Styles 6901, 3321, 3518 & 6101: Blended Black 60/40 Cotton/Polyester - Double Dye
Style 6901ECO: Unisex CVC Recycled Blend Tee 60/40 Organic Cotton/Post-Consumer Recycled Polyester - Double Dye
Styles 4425 & 6904: Unisex Bamboo Tee 70/30 Viscose From Bamboo/Organic Cotton - Double Dye
Styles 3502 & 6902: Washed Jet Black 55/45 Ringspun Cotton/Polyester - Double Dye

Ink Choices

Use Cotton/Poly bleed-resistant inks such as Rutland Street Fighter Low Bleed. If dye migration is a problem on your substrate, use an underbase layer that's made to prevent dye migration.

Lay down a thin layer of ink. A thin layer of ink means you can cure your ink at a lower temperature to help avoid dye migration. Use the highest mesh count possible for your print, make sure your screen tension is where it should be, and set an off-contact distance of about 1/16 inch to reduce the thickness of your ink deposit. Use a Print/Flash Print method to build cured layers.

Best Practices

Polyester-blend substrates have plenty of benefits, but there are some challenges to printing on them. Mainly, these substrates are at risk for dye migration because of their polyester component. When polyester reaches temperatures above 360 degrees, the dye inside the fabric can turn into a gas and become embedded in your ink, tinting your ink the color of the garment.

You can combat dye migration with a few tricks:

• Monitor your dryer temperatures. Know the temperature of your conveyor dryer, and test it regularly. Use a donut temperature probe as you cure your ink.
• Test your substrate. If you're printing on a new polyester blend substrate, test your ink and your normal printing process to see if it avoids dye migration. If the dye does migrate, you might need to consider using a different type of ink on that fabric.
• Monitor your flash cure. You don't have to worry about dye migration only during the final cure; it also can happen if you let your substrate get too hot under your flash unit. Temperature tape on your substrate can help you monitor the temperature of your polyester blend both under the flash cure unit and as your final print travels through the dryer.

1. Stable Color Performance

Cotton garments are typically dyed with fiber-reactive dyes that remain stable during the DTG curing process. This stability prevents unwanted color shifting and ensures printed designs stay clean, accurate, and consistent over time. Note: pigment-dyed cotton can produce inconsistent pretreatment absorption and is not recommended for standard DTG workflows.

2. Superior Ink Absorption

DTG inks are water-based and engineered to bond with natural fibers. Cotton absorbs ink effectively into its fiber structure, resulting in strong adhesion, excellent wash durability, and a soft, smooth print that resists cracking and fading.

3. Reliable Pretreatment Results

Pretreatment performs most consistently on cotton fabrics. It evenly prepares the print surface, supports strong white ink opacity, and minimizes issues like staining, scorching, or visible outlines — leading to more predictable print quality and fewer production variables.

4. Wider Heat Processing Window

Cotton tolerates DTG curing temperatures well, providing a broader margin for error during heat application. This flexibility supports proper ink curing without risking fabric damage or color distortion across varying production conditions.

5. Alignment With Standard DTG Equipment

Most commercial DTG systems are engineered and manufacturer-approved for cotton garments in their standard configuration. Printing on cotton aligns with established workflows, recommended consumables, and validated curing profiles — improving overall production success rates and outcome predictability.

6. Best Use Recommendations

For optimal DTG results, choose 100% cotton garments whenever possible. Blends with a high cotton content — typically 80% or more — can also perform well, though results may vary depending on fabric composition and finishing.

Important Consideration

DTG can be used on cotton/poly blends or other fabric constructions, but these materials may require adjusted pretreatment, modified curing settings, or specialized inks. They can also produce less vibrant prints or reduced wash durability compared to 100% cotton. For polyester-dominant or synthetic substrates, more reliable decoration options include screen printing with low-bleed plastisol inks, dye sublimation (for 100% polyester), or Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing.