Pick screen printing when one design goes on a lot of shirts. Pick DTF when the art is full color, has fine detail, or changes from one guest to the next. A lot of Baltimore programs run both.
Screen printing
- Best for: a one- to three-color logo and long runs of the same design, like a sponsor mark on a Convention Center show day.
- On the floor: each color gets its own screen, and guests watch the printer pull the ink and cure it on the spot. It's the version people film.
- Trade-off: screens are made before the freight ships, so a new design halfway through the show isn't realistic.
DTF transfers
- Best for: photo-real art, gradients, small type, and a name or a date on each piece.
- On the floor: the art is printed onto film ahead of time and heat-pressed while the guest waits. No screens, so switching designs costs nothing.
- Trade-off: it's pressed, not pulled, so there's less to watch and the finish is thinner than screen ink.
How the choice usually goes in Baltimore
A medical or cyber conference booth with one sponsor logo is a screen printing job. A Harbor East launch where every guest wants their name on the sleeve is DTF. A lacrosse tournament weekend or a Ravens tailgate often wants both: a fixed event design on the press and a DTF table for team names. Caps go to the hat bar or embroidery. Compare the live DTF and live screen printing stations, or send your art and we'll tell you which one it suits.