What is the DTF? How do you take care of DTF printing?

What is the DTF?

 DTF stands for Direct To Film. This technique involves printing your design directly onto a film and then transferring it to a T-shirt made of cotton, polyester, or their blends, regardless of their colour, as it can work with white ink.

DTF means Direct-to-film. This references a type of printer that prints the design directly to the transfer film, and then is heat pressed onto various garments and other substrates. This method can be used for just about any clothing type and creates a transfer that feels like a soft vinyl transfer.

If you need speed, flexibility, lots of colors, and decorate lots of different items, maybe DTF is a better fit. If you're sticking to athletic wear and just want to make simple projects, HTV could be a fantastic fit. One isn't clearly better than the other because they both excel at different tasks.

Let's begin with fabric and color preferences. DTF is compatible with a wider variety of fabrics, whereas DTG is better suited for organic fabrics like cotton or bamboo. DTF printing is also known to be more vibrant, regardless of the garment color.

Among all the fabrics, cotton, polyester, denim, silk, leather and nylon are the most popular fabrics in DTF printing industry.
  • Cotton Fabric.
  • Polyester Fabric.
  • Denim Fabric
Is DTF printing washable?
Choose washing in low temperatures, about 30-40 oC (86-104 F) or even at a cold wash and use medium washing cycles (600-800 rpm). In addition, washing programs of smaller times (30 min to 1 h) are suggested. Avoid washing the garments again right after washing them.
How do you take care of DTF printing?
To preserve DTF printed garments, follow care instructions, such as cold water washing, avoiding dry cleaning, tumble drying, direct ironing, bleach, and fabric softeners. The time for DTF decoration varies based on factors like job size, design complexity, and film transfer type.
How long do DTF transfers last?
With regular use and standard washing and drying, a DTF print can typically last between 50 to 100 washes. However, some transfer manufacturers recommend turning the shirt inside out before washing and avoiding bleach to help prolong the life of the transfer.
Can you put DTF shirts in the dryer?
After washing the fabrics, air dry them. The use of a tumble dryer is not suggested, as the high temperatures can have an impact on the print. Keep the t-shirts turned inside out (the print's side on the inside) when they are exposed to the sun.

 

Ironing

Everyone's irons, heat, pressure is different when using an iron, so test to find out what works best for you. Remember that you cannot overpress your transfers.