Need to develop your product line with vivid, long-lasting prints? If the reply’s sure, then you definitely’ve come to the precise place.
Proper now, direct-to-film (DTF) printing is among the most versatile strategies out there within the print trade.
Most print strategies are restricted to a variety of comparable materials, like cotton and cotton-blended supplies. With a DTF print, you may work with more durable cloth varieties like polyester, fleece, nylon, and, after all, traditional cotton.
Learn on to study extra in regards to the DTF printing course of and the way it compares to different printing strategies.
What’s DTF printing?
DTF printing includes printing a design onto a bit of PET movie (a particular movie with a coating that helps switch designs) utilizing water-based inks and a particular adhesive powder. Then, the design on the PET movie is heat-transferred to the material utilizing a warmth press machine. This printing methodology is sturdy, and the designs are detailed and vibrant.
Supply: Printful
How does DTF printing work?
DTF printing is pretty fast in comparison with different printing strategies. It’s additionally a fantastic alternative for printing detailed designs on cumbersome out of doors attire.
Excited about the way it works? Let’s break down the DTF printing course of.
Step 1: Making ready the movie
First, a PET movie is ready and positioned within the DTF printing machine the place all the design is printed in colour.
After creating the primary layer, the machine prints a white layer over all the picture, fully protecting the primary layer. Try the photograph under should you’re curious how DTF print designs look as soon as printed on PET movie.
Subsequent, an adhesive powder is uniformly utilized onto the moist ink. After making use of the powder evenly and eradicating any extra, the movie is heated to organize for cloth switch. Adhesive heating is completed in a curing oven or a warmth press machine.
Supply: Printful
Step 2: Pre-pressing cloth and utilizing a warmth press
With the PET movie preheated, the material receiving the design will get dehumidified and pre-flattened beneath a warmth press.
After preliminary flattening, the printed movie is positioned on the pre-pressed cloth. The design on the movie is then transferred onto the garment utilizing a warmth press for 15 to twenty seconds at a mean temperature of 165°C.
Supply: Printful
Step 3: Peeling the movie and post-pressing the material
With the design transferred onto the material, the second-to-last step is to rigorously scorching peel the movie. In contrast to chilly peel transfers, the switch is eliminated instantly whereas the movie continues to be scorching—that’s how we do it at Printful (and the way most different DTF printing suppliers peel it).
When the movie is eliminated, the designed cloth is flattened a second time within the warmth press to assist enhance the design’s sturdiness. After post-pressing, the garment is able to pack and ship to prospects.
Supply: Printful
DTF printing execs
Direct-to-film is a favourite amongst {custom} attire companies for its versatility and high-quality outcomes. Whether or not you’ve received small-scale initiatives otherwise you run a big enterprise, this methodology provides a number of benefits that stand out within the printing trade:
1. Large cloth compatibility
In contrast to DTG printing, which is primarily suited to cotton materials, DTF printing works with numerous supplies, together with polyester, cotton, nylon, and blends. This flexibility permits companies to diversify their product choices and cater to broader buyer wants.
2. Vibrant colours and sharp particulars
The specialised inks guarantee DTF prints have daring, vivid colours and sharp particulars, even on darkish materials. That is notably advantageous for companies prioritizing skilled outcomes and crowd pleasing designs.
Supply: Printful
3. No pre-treatment required
In contrast to different strategies, DTF printing skips the pre-treatment course of, saving time and labor. This makes it a sooner and extra environment friendly choice for companies engaged on tight deadlines.
4. Sturdiness
DTF transfers are recognized for his or her wonderful sturdiness. The adhesive powder used through the course of ensures the design bonds securely to the material. The result’s a print that resists cracking, peeling, and fading, even after a number of washes.
5. Value-effective for small designs
DTF printing provides a cost-efficient answer for smaller designs or logos in comparison with different strategies like display printing, which could contain increased setup prices.
These advantages make DTF printing a compelling alternative for companies seeking to supply high-quality designs, quick turnarounds, and a broad vary of custom-made merchandise.
DTF printing cons
Whereas DTF printing provides many benefits, you could contemplate its limitations to make an knowledgeable resolution.
1. Specialised gear and supplies
Supply: Printful
Implementing DTF printing requires funding in particular gear, reminiscent of DTF printers, PET movies, and adhesive powders. This specialised setup can result in increased preliminary prices in comparison with different strategies. Nevertheless, you may lower these bills with on-demand achievement. Extra on that later.
2. Upkeep and technical experience
Working DTF printers calls for common upkeep and a sure degree of technical know-how. With out correct repairs, points like print head clogging or inconsistent print high quality could come up, doubtlessly affecting manufacturing effectivity and buyer satisfaction.
3. Print texture and really feel
DTF prints contain making use of a layer of adhesive powder, which may end up in a barely firmer texture in comparison with different strategies like DTG printing. This distinction in texture would possibly affect buyer satisfaction, particularly for attire gadgets, like lounge or sleepwear, the place a softer contact is most well-liked.
4. Environmental concerns
The DTF course of makes use of PET movies and adhesive powders, which can increase environmental issues because of materials waste and the usage of non-biodegradable elements. Companies aiming for eco-friendly practices ought to weigh these elements when selecting printing strategies or on-demand suppliers.
By understanding these potential drawbacks, you’ll be higher capable of assess whether or not DTF printing aligns along with your monetary and operational capabilities and sustainability objectives.
DTF printing in comparison with different print strategies
With so many print strategies, you’ve received to slim down which one most closely fits your long-term enterprise objectives. To make it simpler, we’ve put collectively a quick comparability of DTF printing alongside different widespread print strategies.
Take note of the forms of designs and materials that work finest for DTF prints, DTG prints, in addition to with sublimation and display printing. That approach, you may plan what strategies to make use of along with your model’s product choice in thoughts.
Direct-to-film vs. display printing
Screen printing is among the hottest strategies to make use of within the printing trade. This print methodology pushes ink layer by layer by way of a woven display or mesh stencil onto cloth.
A woven display needs to be made for every colour and design component, and on the finish of the printing course of, ink lays on prime of the material as an alternative of soaking into it. Display screen-printed designs can even really feel totally different relying on how detailed the unique paintings is. Extra artwork particulars require extra ink layers, leading to a thicker really feel on the garment.
Concerning DTF printing, the transferred design has a extra uniform really feel that doesn’t change into thicker regardless of what number of colours or design components are added.
Supply: Printful
Be taught extra: DTF vs. Screen Printing? Which Method Fits Your Brand?
Display screen printing works finest for stable designs with out small particulars, reminiscent of symbols, shapes, and geometric designs. Alternatively, DTF printing works nicely with particulars because it doesn’t require separate layers for design components or colours. DTF printing additionally doesn’t require a specifically made mesh display for every design—only a printer, switch movie, printing powder, and a warmth press.
The pliability with design components and colour rely makes DTF printing extra pleasant to one-off prints. That is useful when:
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You need to take a look at simply 1 product
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You don’t know your potential demand
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There’s no time for bulk manufacturing, and also you want merchandise ASAP
Whereas on-demand printing is just about practically inconceivable with display printing (as that might be too costly), it outshines different strategies in bulk manufacturing. Screenprinting can be cheaper than DTF printing if:
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you’ll have an enormous demand for the product
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You’ve received the sources to retailer product inventory when the gross sales are gradual
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You’re prepping merchandise for a big occasion like a live performance or convention
Supply: Printful
Direct-to-film vs. direct-to-garment printing
In easy phrases, direct-to-garment printing (DTG printing) works by spraying ink immediately onto cloth. Nevertheless, earlier than any ink might be sprayed, a pre-treatment answer needs to be utilized to the material. After the answer is added, the DTG printer sprays the water-based inks onto the garment. The ink soaks into the material fibers, after which, the design is cured to spice up print high quality.
Be taught extra: DTG vs. DTF Printing: Which Method Is Better for Your Designs?
DTG printing works primarily on cotton blends and is finest suited to 100% cotton merchandise. So, should you’re enthusiastic about promoting largely cotton-based attire, that is very best.
In case you’d like to incorporate merchandise made of various cloth varieties, like lively put on, in your catalog, think about using the DTF printing method as nicely.
Supply: Printful
Direct-to-film vs. sublimation printing
Sublimation printing has skilled rapid growth over the previous few a long time. It’s some of the widespread printing strategies and permits you to cowl all the garment along with your paintings.
It takes a very long time, although. Sublimation includes printing designs on particular sublimation paper after which transferring them to cloth with a warmth press.
This method is appropriate for printing on various kinds of polyester, like polymer-coated cloth and polyester cloth blends. This printing method can also be used on merchandise like mouse pads, mugs, and blankets.
Be taught extra: DTF Printing vs. Sublimation: Which Method Should You Go For?
In case your assortment will primarily encompass artificial cloth gadgets like leggings or swimwear, sublimation printing can be superior to DTF printing.
In case you plan to incorporate totally different cloth blends in your catalog, contemplate DTF printing alongside sublimation. With DTF printing, you don’t should depend on polyester blends solely.
Interested by totally different printing strategies? Try our different posts evaluating sublimation and screen printing and DTG and screen printing for extra particulars.
Direct-to-film printing at Printful
We need to present the most effective expertise for our print-on-demand prospects, so presently, we’re providing DTF printing for a choose few merchandise.
The know-how is comparatively new, and each supplier within the trade continues to be growing the most effective printing strategies. As soon as we’ve perfected the method, we’re trying ahead to increasing the product vary for this method.
Listed below are among the merchandise you may attempt the DTF printing methodology on:
Supply: Printful
You too can design inside labels for sure merchandise utilizing DTF printing.
Supply: Printful
With inside labels, you’ll be capable of present prospects with professionally-branded attire.
Supply: Printful
Valuready learn: How to Prepare a File for DTF Printing: Complete Guide
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Join free -
373 {custom} merchandise -
Promote with out stock
put together a print file for direct-to-film printing
To make sure your DTF print seems nicely, verify our strategies under.
File sort and graphics decision
It’s finest to make use of a PDF file with a clear background. We suggest a decision of at the least 300 DPI to create a pleasant, crisp ultimate design.
Semi-transparencies
We strongly advise towards semi-transparencies, as they don’t produce good-quality prints for DTF printing. High quality points occur as a result of the sting of a design is extra seen on the ultimate print, making the halftone impact dotted and fuzzy. Basically, transparencies have a blurred impact.
Right here’s an instance of how a halftone seems on a design and to the human eye.
Supply: Wikipedia
Colours and the colour gamut
We print utilizing the CYMK PSO V3 colour gamut. In relation to print efficiency on the ultimate product, CMYK colours seem extra saturated.
Please be aware that neon colours could look a bit totally different when printed with DTF printers. In case you submit a file with neon or saturated colour profiling, the printer will choose the closest out there colour.
We recommend utilizing the most recent sRGB colour profile. The particular profile we suggest is sRGB IEC61966-2.1. Why? CYMK recordsdata are giant and should be processed with superior graphics software program, which might be troublesome to run. In the meantime, sRGB colour profiles are simpler to run and some of the generally used colour profiles within the custom-printing trade.
To assist stop any print points, why not create your own color swatch? That approach, you may see precisely how your colour profile appears to be like when printed.
Now you understand every little thing about direct-to-film printing
DTF printing is a flexible print methodology used on totally different materials for vibrant and resilient designs, particularly these with intricate particulars and totally different components.
In case you’re enthusiastic about a printing method that’ll permit you to develop your product providing, it is best to think about using the DTF printing know-how. Signal as much as keep knowledgeable about new merchandise turning into out there for design with this method.
Learn subsequent: What’s the Best Method for Printing T-Shirts
Selecting between DTF printing and sublimation printing is determined by the materials you need to print on and your designs.n
DTF printing works on many materials, together with cotton, polyester, silk, and blends. DTF prints are vivid and sturdy—very best for out of doors or heavyweight clothes and gadgets which can be washed usually.n
Sublimation printing works on artificial supplies like spandex or polyester. It’s excellent should you want sturdy prints with wealthy colours spanning the entire garment.”}},{“@sort”:”Query”,”title”:”Is DTF printing higher than DTG printing?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@sort”:”Reply”,”textual content”:”
When deciding between DTF and DTG printing, contemplate the material and design. DTF printing produces vivid, detailed prints on numerous supplies, making it very best for heavy-duty sportswear, outerwear, luggage, and hats. Conversely, DTG printing is well-suited for cotton and pure materials, offering breathability and sturdiness, notably for bigger designs.”}},{“@sort”:”Query”,”title”:”How lengthy does DTF printing final?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@sort”:”Reply”,”textual content”:”
DTF prints usually final a very long time with proper care. These prints are durable and can withstand regular washing without fading, peeling, or cracking, ensuring your designs stay crisp for a long time.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What are the disadvantages of DTF printing?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”
DTF printing isn’t the best for large designs as it’s not breathable. This may lead to discomfort, especially when wearing DTF-printed garments for extended periods, particularly in warmer climates or during physical activity.”}}]}
Frequently asked questions
Choosing between DTF printing and sublimation printing depends on the fabrics you want to print on and your designs.
DTF printing works on many fabrics, including cotton, polyester, silk, and blends. DTF prints are vivid and durable—ideal for outdoor or heavyweight garments and items that are washed often.
Sublimation printing works on synthetic materials like spandex or polyester. It’s perfect if you need durable prints with rich colors spanning the whole garment.
When deciding between DTF and DTG printing, consider the fabric and design. DTF printing produces vivid, detailed prints on various materials, making it ideal for heavy-duty sportswear, outerwear, bags, and hats. Conversely, DTG printing is well-suited for cotton and natural fabrics, providing breathability and durability, particularly for larger designs.
DTF prints typically last a long time with proper care. These prints are sturdy and may face up to common washing with out fading, peeling, or cracking, making certain your designs keep crisp for a very long time.
DTF printing isn’t the most effective for giant designs because it’s not breathable. This may occasionally result in discomfort, particularly when carrying DTF-printed clothes for prolonged durations, notably in hotter climates or throughout bodily exercise.
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