Pick screen printing when one design is going on hundreds of shirts, like a show day at Tampa Convention Center or a festival crowd. Pick DTF when the art is full-color or changes for each guest, which covers most activations and private parties. If you need both, we can run both inside one station.
Screen printing
Ink pushed through a mesh screen by hand, one color per screen. For one to three colors it's the quickest way through a long line, and the print wears well. The tradeoff: every screen is burned in Fullerton before the freight leaves, so the design is locked once it ships. That's fine for a convention booth with one show graphic, or a Gasparilla crew that all wants the same shirt.
DTF transfers
DTF prints your art onto film, and we heat-press it onto the garment. There's no limit on colors and no screen to change, so a photo, a gradient or a guest's name costs nothing extra, and every shirt can be different. It suits a brand activation on Water Street with several designs, or a Hyde Park wedding weekend where each shirt carries a name.
Tampa's humidity doesn't decide the method, but it does change how we handle the blanks and film: they stay sealed until they're pressed, and each shirt gets a short pre-press. Still undecided? Send the art and a headcount. We'll recommend one, or put a press on the main design and DTF on the names inside the same 10×10 space.