Direct-to-Film (DTF) Printing
Direct-to-film — DTF — is the technology that made single-piece, full-color custom apparel practical. It's why we can print you one shirt with a photograph on it without charging setup fees for four separate screens.
Minimum
No minimum. Order one piece or five hundred.
Turnaround
3–7 business days after artwork approval. Same-week turnaround is often possible on small orders.
How it works
The design is printed in CMYK plus white onto a clear PET film, dusted with a hot-melt adhesive powder, cured, and then heat pressed onto the garment. The result is a flexible, vivid, opaque print that works on light and dark fabric alike.
DTF vs. screen printing
Under roughly 24 pieces, DTF almost always wins on price because there's no per-color setup. Above that, screen printing pulls ahead and keeps getting cheaper. We run the math both ways on your quote and tell you which one saves you money.
Fabric flexibility
Screen printing on 100% polyester athletic gear risks dye migration, where the garment dye bleeds up into the ink and turns your white print pink. DTF's adhesive layer handles those fabrics far more reliably, which is why performance tees, jerseys and moisture-wicking polos often go this route.
Care instructions
Wash inside out in cold water and tumble dry low. Treated that way, a DTF print holds up through 50+ wash cycles without cracking or peeling.
Gang sheets for resellers
If you press your own garments, we can print bulk DTF gang sheets — your designs tiled onto film by the linear foot, shipped ready to press. Ask for gang sheet pricing.
What it suits
- One-offs, samples and prototypes
- Photographic or gradient-heavy designs
- Small runs where screen setup isn't worth it
- Mixed orders with different names or numbers on each piece
- Polyester, nylon and blends that resist other methods
We decorate
Request direct-to-film (dtf) printing
Send over the details and we'll come back with real pricing, garment options and an honest lead time.