Printing for custom apparel: which process and which machine

Start with the fabric, not the design

Custom apparel is not one application. The fabric decides the process before the artwork does. Cotton and cotton blends take DTF transfers and DTG printing. Polyester takes dye-sublimation, because the dye bonds into the fibre rather than sitting on top of it. A shop that prints both is usually running two processes.

The second question is whether the design needs an opaque white base. On a dark garment, a print without white underneath will not read correctly, and that requirement narrows the choice considerably.

Garment DTF: the flexible default

Garment DTF prints pigment ink onto PET film in CMYK plus white, coats the wet print with hot-melt adhesive powder, cures it, and bonds the transfer with a heat press. It handles cotton and blends without pre-treating the fabric, and the white channel lets it work on dark garments.

In the 2026 catalog this is the largest single family, spanning 300 mm machines such as the H3030-X5S and H3030-3S up to the 1200 mm-class 8128-3. The workflow includes a powder shaker and a curing step, so budget for the line rather than the printer alone.

DTG: printing straight onto the garment

DTG prints water-based pigment ink directly onto a pre-treated garment, with no transfer film and no powder. It suits short runs and detailed full-colour images where the hand-feel of a transfer is not wanted.

The catalog lists three DTG configurations, including single and dual station machines and a larger 7590 model with a choice of platen arrangements. The dual-station format matters for throughput because the operator can load one station while the other prints.

Dye-sublimation: for polyester and coated items

Sublimation prints disperse dye onto transfer paper and applies heat so the dye becomes gas and bonds into polyester or polymer-coated material. The result adds no surface feel, which is why it dominates sportswear and all-over garment printing.

The catalog carries sublimation machines from 1900 mm up to 3200 mm, mostly on I3200-A1 heads, which reflects the width these applications need for panels and rolls.

What to confirm before ordering

Confirm the fabric mix you actually sell, not the one you intend to sell. Confirm the largest single image, because it sets the working width. Confirm whether you need white, which points to DTF or DTG rather than sublimation on dark goods. Confirm the finishing equipment, because a press or a curing unit that cannot keep pace becomes the constraint.

Then ask for a sample on your own garment with your own artwork. Adhesion and hand-feel are properties of the ink, film, powder and fabric together, and no specification table replaces that test.