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Blog / Beginner's handbook / What You Need to Know About Direct-to-Film Printing

Beginner's handbook

What You Need to Know about Direct-to-Film Printing

What You Need to Know about Direct-to-Film Printing
Cloe Ann Montoya

By Cloe Ann Montoya

7 min read

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.

Read on to learn more about the DTF printing process and how it compares to other printing methods.

What is DTF printing?

DTF printing involves printing a design onto a piece of PET film (a special film with a coating that helps transfer designs) using water-based inks and a special adhesive powder. Then, the design on the PET film is heat-transferred to fabric using a heat press machine. This printing method is durable and the designs come out detailed and vibrant.

a man and woman standing in a hallway

Source: Printful

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.

a black box with a white line on it

Source: Printful

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.

how-direct-to-film-print-works

Source: Printful

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.  

a person holding a black box with a purple butterfly on it

Source: Printful

DTF printing compared to other print methods

With so many print methods to choose from, you’ve got to narrow down which method suits your long-term business goals the best. To make it easier for you, we’ve put together a brief comparison of DTF printing alongside other popular print techniques.

Pay attention to the types of designs and fabrics that work best for DTF prints, DTG prints, as well as with sublimation or screen printing. That way, you’ll be able to plan what techniques to use with your brand’s product selection in mind.

Direct-to-film vs. screen printing

Screen printing is one of the most popular methods to use in the printing industry. This print method works by pushing ink layer by layer through a woven screen or mesh stencil onto fabric.

A woven screen has to be made for each color and design element, and at the end of the printing process, ink lays on top of the fabric instead of soaking into it. Screen-printed designs can also feel different depending on how detailed the original artwork is. More art details require more ink layers, resulting in a thicker feel on the garment. When it comes to DTF printing, the transferred design has a more uniform feel that doesn’t become thicker no matter what colors or design elements are added.

Learn more: DTF vs. Screen Printing? Which Method Fits Your Brand?

Screen printing works best for solid designs without small details, such as symbols, shapes, and geometric designs. Alternatively, DTF printing works well with details as it doesn’t require separate layers for design elements or colors. DTF printing also doesn’t require a specially-made mesh screen for each design, just a printer, transfer film, printing powder, and a heat press.

a woman sitting on the floor with headphones on

Source: Printful

Direct-to-film vs. direct-to-garment printing

In simple terms, direct-to-garment printing (DTG printing) works by spraying ink directly onto fabric. However, before any ink can be sprayed, a pre-treatment solution has to be applied to the fabric. After the solution is added, the DTG printer sprays the water-based inks onto the garment. The ink gets soaked into the fabric fibers, and after, the design is cured to boost print quality.

Learn more: DTG vs. DTF Printing: Which Method Is Better for Your Designs?

DTG printing works mainly on cotton blends and is best suited for 100% cotton products. So if you’re interested in selling mostly cotton-based apparel, this is ideal. If you’d like to include products made of different fabric types in your catalog, consider using the DTF printing technique as well.

preview play-button

Source: Printful

Direct-to-film vs. sublimation printing

Sublimation printing has experienced rapid growth over the past few decades. It’s one of the most popular printing methods and allows you to cover the entire garment with your artwork.

It takes a long time to do though. Sublimation involves printing designs on special sublimation paper and then transferring them to fabric with a heat press.

This technique is suitable for printing on different types of polyester, like polymer-coated fabric and polyester fabric blends. This printing technique is also used on products like mouse pads, mugs, and blankets.

Learn more: DTF Printing vs. Sublimation: Which Method Should You Go For?

If you plan to include different fabric blends in your catalog, consider DTF printing alongside sublimation. With DTF printing, you don’t have to rely on polyester blends only.

Curious about the different printing business techniques? Check out our other posts comparing sublimation and screen printing, and DTG and screen printing for more details.

Direct-to-film printing at Printful

We want to provide the best experience for our print-on-demand customers, so currently, we’re offering DTF printing for a select few products.

The technology is relatively new and the best methods of printing are still being developed by every provider in the industry. Once we’ve perfected the process, we’re looking forward to expanding the product range for this technique.

Here are some of the products you can try the DTF printing method on:

a person in a yellow jacket with black text on it

Source: Printful

You can also design inside labels for certain products using DTF printing.

direct-to-film-print-printful-dtf-inside-label

Source: Printful

With inside labels, you’ll be able to provide customers with professionally-branded apparel.

a man wearing a hat drinking from a straw

Source: Printful

We want to provide the best experience for our customers, so at the moment we’re still exploring DTF printing as a standalone technique.

Once we’ve perfected the process, we’re looking forward to opening up a range of products using this technique.

Valuable read: How to Prepare a File for DTF Printing: Complete Guide

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How to prepare a print file for direct-to-film printing

To ensure your DTF print quality turns out well, check our suggestions below.

File type and graphics resolution

It’s best to use a PDF file with a transparent background. We recommend a resolution of at least 300 DPI to create a nice, crisp final design.

Semi-transparencies

We strongly advise against semi-transparencies as they don’t produce good quality prints for DTF printing. Quality issues happen because the edge of a design is more visible on the final print, making the halftone effect dotted and fuzzy. Essentially, transparencies have a blurred effect.

Here’s an example of how a halftone appears on a design and to the human eye.

half-tone-direct-to-film-printing-printful-dtf
Source: Wikipedia

Colors and the color gamut

We print using the CYMK PSO V3 color gamut. When it comes to print performance on the final product, CMYK colors appear more saturated. 

Please keep in mind that neon colors may come out looking a little different when printed with DTF printers. This is because if you submit a file with neon or saturated color profiling, the printer will select the closest available color.

We suggest using the latest sRGB color profile. The specific profile we recommend is sRGB IEC61966-2.1. Why? CYMK files are large and need to be processed with advanced graphics software, which can be difficult to run. Meanwhile, sRGB color profiles are easier to run and one of the most commonly used color profiles used in the custom-printing industry.

To help prevent any print issues, why not create your own color swatch? That way, you can see exactly how your color profile looks when printed.

Now you know everything about direct-to-film printing

DTF printing is a versatile print method that can be used on different fabrics for vibrant and resilient designs, especially those with intricate details and different elements.

If you’re interested in a printing technique that’ll allow you to expand your product offering, you should consider using the DTF printing technology. Register to stay updated on when more products will be available to design using this new technique.

Read next: What’s the Best Method for Printing T-Shirts

Frequently asked questions

Choosing between DTF printing and sublimation printing depends on the fabrics you want to print on and the kind of designs you want to create.

 

DTF printing works on many fabrics, including cotton, polyester, silk, and blends. DTF prints are vibrant and durable—ideal for outdoor or heavyweight garments and items that are washed often.

 

Sublimation printing works on polyester materials. It’s perfect if you need vibrant, durable prints that span across the whole garment.

When deciding between DTF and DTG printing, consider the fabric and design. DTF printing excels in producing vivid, detailed prints on various materials, making it ideal for heavy-duty sportswear, outerwear, bags, and hats. Conversely, DTG printing is well-suited for cotton and natural fabrics, providing breathability and durability, particularly for larger designs.

DTF prints typically last a long time with proper care. These prints are durable and can withstand regular washing without fading, peeling, or cracking, ensuring your designs stay vibrant for a long time.

DTF printing isn’t the best for large designs as it’s not breathable. This may lead to discomfort, especially when wearing DTF-printed garments for extended periods, particularly in warmer climates or during physical activity.

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By Cloe Ann Montoya on Apr 29, 2024

Cloe Ann Montoya

Blog author

Cloe is a former Content Marketing Specialist at Printful. Her educational background includes a Bachelors of Science in Management and Economics and a Masters of Science in International Governance and Diplomacy. She loves reading fantasy books and going for long hikes with her dog, a rambunctious jackadoodle.

Cloe is a former Content Marketing Specialist at Printful. Her educational background includes a Bachelors of Science in Management and Economics and a Masters of Science in International Governance and Diplomacy. She loves reading fantasy books and going for long hikes with her dog, a rambunctious jackadoodle.