DTG printing is constantly growing in popularity. This is because of the high-quality printing, detailed edges and precise designs that DTG printing offers. You can get a photographic image direct to your garment with crisp resolution, much like a desktop printer. But lately, there’s been a growing concern about its durability and ability to last, whilst still retaining those properties that make it a popular print method for businesses, independent fashion brands and individuals.
If you’re curious about how many wash cycles DTG printing has, well, the ‘official’ number is 50 cycles. However, many customers and printers say it can last through a lot more wash cycles without fading or losing its edges. But you need to understand that this can only happen if certain criteria are met both in the printing process and beyond.
Some of the factors that determine if your DTG print will last or not include:
Ink Quality
The quality of the ink used in printing on the material is important. In DTG printing, companies often use a bright underbase that’s pretreated. This tends to last longer and gives the clothes the well-deserved vibrancy that DTG prints are known for. Vibrancy in colours is very important too, especially when there’s unlimited colour options when it comes to dtg print.
Garment Quality
The quality of the blank garment itself also plays a role in how many wash cycles the print can take. High-quality fabrics with good DTG prints and pretreatment are more likely to last a lot longer than low-quality fabrics. 100% Cotton blanks also keep colours crisp and locked in to t-shirts, for example.
So if you’re thinking of ordering a DTG print, make sure to use good quality fabrics that can last a fairly long time. The fabrics must also be properly pretreated before the printing is done, and cured properly afterward.
Printing Machine
DTG printers are great at printing pretty much whatever design you want on the clothing material. It works in a manner that’s similar to your desktop/computer printer. Done correctly, you can even print highly detailed patterns or designs into the clothing material, and it’ll come out looking great. This also allows for consistency in every print.
A bad machine with poor printing capabilities means that the ink won’t be properly emblazoned on the cloth. This may cause the design to start fading after a few washes.
Laundry Involving Heat
Washing DTG prints in high water temperatures, and drying them in hot environments like a tumbledryer is bound to break down the ink’s particles. So, treat all clothes with DTG prints like you do regular t-shirts with screenprinting or football shirts, for example. Wash them in cold water with gentle soaps or detergents, and air dry them. This way, the prints will last a lot longer and your colours will be kept fresh and vibrant. This is especially the case for white t-shirts, hoodies and more.
But How Can You Be So Sure?
Sometimes, our customers and readers like you with a need for quality and durability need to be assured that DTG printing works. If you’d like to be sure, we’ll recommend that you ask for a DTG print sample, and then wash it as much as you want. We’ve also got lots of various samples of our DTG printer and its results here on-site, which can be shown and discussed during a consultation. This is the easiest way to determine if DTG prints on clothing materials can last very long – by seeing it for yourself!
Check for the quality of print on the material of your garments and products is massively important for both large-scale businesses and independent clothing brands. All in all though, with the right process and preparations, many people find that the quality and vibrancy of the designs stay on for much longer than fifty wash cycles.
If you’d to request a quote for our services, feel free to check out our direct to garment printing page, one of our many services in printing and production. Contact us, your local clothing printers today!
