Screen printing setup fees of $25-$75 per color are amortized into the single-unit prices and become negligible at 100+ units.
25-50
Unit breakeven where screen printing becomes cheaper than digital
$0
Digital printing setup cost per order
$25-$75
Screen printing cost per color for screen setup
Run real numbers for your order
The Decoration Cost Comparison Tool takes your quantity, color count, and print size and returns side-by-side pricing for screen printing, DTG digital, DTF transfer, and embroidery. Useful before committing to a method.
Screen printing reproduces Pantone spot colors exactly, which matters for corporate branding with strict color specifications. Each color in the design is mixed as a specific Pantone ink before it ever hits the screen.
Digital printing mixes color on the fly using CMYK inkjet. It comes within 85 to 90% of Pantone targets for most colors. Neons, fluorescents, and metallics cannot be reproduced on digital and require screen printing.
Detail and resolution
Digital has the edge on fine detail. Commercial DTG prints at 600 to 1200 DPI, which reproduces photographic detail, gradients, and text down to 6pt cleanly. Screen printing resolution is limited by mesh count (typically 110-305 mesh) and registration accuracy, which caps practical detail around 0.01-inch stroke width. Halftone and process screen printing can approach digital detail but requires skilled operators.
Color count
Digital handles unlimited colors in a single print pass at no additional cost. Screen printing charges per color and is practical up to about 6 colors; anything over 6 colors is typically redesigned as halftone process or moved to digital.
Hand-feel
Digital produces a soft hand-feel because ink absorbs into cotton fibers. You can barely feel the print when you touch it. Screen printing sits on top of the fabric in a raised plastic layer (plastisol) or a slightly softer absorbed layer (water-based). Heavier coverage designs with multiple solid colors feel noticeably thicker in screen printing.
"For a customer buying a single concert tee, digital looks better on day one. For a fundraiser ordering 200 matching shirts, screen printing looks better six months into weekly wear."
Durability: Which Print Lasts Longer?
How long does screen printing last vs digital printing?
Plastisol screen printing holds color for 60 to 80 wash cycles before noticeable fade. Water-based screen printing holds color for 50 to 70 cycles. Digital printing (DTG) holds color for 40 to 60 cycles. All methods fade faster with hot water, high-heat drying, bleach, and fabric softener. A well-cared-for screen-printed tee can stay vivid through 3+ years of weekly wear; a DTG-printed tee through 1.5-2 years. See our screen printing questions answered for more on ink types and care.
Screen printing wins durability because the ink layer is thick (plastisol) or chemically bonded (water-based) to the fabric surface. DTG inks absorb into fibers, which gives softer feel but also faster fade. DTF transfers sit between the two on durability.
When to Use Each Method
Screen printing is the right choice when:
Order is 50+ units of the same design.
Design has 1 to 6 flat colors.
You need exact Pantone color matching for corporate branding.
You need neon, metallic, puff, glow-in-the-dark, or reflective ink.
The Print Method Finder asks a series of questions about your artwork, quantity, garment, and budget, then returns the decoration method that produces the best result for your specific order.
“Digital print” in the t-shirt industry usually means DTG (direct-to-garment), but DTF (direct-to-film) is another digital method worth understanding. DTF prints the design onto a film, then heat-presses it onto the garment. It works on any fabric (cotton, polyester, blends, canvas) where DTG only works on cotton-forward fabrics. Our heat press FAQ covers how transfers bond to each material.
Screen printing typical lead time: 7 to 10 business days for bulk orders (includes screen creation, press setup, and curing time). Rush turnarounds of 3-5 days are available on most orders at a premium.
Digital printing typical lead time: 2 to 4 business days. Because there’s no screen setup, a digital order moves from artwork approval to shipment faster than screen printing, especially on small runs.
Arklavo offers both methods in-house and quotes lead time based on current production load.
Frequently Asked Questions About Screen vs Digital Printing
We run Arklavo, a US-based custom apparel shop. We have shipped custom embroidery, DTG, and screen print to small business teams, ops managers, HR managers, restaurant owners, and corporate event coordinators every week, with no minimum order, free logo setup, and free shipping over $150. The notes above come straight from our production floor and from what we hear at quote time.
