What Is DTF Printing? A Simple Guide

DTF stands for direct-to-film. It is one of the most popular ways to put full-color custom designs on t-shirts, hoodies and bags, and it is how many small print shops, including ours, produce apparel.

How DTF printing works

Your design is printed in color, plus a white underbase, onto a special clear film.
A hot-melt adhesive powder is applied to the wet ink and cured.
The film is placed on the garment and heat-pressed, which transfers the design to the fabric.
The film is peeled away and the design stays on the shirt.

What it is good for

Full-color artwork, gradients and fine detail
Small and medium runs without setup per color
Cotton, polyester and many blended fabrics
Logos, team names and numbers, and multi-color designs

DTF compared with other methods

Screen printing is great for very large quantities of a one- or two-color design. Heat-transfer vinyl cuts solid-color shapes. DTF sits in between: it handles complex multi-color artwork without the per-color setup of screen printing.

Caring for DTF shirts

Follow the care instructions provided with your order. In general, turning the shirt inside out, washing in cool water and avoiding high heat helps any printed design last longer.

Want a DTF order?

See our DTF transfers and custom t-shirt services, or request a quote.

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