Top 7 DTG Questions Beginners Ask – Answered Once and for All

In our years of manufacturing DTG printers, we get asked the same few questions by beginners every single day.

To be honest, many of these questions are asked after buying the machine – which is already too late.

So I've put together all of these questions. Every single one of them has been asked by real beginners. If you're thinking about getting into the DTG business, or just have the idea, spend 10 minutes reading this. It might save you a significant amount of trial-and-error cost.

Below are 7 questions. They're in no particular order, but the first one is what every beginner cares about the most.

Question 1: Can DTG actually make money?

Short answer: Yes, but with conditions.

The core formula for making money with DTG is simple:

(Selling price per piece − Cost per piece) × Monthly volume − Fixed expenses = Profit

We'll break down the cost per piece later. The real hurdle isn't the cost – it's whether you can consistently get orders for cotton garment printing.

Who is making money with DTG?

• Clothing store owners (T-shirts, hoodies, kids' wear) who already have an online business and want to control their own printing

• Small studios doing local custom orders (class shirts, team building events, event wear)

• Screen printing shops transitioning to take on small-batch orders

Who is NOT making money with DTG?

• People who think "if I buy the machine, orders will come"

• People doing less than 200 pieces per month but insist on buying their own machine

• People unwilling to learn maintenance – the ones who print one day and disappear for three

Honest truth from a manufacturer: DTG is not a money-printing machine. It's a production tool. If you have orders, it amplifies your profit. If you don't, it's just a depreciating asset.

Question 2: How much does it cost for a beginner to buy a DTG printer?

This is the most common question, but it's often asked too early. The right order is: confirm your business model first, then look at budget.

That said, here are the numbers, broken into three tiers:

Monthly consumables cost to also consider:

• Color + white ink: roughly $0.07–0.15 per piece (depends on coverage)

• Pre-treatment liquid: roughly $0.04–0.07 per piece

• Print head depreciation: roughly $0.15–0.30 per piece

Honest truth from a manufacturer: Start with entry-level. Don't buy the most expensive machine right away. Use the entry-level machine to get your business running, then upgrade when you're making money.

Question 3: What fabrics can DTG print on? What can't it print on?

This is something many beginners find out only after buying – because no one told them before.

Prints well (good results):

• 100% cotton

• Blends with ≥70% cotton (e.g., CVC)

• Both light and dark colors (dark colors require white ink + pre-treatment)

Prints okay (average results):

• Cotton-linen blends

• Bamboo fiber

Cannot print (don't try):

• 100% polyester (common for sportswear) → poor adhesion, color bleeding

• Nylon, waterproof fabrics

• Leather, very thick canvas (won't fit on platen properly)

Honest truth from a manufacturer: DTG is essentially a "cotton-only" machine. If you mainly work with synthetic fabrics (sportswear, cycling gear, school uniforms), DTG is not for you – go look at DTF. I'm not saying this because I don't want to sell to you. I'm saying it because I don't want you to buy the wrong machine.

Question 4: Is maintenance difficult? Will it break often?

This is the biggest concern for beginners, and also the most common complaint about DTG.

Here's the real situation:

• If you print every day or every other day, maintenance is simple – print a nozzle check, occasional cleaning, 5 minutes total

• If you don't print for one week, white ink will settle. You may need a deep cleaning (15–30 minutes)

• If you don't print for two weeks, the print head may clog completely and need replacement (hundreds of dollars)

So the core advice is one thing only: either print every day, or print a nozzle check every day.

What makes a machine easier to maintain?

• Automatic white ink circulation system (prevents settling)

• Easy-to-access print head (you can replace it yourself)

• Remote or video support from the manufacturer

Honest truth from a manufacturer: Maintenance is not as scary as people make it sound, but you can't ignore it completely. If you cannot accept any maintenance at all, don't buy a DTG printer. This isn't a flaw of the machine – it's just how the technology works.

Question 5: How many pieces can a DTG printer produce in one day?

It depends on three factors: design size, light vs dark garment, and your skill level.

Reference data (based on A4-size design on dark T-shirt):

Note: This is pure printing time. It does NOT include design work, pre-treating the garment, heat pressing, or packaging.

Honest truth from a manufacturer: Reaching 60 pieces per day in your first month is already very good. The "500 pieces per day" you see online is from industrial machines + multiple units running together + dedicated operators – not what a single entry-level machine can do. Don't be fooled.

Question 6: Which is better for a beginner – DTG or DTF?

This question is unavoidable. Here's the direct answer: