DTF stands for direct-to-film. Rather than printing into a garment, the printer lays colour and a white underbase onto a PET film, glues it with adhesive powder, cures it, and heat-presses it across.
Artwork prepared with the white underbase generated correctly — the single biggest cause of poor transfers is a bad underbase.
Colour and white printed onto PET film in one pass, mirrored ready for transfer.
Adhesive powder applied to the wet white ink and the excess shaken off so edges stay clean.
Melted to a smooth, tacky finish — not baked hard. The transfer is now shelf-stable and can be stored.
Heat-pressed onto the garment, peeled hot or cold depending on the film, then given a second press to set it.
No process wins everywhere. This is the honest version.
| Method | Best at | Struggles with |
|---|---|---|
| DTF | Full colour on any fabric or colour, short runs, transfers made in advance | Very large solid areas can feel heavy; white ink needs daily maintenance |
| DTG | Soft hand-feel on light cotton, photographic detail | Polyester and dark garments need pre-treatment; slower per garment |
| Sublimation | All-over prints on white or light polyester, permanent and zero hand-feel | Will not work on cotton or dark fabric at all |
| Cut vinyl | One or two flat colours, names and numbers, very durable | Weeding is slow; photographic and multi-colour artwork is impractical |
| Screen print | Cheapest per unit at high volume, very durable | Setup cost per colour makes short runs and one-offs uneconomic |
Yes, when it is done properly. A correctly cured and pressed transfer handles normal domestic washing without cracking or lifting.
Describe what you print and we will tell you honestly whether DTF, DTG or something else is the right answer.
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