Pick screen printing when one bold design goes on hundreds of shirts, like a show day at the Indiana Convention Center. Pick DTF when the art is full color or changes from guest to guest, which covers most Mass Ave Arts District launches and private parties. Plenty of Indy events run both from one station.
Screen printing
- Where it shines: a one- to three-color logo printed over and over, like a race-week hospitality giveaway or a fieldhouse night.
- What guests get: thick plastisol ink that holds up wash after wash, pulled by hand while they watch.
- The catch: every color needs its own screen, so changing the design mid-event is limited.
DTF transfers
- Where it shines: gradients, photo art, and names or dates added per person. Gen Con crowds love anything personalized.
- What guests get: full color with no limit on the palette, pressed on in front of them.
- The catch: it feels thinner than a heavy screen print, since it's pressed on and not pulled.
Our shortcut: if the same logo is going on shirt after shirt, send it to screen printing, and anything with color, detail or a name goes to DTF. Both fit the same 10×10 footprint, so you're not buying extra floor space in Indianapolis to run the pair. Send the art and the headcount and we'll suggest the mix with your quote.