What is DTF?
Direct to film, commonly known as DTF, is a process in which a graphic printed onto a piece of film with various colored inks is applied to an apparel item. This pre-printed film is binded to the garment through heat and pressure from a heat-press machine.
Want to expand your product line with vivid, long-lasting prints? If the answer’s yes, then you’ve come to the right place.
Right now, direct-to-film (DTF) printing is one of the most versatile techniques available in the print industry.
Most print methods are limited to a range of similar fabrics, like cotton and cotton-blended materials. With a DTF print, you can work with tougher fabric varieties like polyester, fleece, nylon, and of course, classic cotton.
How does DTF printing work?
DTF printing is fairly quick to do compared to other printing methods. It’s also a great choice for printing detailed designs on bulky, outdoor apparel.
Interested in how it works? Let’s break down the DTF printing process.
Step 1: Preparing the film
First, a PET film is prepared and placed in the DTF printing machine where the entire design is printed in color.
After the first layer is created, the machine prints a white layer over the entire image, completely covering the first layer. Check out the image below if you’re curious about how DTF print designs look once printed on PET film.
Next, an adhesive powder is uniformly applied onto the wet ink. After applying the powder evenly and removing all excess powder, the film is heated to prepare it for fabric transfer. Adhesive heating is done in either a curing oven or with a heat press machine.
Step 2: Pre-pressing fabric and using a heat press
With the PET film preheated, the fabric receiving the design gets dehumidified and pre-flattened by being kept under a heat press.
After initial flattening, the printed film is taken and placed on the pre-pressed fabric. The design on the film is then transferred using a heat press for 15 to 20 seconds at an average temperature of 165°C onto the garment.
Step 3: Peeling the film and post-pressing the fabric
With the design transferred onto the fabric, the second-to-last step is to carefully hot peel the film. Unlike cold peel transfers, the transfer is removed immediately while the film is still hot, which is the method we use at Printful (and is common among most DTF providers).
When the film is removed, the designed fabric is flattened a second time in the heat press to help improve the design’s durability. After post-pressing, the garment is ready to pack and ship to customers.