What direct‑to‑film printing brings to your product range
DTF printing is the newest player in the custom apparel game, and it's here to push your product lineup further. It can handle hyper-detailed artwork, photo-realistic graphics, fine lines, and tiny text, so DTF delivers bold, vibrant results that pop on nearly any fabric.
DTF works where DTG can’t, making it ideal for heavy-duty sportswear, performance apparel, and harder-to-print materials:
- Polyester
- Fleece
- Cotton
- Nylon
- And a wide variety of blends
Bonus: You can now use DTF printing to create stunning custom hats. If embroidery isn’t the right fit for your artwork, DTF gives you a slick alternative – without compromising on impact or quality.
Here’s why direct-to-film printing is your next fave design technique
How direct-to-film printing works
The new technique uses a 2-step process:
1. The design is directly printed onto a special film using water-based inks.
2. The film is then coated with a special adhesive powder and a heat press is used to transfer the design onto the fabric
Create lifelike and vibrant art
Direct-to-film printing can easily take on complex and intricate designs.
With this technique, you can:
- Keep designs looking fresh even with heavy wash and wear
- Make color or text come alive on designs using transparent space
- Create designs for more fabrics (compared to the direct-to-garment print technique)
Because the printing process involves the direct transfer of images onto fabric, designs come out detailed and color gradients transition smoothly from one shade to another.
DTG printing & DTF printing
What’s the difference between direct-to-garment and direct-to-film fulfillment techniques? In this video, we break down each fulfillment technique and give you a behind-the-scenes look at the fulfillment process so you can make an informed choice.
How to create direct-to-film products
Choose a product
Pick a product from our catalog that allows DTF printing
Add a design
Upload your file or create one with our Design Maker
You’re all set
Place your order or add the product to your online store
Try direct-to-film now!
Design your own hat, t-shirt, or other trendy products
Choose a product and start designing
FAQ
The direct-to-film printing lets you print on materials that other printing methods can’t handle. It also makes your designs highly durable and resistant to cracking.
Direct-to-film prints are durable and don’t fade with use. In fact, the print might feel slightly stiff at first but will wear in after a few washes.
The ink doesn’t soak into the fabric but is pressed on top of the fabric with heat and a special adhesive powder, as a result, the printed designs are resistant to cracking and can handle heavy use and cold to lukewarm washes. However, if garments are washed in very hot water there’s a chance the design may develop small cracks.
We recommend ironing garments inside out as ironing the print might change its color. For example, white design elements could turn yellow.
Yes, if you’re a Printful-registered ecommerce store owner. You can order products with direct-to-film printed inside labels using a 20% discount. Plus, you’re qualified for 1 sample order each month, with a maximum of 3 items per order.
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