DTF printing on textiles

DTF stands for Direct to Film. The printer lays the image with pigment inks not on the fabric but on clear PET film: first the CMYK colour layer, then a solid layer of white on top. That white underbase is what makes the print equally bright on light and black garments — the key difference from sublimation.

The still-wet print is dusted with hot-melt adhesive powder: it sticks only to the ink and not to clean film. The transfer then goes through an oven where the powder melts into an elastic adhesive base. At this point the print is ready — it can be stored for months before application.

Transfer is done with a heat press: roughly 150–160 °C for 12–15 seconds under pressure. After pressing the film is peeled — cold or hot, depending on the transfer type. Hot peel gives a more matte surface, cold peel a slightly glossier one with a crisper edge.

The finished print is a thin elastic layer that stretches with the fabric and does not crack at folds. But it is a layer: the fabric under it does not breathe, so large solid fills on the back can be felt on the body. Where possible we advise "thinning out" the design — the garment will be more comfortable.