# DTG vs Screen Printing vs Embroidery: Which to Choose > DTG vs screen printing vs embroidery: a black tee costs $11.92 with DTG or $14.25 embroidered on Printful, while screen printing starts at 500 shirts. - URL: https://clothify.io/blog/dtg-vs-screen-printing-vs-embroidery - Published: 2026-11-08 - Updated: 2026-11-12 - Author: The Clothify team, Makers of Clothify - Topic: Design ## Key takeaways - Choose DTG for detailed art on one piece at a time, embroidery for small logos and hats, and screen printing only for large orders of a bold design. - On Printful, a black Bella+Canvas 3001 tee in size M costs $11.92 with DTG, $13.27 with DTF and $14.25 embroidered (November 8, 2026). - None of Printful's 580 active catalog products lists screen printing as an on demand method. Its screen printing is a separate bulk request that starts at 500 shirts. - Embroidery has a $6.50 digitizing fee per design, up to 6 of 15 thread colors and a 4 by 4 inch limit on a chest. - Durability differs: Printful says embroidery often lasts as long as the garment, and that screen prints generally outlast DTG with repeated washing. In the DTG vs screen printing choice, DTG wins for a new brand selling one piece at a time, and screen printing wins once you order hundreds of the same bold design. Embroidery is the third option, best for small logos and hats. On Printful, a black tee costs $11.92 with DTG or $14.25 embroidered, and screen printing starts at 500 shirts. - **$11.92** a black tee printed with DTG - **$14.25** the same tee embroidered - **500** Printful's screen printing minimum - **0 of 580** active Printful products list screen printing on demand ## The three methods side by side DTG sprays ink straight onto the fabric, screen printing pushes ink through one stencil per color, and embroidery stitches thread into the garment. DTF is a fourth method worth knowing: the art is printed on film, then heat pressed on. | | DTG | DTF | Screen printing | Embroidery | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Smallest order on Printful | 1 | 1 | 500 by request | 1 | | Setup | none | none | one screen per color | $6.50 per design | | Colors | full color | full color | 1 to 6 spot colors | up to 6 of 15 threads | | Feel | soft and flat | a film on the fabric | thicker and tactile | raised stitches | | Printful products | 164 | 151 | 0 on demand | 223 | | Best for | detailed art on cotton | pieces without DTG, some hats | bold art in bulk | logos and hats | Sources: Printful's live catalog of 580 active products, its design file guidelines and method guides, and Custom Ink's color and order guidance, Nov 8, 2026. Many products offer more than one method, and other methods, such as all-over printing, cover the rest of the catalog. ## What each method costs on real pieces DTG is the cheapest of the three on the pieces most brands start with, at $1.35 less than DTF and $2.33 less than embroidery on a tee. **What one piece costs by method, one print included**: Embroidery adds about $2 to $3 per piece over DTG, before the one-time digitizing fee. | Item | Cost | | --- | ---: | | T-shirt, DTG | $11.92 | | T-shirt, DTF | $13.27 | | T-shirt, embroidery | $14.25 | | Hoodie, DTG | $22.63 | | Hoodie, DTF | $24.13 | | Hoodie, embroidery | $25.75 | Source: Printful order prices for DTG and catalog prices for DTF and embroidery, Bella+Canvas 3001 and Gildan 18500, size M in black. Checked 2026-11-08. | Piece | DTG | DTF | Embroidery | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | | T-shirt, Bella+Canvas 3001 | $11.92 | $13.27 | $14.25 | | Hoodie, Gildan 18500 | $22.63 | $24.13 | $25.75 | | Premium hoodie, Cotton Heritage M2580 | $27.84 | $29.11 | $30.25 | | Snapback, Yupoong 6089M | not offered | not offered | $17.23 | | Dad hat, Yupoong 6245CM | not offered | $16.25 | $14.94 | Source: Printful, size M in black or one size, one print included, Nov 8, 2026. Each piece's default method is an order price; the others are catalog prices. Print on demand charges per piece, so you sell without holding stock. For how that fits your margin, see [how to price clothing](https://clothify.io/blog/how-to-price-clothing). ## DTG: for detailed art, one piece at a time DTG has no minimum and no setup, so a 12-color illustration costs the same to print as a one-color word. That makes it the default for new brands testing designs. Printful describes the finish as soft and flat, and says it can last over 50 washes when turned inside out and air dried. On a black shirt, leave areas you want black fully transparent. The white underbase turns printed black ink gray. Avoid semi-transparent effects; use solid colors or halftones. ## Screen printing: for bold art in bulk Screen printing makes sense when you already know a design sells. Each color needs its own screen, so setup is charged per color, and the cost per shirt falls fast as orders grow. Custom Ink recommends it from 24 pieces and for 1 to 6 spot colors; Printful's own screen printing starts at 500 shirts. Printful says screen prints generally outlast DTG prints through repeated washing, and that the thicker ink gives a bold, tactile feel. The catch is stock: you pay for the whole run before anyone buys. ## Embroidery: for logos and hats Embroidery looks premium at a small size and lasts. Printful calls it extremely durable and says it often lasts as long as the garment, but it cannot hold fine detail. ![A washed black tee with a detailed mountain scene across the full front, and a cap with a small mountain mark](https://clothify.io/styles/apparel-style-2026-11-05/streetwear.webp) Detailed art suits DTG ![A forest green sweatshirt with a gold oak leaf crest and a green cap with the leaves alone](https://clothify.io/styles/apparel-style-2026-11-05/heritage.webp) A crest and a cap suit thread ![A cream tee with a small star on the chest and a ribbed beanie with the same star](https://clothify.io/styles/apparel-style-2026-11-05/minimal.webp) One small mark, stitched or printed Standard embroidery uses up to 6 of Printful's 15 thread colors, and every new design has a $6.50 digitizing fee that covers reuse on later orders. On a tee, the chest area is 4 by 4 inches, and a Yupoong 6089M cap's back is 2 by 1 inches. Letters should be at least 0.25 inches tall, as [the clothing brand logo guide](https://clothify.io/blog/clothing-brand-logo-ideas) shows. **Put your design on a real piece.** Pick a garment, place your artwork at print size and see the supplier cost before you sell. [See how Clothify works](https://clothify.io/studio) ## How to choose Decide by the art and the quantity, in that order. 1. **Is it a hat?** Use embroidery, or DTF where the hat offers it 2. **Is it a small logo with few colors?** Use embroidery on the chest for a premium look 3. **Is it detailed or full color?** Use DTG on cotton tees and hoodies 4. **Does the piece lack DTG?** Check DTF. Printful has 30 products that default to it 5. **Selling hundreds of one bold design?** Get a screen printing quote and compare Placement matters as much as method, because some spots exist for only one technique. [T-shirt design placement](https://clothify.io/blog/t-shirt-design-placement) lists every print area by size. This choice is part of building the first collection in [how to start a clothing brand](https://clothify.io/blog/how-to-start-a-clothing-brand). ## Questions about DTG, screen printing and embroidery ### Is DTG or screen printing better? DTG is better for small orders and detailed art. Screen printing is better for large orders of a simple design, because setup costs spread over more shirts. ### Does Printful do screen printing? Yes, by request for orders of 500 or more shirts. None of its 580 active catalog products lists it as an on demand method. ### Which lasts longest? Printful rates embroidery as the most durable, often lasting as long as the garment, and says screen prints generally outlast DTG. Printful suggests washing DTG inside out and air drying it. ### Is DTG cheaper than embroidery? On Printful, yes for the tees and hoodies above. A Bella+Canvas 3001 tee costs $11.92 with DTG and $14.25 embroidered, plus the $6.50 digitizing fee per embroidered design. ### What about DTF? DTF is full color and needs no setup. It costs slightly more than DTG on these pieces and is useful on products that do not offer DTG. ### Which method does Clothify use? Clothify matches each piece to a Printful method, such as DTG on tees and hoodies and embroidery on hats, and shows you the supplier cost before you sell. **Describe your first piece and see the cost.** [Start your brand ยท Clothify](https://clothify.io/) ## Sources - [API Documentation (catalog techniques and prices)](https://developers.printful.com/docs/), Printful. Checked 2026-11-08. - [DTG vs Screen Printing](https://www.printful.com/blog/dtg-vs-screen-printing), Printful. Checked 2026-11-08. - [Embroidery vs Screen Printing](https://www.printful.com/blog/embroidery-vs-screen-printing), Printful. Checked 2026-11-08. - [Design file guidelines](https://www.printful.com/design-file-guidelines), Printful. Checked 2026-11-08. - [Screen Printing vs Embroidery vs Heat Press](https://www.customink.com/blog/screen-printing-vs-embroidery-vs-heat-press/), Custom Ink. Checked 2026-11-08. - [DTG vs Screen Printing](https://www.shopify.com/blog/dtg-vs-screen-printing), Shopify. Checked 2026-11-08.