A comprehensive guide to Direct To Film Printing (DTF) for custom merch and accessories
| Jan, 31 , 23
The custom merch manufacturing industry has seen rapid growth in the last decade. The demand for high-quality customized apparel and accessories, like t-shirts, hoodies, socks, caps, beanies, etc., is at an all-time high. It has allowed innovation and progress, and we have witnessed the most growth in the digital printing space, with more users now preferring those. The methods allow ease, simplicity, material performance, color and design consistency, and cost-effectiveness. Several processes come under the digital custom merch printing umbrella; one is Direct To Film (DTF) printing. The process provides incredible color vibrancy and helps you expand your products. It is one of the most versatile techniques in the industry that you can use on various items and materials. In the blog, we will discuss everything about DTF and how it stands against other popular methods.
What is DTF printing?
The process is straightforward - they print on a film and transfer the design onto the fabric. It uses a unique film with a coating, water-based inks, and powder adhesive. The process allows you to choose fabrics like cotton, polyester, blended, silk, rayon, etc. It gives extraordinary results with vibrant colors and bold and durable texts.
DTF process:
The methods have a few prerequisites.
- Printer:The Direct To Film printers use the basic 6-color; it provides the convenience of operation as CMYK. It has a mechanism to prevent the appearance of linings on the white layer.
- Films: It uses PET films that are different from screen printing ones. The thickness is 0.75 mm with better transfer properties and is available as cut sheets and rolls for small-scale and commercial use. Another classification is hot-peel and cold-peel.
- Software: The print, colors, and performance depend upon it. It needs to handle CMYK and white.
- Hot-melt adhesive powder: It is an adhesive material that binds the colored pigments to the fabric. The various grades are in microns; manufacturers select the appropriate one per need.
- Inks:Cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and white are the special pigment inks. The white lays out the foundation onto which they print the artwork.
- The automatic powder shaker applies the powder evenly and removes the extra.
- They melt the hold melt power for the transfer film with a curing oven.
- The heat press machine transfers the images on the film onto the material. They also use it to help the hot melt power in no-contact mode.
Steps of Direct To Film (DTF) printing:
We can use the process to customize various items, like t-shirts, hoodies, socks, etc. The process involves several steps that we can divide as:
- Printing on film:It uses PET film to create the entire image in white. They print the image on the white image layer using appropriate color settings. It is the mirror image of the actual design.
- Powdering:The steps involve the application of hot-melt powder with a printed image. They apply it when the ink is wet and removes the excess. It is vital to spread the powder over the print surface. Automatic shakers make the process simple.
- Melting the powder:There are various ways, but the most common one is putting the film with the printed image and applying it in the curing oven and heating. They also use a heat press when it is unavailable. It takes around 2-5 minutes with a temperature of 160-170 degrees celsius; various powders have different specifications.
- Pre-pressing: Manufacturers pre-press the fabric before transferring the image by the film. They press the fabric in the heat press for about 2-5 seconds. It flattens and dehumidifies the material. The process ensures the proper transfer of the image from the film onto the fabric.
- Transfer:It is the soul of the DTF process. They put the PET film with the image and melted powder on the pre-pressed fabric. We also know the process as curing, and it forms a strong adhesion between the material and the film. They do the process at a temperature of 160-170 degrees for 15-20 seconds approx. Now, the film is attached to the fabric firmly.
- Cold-peel:They let it cool down to room temperature before pulling the film. The hot melt has a similar nature to amides. As it cools, it binds the colored pigments with the material. They peel the fabric afterward. It leaves the design over the fabric.
- Post-pressing is an optional step, but they recommend it highly for the best results. They heat press for around 10-15 seconds; it ensures high-performance parameters, like rub fastness, and wash.
Pros and cons of the DTF printing process:
Advantages:
- The process works with almost every fabric.
- It does not need pre-treatment.
- The materials exhibit wash characteristics.
- It has a slight hand feel.
- The process is fast and less tedious compared to a few others.
Disadvantages:
- It has less vibrant colors compared to sublimation printing.
- The feel of the print area is affected slightly.
How does the process compare with other methods?
There are various processes to print on t-shirts, hoodies, socks, etc. It can confuse people. Consider your business goals and image to choose. Here is a comparison alongside other popular ones.
DTF vs. screen-printing:
Screen printing is one of the most famous techniques; we use it for various fabrics. The process uses a mesh stencil or woven screen to push ink onto the material. It requires a woven screen for each design and color because ink lays on top of it. The artwork depends on the details and can feel different each time. You require more ink layers to create fine details that result in thicker fabric. The DTF printing feels modern and uniform. It does not become thick despite many colors and design elements.
Screen printing gives the best results with solid artwork without intricate details, like symbols, shapes, etc. Since DTF does not need separate layers, it works well with intricate details and gives consistent results.
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DTF |
Screen printing |
|
It creates uniform designs with intricate details. |
It works best for solid colors and fewer details. |
|
It requires a printer, transfer film, printing powder, and a heat press/ oven. |
It requires a mesh stencil or woven screen. |
|
The design has a uniform feel. |
More details require more ink layers and can result in a thicker feel. |
|
The ink bonds with the apparel permanently.
|
The ink lays on the material instead of bonding. |
DTF vs. DTG
DTG printing works by spraying ink onto the material but requires pre-conditioning the solution onto the fabric. They add it, and the machine sprays the ink ( water-based) onto it. The ink is absorbed, and they improve the quality with a curing process. It works best for cotton and its blends. It is suitable if you want to make custom t-shirts, hoodies, socks, etc. But, if you like to offer a wide variety of products, you should include DTF.
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DTG |
DTF |
|
It sprays the ink onto the fabric. |
It is a two-step process - a design is created on a film and transferred onto the garment. |
|
It requires pre-treatment. |
It does not require pre-treatment. |
|
The ink is water-based.
|
The ink is not water-based. |
|
The process works best with cotton and its blend. |
The process works with a wide variety of fabrics. |
Sublimation Vs. DTF
Sublimation is one of the most popular methods that has grown fast. It works by printing the design onto a special paper and heat pressing on the apparel to create the design. It works with polyester and its blends. The technique also works for mouse pads, blankets, mugs, etc.
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Sublimation printing |
DTF |
|
It uses special paper and heat-pressing to create a design. |
It is a two-step process - a design is created on a film and transferred onto the garment. |
|
It requires more time. |
It is a fast process. |
|
The process works best with polyester and its blend. |
The method is suitable for a wide variety of fabrics. |
Tips for DTF printing:
- Use a PDF file with a resolution of 150-300 DPI with a transparent background for a crisp design.
- Do not use semi-transparent designs because they do not produce high-quality. The halftone effect becomes dotted and fuzzy.
- CMYK colors appear more saturated, and neon colors might appear different. It happens because the machine selects the closest pigment available.
- Use the latest sRGB color profile because CMYK files are large and require advanced software processing.
Over to you:
DTF is an option for designs with intricate details and various elements. The versatile method removes all the common restrictions when customizing merch and accessories. Since it does not involve pre-treatment, the cost is less, thus a higher profit margin. In addition, you can use it for many fabrics to create sleek and resilient artwork. Consider this method if you are interested in extending your custom product line. The industry would see massive growth with more fabrics, products, and companies using it. When you are ready, connect with EverLighten. For nineteen years, we have helped startups, corporations, sports teams, universities, celebrities, nonprofits, individuals, etc.
The Canadian Sock Company has become famous among young people because of its crazy, fun, and colorful items. They wanted a reliable supplier to produce high-quality socks with a fast turnaround time but could not find one. After searching long and going through numerous testimonials, they contacted EverLighten. We helped customize various socks with 100% satisfaction.
Read the complete story https://everlighten.com/blogs/success-stories/brand-an-canadian-socks-company.
Customize high-quality products with EverLighten:
- Best value: We manufacture custom products in our factory, which helps you to get the best cost in the industry.
- Top quality: Customers get items with the best materials, processes, and packaging.
- Fast turnaround time: EverLighten delivers every order in the least time.
- Comprehensive support: You can contact the customer help team anytime.
- Customer-first: We love helping people and accept every order.
- 100% customization: Customers can customize every aspect - materials, colors, size, artwork, shape, etc.
- Low minimum order quantity: We offer the lowest MOQ in the industry.
- Worldwide delivery: EverLighten delivers to every part of the globe, and customers can track their orders with an online tool.
For more advice, inspiration, and ordering, visit https://everlighten.com/collections/all.
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custom products