DTF Printing Technology: A New Era in Textile Decoration

DTF printer

DTF, or Direct-to-Film, refers to a printing technique that uses special DTF CMYKW inks on hot-peel or cold-peel PET film approximately 0,75 mm thick. For colors to remain visible on darker fabrics, white ink is needed to serve as an underbase.

After the design is printed onto the film, hot-melt adhesive powder is applied to the still-wet ink. In smaller production setups this is usually done by hand, while industrial facilities use automated solutions with vibrating machines. The powder must be applied as evenly as possible, and any excess is removed before the film enters the curing oven or heat press, where it is processed at around 160 degrees Celsius. When using a heat press, it is recommended that the upper platen does not touch the adhesive, leaving a gap of 4 to 7 mm.

The film, with the fully colored and pre-glued design, is then transferred onto the pre-pressed fabric. This step, known as "fixing", takes about 20 seconds at a temperature of 160 to 170 degrees Celsius. Most manufacturers recommend using silicone paper on top to protect the print.

Once the fabric returns to room temperature, cold-peel film can be removed, leaving behind only the printed design. Hot-peel DTF film is less common but more efficient, as it can be removed immediately after the heat press is opened. Through our website you can order high-quality hot-peel DTF PET film, and we use the same film when producing our transfers. With both types of film there is no need to remove excess material (so-called weeding), because only the printed part adheres to the fabric.

As a final step, briefly placing the item back in the heat press is recommended to improve wash and rub resistance. The DTF process works equally well with natural fibers such as cotton or silk and with synthetic materials such as polyester or blends. Thanks to the white ink layer, DTF prints look just as good on dark fabrics as on white or pastel textiles. The print is elastic and crack resistant.

Cutting DTF transfers

DTF printer

Specially designed printers with two or more print heads that can print on PET DTF films using pigment ink

DTF ink

Special pigment inks formulated for printing on DTF films.

Browse our inks

DTF film

Specialized films onto which designs are printed before being transferred to fabric.

Browse our films

Adhesive powder

The key component that allows the design to adhere to the fabric.

Browse our adhesive

Heat press

A standard heat press for applying transfers to t-shirts/fabric.

Online DTF Designer

For beginners For beginners or those without design software, the DTFprint.hr online designer for creating transfer rolls is the perfect solution. With a user-friendly interface and a range of customization tools, creating transfers has never been easier.

Open the online designer

Upload a Print-Ready PDF

For experienced users Upload one or more print-ready PDF files, enter the dimensions, and order DTF transfers for textile products with automatic price calculation based on the ordered length. More meters – more savings!

Upload a Print-Ready PDF