Decoration technique

DTG Design Software with Automatic Resolution Checks

Direct-to-garment printing puts full-colour, photographic artwork straight onto fabric, with no colour limit and no screens. The catch is resolution: what looks fine on screen can print soft at full size. FastEditor checks every upload at true print size and outputs a calibrated file per garment.

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What this technique demands of the artwork

DTG is the full-colour, no-minimum technique, and its constraints are about image quality rather than colour count.

Resolution is judged at print size. A photo that looks sharp in a thumbnail can print soft across a full front. FastEditor validates resolution at the physical size the design will print, not per file, and flags anything that will not hold up before checkout.

Fabric and colour matter. DTG behaves differently on light and dark garments, and dark garments need a white underbase. The correct output mode is applied per garment automatically.

Transparency and edges. Soft edges and stray backgrounds print as visible haloes, so backgrounds are cleaned and edges resolved as part of file preparation.

Resolution validated at true print size, per placement
White underbase applied automatically on dark garments
Background and edge clean-up on upload
Full colour, no colour-count limit

What FastEditor outputs for production

The printer receives a high-resolution, calibrated raster file at the exact print-area dimensions, with the colour profile set for the garment and an underbase where required.

File type: high-resolution RGB raster, print-ready
Colour: calibrated profile per garment, white underbase on darks
Sizing: scaled to the print area from the Product Hub specification
Validation: resolution at true print size, edge and background clean-up
Turnaround: generated on proof approval

The production-ready file goes straight to the printer.

Products decorated this way

DTG suits full-colour, low-minimum apparel work:

T-shirts: photographic and full-colour designs, one-offs and short runs. See the t-shirt flow.
Tote bags: full-colour prints on cotton. See the tote-bag flow.
Hoodies, sweatshirts and other cotton-rich garments across the apparel range.

Garments are pre-configured in the Product Hub. See the full supplier ecosystem.

Frequently asked questions

What is DTG best for?

Full-colour and photographic designs on cotton-rich garments, especially one-offs and short runs where the per-colour set-up of screen printing would be uneconomic. There is no colour limit.

How does resolution checking work?

Per placement, at the physical size the design will print. The same image can pass on a small chest print and be flagged on a full front. Where it is marginal, enhancement is applied; where it cannot meet the threshold, the customer is told before checkout.

Does DTG work on dark garments?

Yes. Dark garments need a white underbase for the colours to sit correctly, and FastEditor applies the right output mode per garment automatically.

What file does production receive?

A high-resolution, calibrated raster file at the print area exact dimensions, with the colour profile set for the garment and an underbase where needed, generated on proof approval.

Can DTG and screen printing be offered on the same product?

Yes. The technique is configured per product and per position, so one garment can carry DTG in one area and screen printing or embroidery in another.

What upload formats are accepted?

PNG, JPG, SVG, AI, EPS, PDF and TIFF. Photo files are resolution-checked and enhanced, and the background and edges are cleaned automatically so the print has no visible halo.