Choosing Between DTF and Screen Printing

Picture a five-a-side captain getting a quote for twenty jerseys: same crest, same sponsor logo, but a different name and number on every shirt. The number that comes back is higher than expected, and it has nothing to do with the printer trying to overcharge.

Screen printing charges per colour, per design. Twenty jerseys with twenty different names are, in print terms, twenty separate jobs, each needing its own setup. That cost only shrinks once the run is large and every shirt is identical.

DTF (direct-to-film) works differently. The design prints onto a film first, then heat-presses onto the shirt in one pass. Colour count and per-shirt variation don't add setup cost the way screen printing's stencils do. That's why it handles a roster of different names and numbers without pricing each one separately.

Durability isn't really the deciding factor between the two. Both hold up to a season of matches when done properly. Screen printing edges ahead over many years of heavy washing; DTF bonds tightly enough that the difference rarely matters for club or school kit.

The lesson: if every shirt in the order is identical, ask for a screen-printing price first. It gets cheaper the bigger and more uniform the run is. If the order has any per-shirt variation, check DTF first. It's built for exactly that.