📍 Hialeah, Florida
DTG (direct-to-garment) printing lets you order one shirt or ten, in full color, with no setup fee and no minimum — often ready the same day, from our shop a short drive from Hialeah.
DTG (direct-to-garment) prints full color straight into the cotton fibers, so the design feels soft — part of the shirt, not a layer on top. It is the right call for Hialeah orders that need photographic detail or lots of colors without a big minimum: one shirt or fifty, a full-color design costs the same to print per piece. Our shop at 389 NE 2nd Ave is about 28 minutes from Hialeah, so local orders skip the shipping wait and pickup is free.
DTG fits Hialeah small-batch, full-color work — retail and merch tees for the cafés and shops along Palm Springs Mile, colorful club and event shirts, and family-event tees where every design is different. For photographic art on light cotton, DTG beats screen printing under about 20 pieces; above that, we will point you to screen printing to save money.
THE PROCESS
Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing works like an inkjet printer for shirts: specialized water-based ink sprays directly into the fibers of the garment through a fixed printhead, producing a soft, full-color image with photograph-level detail. Because there is no screen setup and no color-count limit, DTG is uniquely suited to single-piece orders, personalization, and complex artwork that would be uneconomical to screen print.
Your garment is first pretreated — a fine mist of pretreatment solution is applied to the print area and dried, which lets the water-based ink bond permanently into the fibers rather than sitting on top. Pretreatment is essential; without it, the print washes out quickly.
The shirt is loaded onto a flat platen inside the DTG printer. A printhead passes over the print area, laying down a white underbase (on dark garments) followed by full CMYK color — the same technology as a desktop photo printer, scaled up and running specialized textile-grade ink.
After printing, the shirt travels through a heat tunnel (or is heat-pressed) at around 330°F to cure the ink into the fabric. The result is a print that is soft to the touch, breathable, and stretches with the garment. Wash life is 30–50 cycles with proper care.
Screen printing wins on quantity and long-term wash durability. Above 25 shirts of the same design, screen printing typically costs less per shirt, and the ink layer sits deeper in the fabric so it survives 100+ washes without noticeable fade.
DTG wins on everything else at low quantity. Single shirts and orders under 20 pieces cost dramatically less with DTG because there's no screen setup, no color-count surcharge, and no minimum. Full-color and photographic art reproduce cleanly — screen printing struggles with realistic photos and complex gradients. And on turnaround, DTG has no overnight screen-prep step, so same-day is realistic. For the exact profile of order that makes sense for each method, we quote both and let you compare.
DTF (direct-to-film) transfers apply a printed film to any garment via heat press — extremely versatile across fabrics. DTF wins on mixed-fabric orders, dark polyester, tri-blend performance wear, and any garment DTG's pretreatment doesn't play well with. DTF also wins on price at 10–40 pieces of the same design on the same style.
DTG wins on hand-feel: the ink dyes into cotton fibers producing a print that feels like the shirt itself, whereas DTF's transfer sits as a thin film on top of the fabric — very well-executed film but noticeable if you're comparing side by side. For 100% cotton light garments in single-piece or personalized orders, DTG's soft finish is usually the better choice.
Choose DTG when:
Skip DTG if you're ordering 25+ pieces of the same design (screen printing beats it on price), the garment is dark polyester or tri-blend athletic wear (DTF handles those better), or the design is 1–2 colors and simple (screen printing wins there too).
Ready to Get Started?
Request your free quote — most orders ready in 3–7 business days.
Get a Free QuoteDTG earns its place on the orders screen printing cannot touch cheaply — small runs, full-color art, and jobs where every shirt is different. Three kinds of Hialeah orders run DTG most: cafés and restaurants printing retail and staff merch, car clubs and event crews, and families printing full-color photo tees. Here is what those look like.
Hialeah runs on cafecito, and the cafés and restaurants along Palm Springs Mile print full-color retail tees and staff shirts in small, frequent batches — a new design for a season, a logo tee to sell at the counter. DTG handles the photographic detail and short runs without a screen-setup fee, so a dozen shirts costs the same per piece as a hundred.
Hialeah classic-car and car-club scene lives on vivid, detailed art — a full-color car on the back of a tee, a different design for every meet. DTG prints that photographic detail straight into the shirt with no color-count surcharge, so a 15-shirt club run comes out crisp and affordable, even when every design is one of a kind.
Reunion and quince shirts in Hialeah usually mean one full-color design — a photo, a name, a date — across a big family in every size from toddler to abuelo. DTG prints the whole run soft and full-color with no minimum, and we turn most orders around in a few business days.
CAPABILITIES
DTG has a narrower ideal-fabric window than DTF, but within that window it produces the softest, most natural-feeling print of any method we offer. Here is what actually works well and what to expect on your order.
Best for DTG: 100% cotton, ringspun cotton, cotton-heavy blends (80% cotton or higher), light colors (white, natural, ash, light gray, light pastels).
Also works well: 50/50 cotton-poly blends on light colors, tri-blend on light colors, cotton hoodies and sweatshirts, tote bags, cotton aprons.
Works but not ideal: dark cotton (requires white underbase, longer print time), polyester-heavy blends, dark colored cotton in fine detail.
Not recommended for DTG (use DTF or embroidery instead): 100% polyester, moisture-wicking performance fabric, nylon, dark tri-blend, structured caps, waterproof/water-resistant materials.
Full CMYK reproduction — millions of colors, no color-count surcharge. Photographic art, gradients, and fine detail reproduce accurately down to about 8pt text.
Pantone color matching is approximate rather than exact — DTG mixes color from CMYK primaries, whereas screen printing uses pre-mixed spot inks. For brand-critical Pantone-accurate work, screen printing (spot ink) or DTF (with color-managed workflow) is typically more accurate.
Personalization is native and free: each shirt in an order can carry a different name, number, or image without any additional per-shirt setup. This is what makes DTG the go-to for mitzvah favors, memorial pieces, and any order where each garment is unique.
The biggest visual thing to know: prints on dark garments look slightly less vivid than prints on white or light garments, because the white underbase softens the top color. Still very rich, but visibly different if compared side by side.
The maximum print area is fixed by the printer platen (approximately 14" × 16"). Prints larger than this require the design to be laid out across multiple print runs, which is possible but adds cost — screen printing is usually the better choice at that size.
TURNAROUND & PRICING
DTG pricing is nearly linear per shirt — there's no setup fee, no minimum, and only very modest quantity discounts. That's what makes DTG great for small orders and bad for large ones.
Rough per-shirt ranges on a standard cotton tee: single shirt depending on print size; 5–10 shirts each; 20 shirts around each; 50 shirts around each. At 50+ pieces, screen printing typically prices out 30–50% lower than DTG on the same design, which is why we'd usually recommend switching methods at that quantity. Send your garment and quantity for an exact quote across methods.
Standard turnaround for DTG orders under 25 pieces is 2–4 business days from artwork approval. Orders of 25–50 pieces typically take 3–5 business days depending on the current queue. Larger DTG runs (100+ pieces) are unusual — at that quantity we typically recommend screen printing for cost. Turnaround starts when the artwork is approved, not when the quote is accepted. Faster if artwork is already print-ready; slower if we need to prepare files.
Because DTG requires no overnight screen preparation, true same-day is realistic. Drop off print-ready artwork at 389 NE 2nd Ave by noon on a weekday and same-day pickup by 5:30 PM is standard on orders under 15 pieces on stocked cotton shirts (white, natural, ash, light gray).
Same-day on dark garments is possible but tighter — the white underbase step adds print time. Same-day on 15–25 pieces depends on the day's queue; we tell you honestly when you call. For genuinely last-minute orders, call ahead so we can hold press time.
Pickup at 389 NE 2nd Ave is always free, Monday through Friday 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. For small DTG orders, most Hialeah customers pick up locally.
Local delivery within Hialeah (33012) is available on orders of 15+ pieces at a flat delivery fee, or free on orders of 25+ pieces. Delivery is same-day for orders ready before 2 PM, or next-morning otherwise. Shipping is available anywhere in the US via tracked UPS/USPS — usually not worth it for single-piece DTG orders local to the area.
Ready to Get Started?
Request your free quote — most orders ready in 3–7 business days.
Get a Free QuoteHOW TO ORDER
Five steps from first contact to finished pickup. Most single-shirt and small orders complete steps 1–5 the same day.
Preferred format: 300 dpi PNG with a transparent background at the print size (up to 14" wide for full-front). PDF and JPG also welcome. For photographic art (memorial, family reunion) the highest resolution you have is best — a phone photo works if it's sharp; a low-res thumbnail may need re-sourcing. We can usually improve poor-quality artwork through our art team for a small prep fee, but the sharper the source, the better the print.
Send your artwork, garment type and quantity, and any deadline. We reply with a per-shirt price, garment options, and honest turnaround. Quotes are usually returned within a business day; often same-day for standard requests. No charge for the quote, no obligation. For single-shirt orders you can also walk in and quote in person during shop hours.
We send a digital mock-up showing your design at scale on the actual garment color and style. Approve, request revisions, or ask questions. We don't start production until you approve. For personalized orders (mitzvah favors, memorial with names, family reunion with individual names on back) we send a name list for you to double-check before production.
After approval, production begins. Each shirt is pretreated, printed, and heat-cured. Personalized orders (different names or numbers on each shirt) run individually rather than in a batch, so quantity matters more than for standard orders. You'll receive a notification when your order is complete and ready for pickup or delivery.
Pick up in person at 389 NE 2nd Ave (free, Monday–Friday 9:30 AM–5:30 PM), opt for local Hialeah delivery on orders above 15 pieces, or ship US-wide via UPS/USPS. Payment is due at pickup or before delivery; we accept credit card, ACH, and business check. For memorial and mitzvah orders we can also deliver directly to the venue or family home by appointment.
Get Your Custom DTG Printing Quote
Fast turnaround, competitive pricing, free local delivery in Hialeah.
Request a QuoteTell us about your order and we'll get back to you within 1 business day.
Yes. One shirt or one thousand — same per-shirt price on quantities under 12. No setup fee, no minimum. DTG is specifically built for short runs and full-color designs where screen printing would be overkill.
DTG wins on quantities under about 24, full-color/photographic art, and speed. Screen printing wins on 25+ pieces of the same design, ultra-bright colors, and long-term wash durability. We recommend whichever method actually fits your order — not whichever is more expensive.
DTG pricing is nearly linear per shirt — no setup fee, no color-count surcharge, only modest quantity discounts. Rough ranges on cotton tees: single shirt $18–$30, 5–10 shirts $15–$22 each, 20 shirts $13–$18, 50 shirts $11–$15. Above 50 shirts we usually recommend screen printing (30–50% cheaper on the same design).
30–50 wash cycles with proper care (inside-out, cold water, tumble-dry low, no ironing directly on the print). Slightly shorter lifespan than screen printing under identical wash conditions, but similar to DTF. Prints on dark garments (with white underbase) tend to hold up slightly less well than prints on light garments.
Yes! We print welcome-bag tees, event shirts, and custom pieces for hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals in Hialeah. DTG is perfect for these because it handles full-color photo artwork on small runs — even single VIP gifts. We deliver directly to your front desk or event venue.
Absolutely. We handle multilingual designs — Spanish, Portuguese, Creole, Hebrew, and more — for family reunions, cultural events, and international guest groups in Hialeah. DTG prints any language or script in full color with no setup fees, so every family member gets a unique design if needed.
Call, WhatsApp, or fill out the quote form. We'll handle the rest — artwork, printing, and local pickup.
About Us
At Adorb Custom Tees, we make comfortable and personalized clothing and gifts for every occasion.