DTF — Direct-to-Film — has gone from a niche technique to a serious alternative for small runs and specialist applications within just a few years. It combines the colour brilliance of DTG with significantly better wash-resistance and works on almost any substrate. We explain what lies behind the technique.
How DTF works
The design is printed with specialist inks onto a transparent PET film. Hot-melt powder is then applied and the film is cured in an oven. The finished transfer is placed onto the textile, pressed with heat and pressure, and the film is peeled away. What remains is a soft, elastic print — on the textile, not on top of it.
DTF vs. screen printing vs. DTG
- DTF vs. screen printing: no setup costs, so better for small quantities; screen printing cheaper from 100+ units
- DTF vs. DTG: better wash-resistance, no pre-treatment needed, works on dark fabrics without quality loss
- DTF on polyester: works — screen printing not always
- DTF on cotton, blended fabrics, leather, canvas: all suitable
- Photo prints and gradients: DTF delivers excellent results
When DTF is the right choice
DTF is ideal when you want to produce small runs with many motif variants, are printing on dark or synthetic fabrics, need photo-realistic motifs or gradients, or want to save the budget for screen-printing setup. With quantities over 200 units of the same motif, screen printing usually becomes more economical.
„DTF is not the screen-printing killer — but it has dramatically lowered the entry barrier for professional textile printing.“
— palstudios print team
Tip: DTF transfers can be produced in advance and stored. This opens up interesting possibilities for print-on-demand models with a stock of transfers instead of finished products.
