Four stations, four different jobs. Here's how we'd match them to what Detroit events actually look like.
Live DTF printing
When the art has a photo in it, a gradient, or a different name on every piece, DTF is the answer. A dealer meeting where each shirt carries a dealership name, or a launch with the car itself across the chest, runs on it. More on live DTF printing.
Live embroidery
Stitching is slower and it looks like it cost more, which is the point. We'd put it at a supplier dinner, in a VIP room off the auto show floor, or on fleece for a January kickoff. More on live embroidery.
Live hat bar
People build their own cap from a wall of blanks and a tray of patches. It packs small in the freight, and it's the station that pulls a Saturday crowd at Eastern Market. More on the hat bar.
Live screen printing
If one design is going on hundreds of shirts, nothing moves faster. That's the auto-industry launch, the Huntington Place booth and the riverfront festival. Keep it to three colors or fewer. More on live screen printing.
Short version: names or photos, go DTF. A gift that feels expensive, go embroidery or a hat bar. One logo on a big crowd, go screen printing. Plenty of Detroit events pair a core station with a second one.
Want a second opinion? Compare DTF and screen printing side by side, or send us the event and we'll recommend a pair.
Detroit planning notes
Why the season changes the answer here
From November into March a lot of Detroit events want crewnecks and hoodies, which suit embroidery and run slower on a press. Summer riverfront and market crowds want tees, and they want them fast.