Pretreatment
Print method — one of 27 in the glossary
A liquid applied to a garment before direct-to-garment printing so the ink bonds to the fibre instead of soaking in and going dull. Essential on dark shirts, where it also gives the white underbase something to sit on. Applied unevenly it leaves a visible rectangle around the print after washing, which is one of the most common complaints about DTG work.
Giving ink something to hold
Pretreatment is a liquid sprayed or rolled onto a garment before DTG printing and pressed to dry it. It contains agents that make water-based ink sit up on the fibre rather than wicking into it.
Without it, ink soaks in and the print comes out pale, blurred and weak.
On dark garments it does a second job: giving the white underbase a surface to build on so it stays opaque rather than sinking.
Getting it wrong is visible
Too little and the print is dull and washes out early.
Too much, or unevenly applied, and the pretreatment itself becomes visible — the notorious square or halo around a DTG print, most obvious after the first wash and on dark colours.
Applied and then not pressed properly, it leaves the fabric stiff in patches.
Practical notes
It is garment-specific: the right quantity for a light cotton tee is wrong for a heavy fleece.
It has to be dry before printing, which means a press cycle per garment and is part of why DTG is slower than it looks.
Some blanks are sold pre-pretreated for exactly this reason, which is worth asking about on a large DTG order.
Common questions
- What is DTG pretreatment?
- A liquid applied to a garment before direct-to-garment printing so water-based ink sits on the fibre instead of soaking in. On dark shirts it also gives the white underbase a surface to build on.
- Do you need pretreatment for DTG on white shirts?
- Usually a lighter application, but some is still needed for colour vibrancy and wash durability. Dark garments need considerably more, because of the white underbase.
- Why is there a stiff square around my DTG print?
- Pretreatment applied too heavily or unevenly. It is most visible after the first wash and on dark colours.
Where this comes up
See also
Last reviewed