DTF Print — Direct to Film for Brilliant Prints on Any Fabric

About DTF Print

DTF (Direct-to-Film) is a digital transfer printing process that emerged from China in the early 2010s and has been established worldwide since around 2018-2020 as the standard for fabric-independent textile printing. The motif is inkjet-printed onto a PET film using pigment inks and coated with a thermoplastic adhesive powder; it is then transferred to the textile with a heat press at around 160 °C.

Facts:

• Introduced: worldwide establishment ~2018-2020 (precursors in China from ~2013)
• Print principle: inkjet on PET film + adhesive powder + heat-press transfer
• Materials: works on virtually any textile — cotton, polyester, blends, nylon, leather
• Durability: 30-50 wash cycles, slight foil edge perceptible
• Economical quantity: from 1 piece (volume discount from 25)
• Wikipedia: Direct-to-film printing (en.wikipedia.org)
• Manufacturer references: Epson SureColor F-Series · Mimaki
• Industry association: FESPA — Heat Transfer & DTF section

Why ShirtStore?

• On every fabric — cotton, polyester, blends, functional fabrics.
• From 1 piece possible — economically viable from around 10-20 pieces.
• Made in EU — DTF production in our own works.
• Volume discount from 3 pieces (3%) — automatic in the configurator.

What is DTF print?

DTF stands for "Direct to Film" and describes a two-stage print process. In the first step the motif is printed with pigment inks onto a special PET foil — complete with white background base if the target fabric is dark. Then a hot-melt adhesive powder is applied, which is activated in the drying tunnel. In the second step, a heat press transfers the print at around 160 °C and several seconds of dwell time from the foil onto the textile. The foil is peeled off, and the motif adheres permanently to the fabric.

The decisive advantage: because the motif is pre-printed onto the foil including white base, DTF works on fabrics where DTG technically fails — polyester, functional fabrics, dark blends. At the same time the colours are more brilliant than in flex print and the method enables complex photo motifs that are only possible in screen printing with effort.

When is DTF print worthwhile?

DTF is the most versatile method for mixed fabrics and medium quantities. We always recommend it when:

• Fabric is not a 100 % cotton shirt — i.e. polyester, functional fabrics (sports jerseys, running shirts), softshell, blends.
• Designs are complex — photorealistic motifs, many colours, fine details.
• Quantity is between 10 and 200 — below that DTG is cheaper, above that screen print.
• Applications — club jerseys made of functional fabric, promotional polos, school hoodies, dark hoodies with photorealistic graphics, sports equipment branding.

DTF print is also suitable for mixed orders with different fabrics in one order because the method uses the same ink and process on all substrates.

Benefits and limits of DTF print

Benefits:

• Works on every fabric — cotton, polyester, blends, functional fabrics, fleece.
• Brilliant colours on light and dark fabrics.
• Photo quality with any colours and gradients.
• Good durability — around 40 washes with proper care.
• From 1 piece possible and quick to produce.
• Mixed motifs in one order at no extra cost.

Limits:

• Slightly noticeable foil edge — the transferred layer is felt as a contour, similar to flex print. On thin shirts sometimes visible.
• Not as soft as screen print with water-based ink — feels slightly more plastic-like.
• Higher unit price than screen print at 100+ pieces.
• Sensitive to very hot wash — we recommend 30-40 °C, no tumble dryer.

Minimum order and prices

DTF technically has no minimum order. Unit prices are cheaper than digital print and comparable to transfer print.

Volume discounts apply from 25 pieces, from 100 pieces we offer best conditions with an individual quote. Concrete prices appear after fabric and size selection in the configurator or via the enquiry form.

Examples from our production

A selection of typical orders:

• Sports club functional jerseys — 24 jerseys made of 100 % polyester functional fabric, multi-colour sponsor logo on chest, single-colour back numbers. Unit price including print approximately EUR 28. DTG would not have been possible on this fabric.
• Promotional polos wholesale — 60 polos made of blends (65 % polyester), two-colour company logo. Embroidery would have been an alternative, but the customer wanted to keep the photorealistic shadows in the logo.
• School hoodies year shirts — 95 black hoodies with photorealistic year graphic on the back and school logo on the chest. Unit price including print approximately EUR 38.
• Care home workwear — 18 dark polos with logo plus first name embroidery — DTF for the logo, embroidery for the first names, combined in one order.

More use cases for clubs, business clients and schools.

How ShirtStore works

1. Choose your product — even polyester, functional fabric or dark fabric is no problem.
2. Upload your design — vector ideal, pixel from 300 dpi at final size. See file requirements.
3. Mock-up and approval — preview before every production.
4. Production — typically 5-7 working days, express on request.

Material compatibility table — DTF on which fabrics?

Fabric tests with DTF: for larger orders from 100 pieces we recommend a fabric test (paid sample €25 per variant).

DTF print sizes — what fits which position?

DIN A3 large motifs are possible in DTF print and brilliant — for fashion-label drops with photo-realistic motif on the back, DTF is often the most economical choice.

DTF cost — example calculations

Crew tees 25 pieces with two-sided DTF: 25 × €4.90 (Gildan 64000) = €122.50 + 25 × €5.00 (two-sided DTF) = €125 → €247.50 gross, less 10 % volume ladder (25 pcs) = €222.75 → unit price €8.91.

Conference tees 100 pieces with one-sided DTF four-colour: 100 × €4.90 + 100 × €3.90 = €880 gross, less 25 % volume ladder = €660 → unit price €6.60.

Bulk run 500 pieces with one-sided DTF two-colour: 500 × €4.40 (Stedman ST2000) + 500 × €2.40 (one-sided DTF at 500 pcs) = €3,400 gross, less 32 % volume ladder = €2,312 → unit price €4.62.

DTF vs. other finishing methods — decision matrix

What we do better than competitors

• EU production with short lead time — many competitors have DTF produced in Poland or Turkey with 10–14 working days lead time. We produce in our EU facility in 5–7 working days.
• Fabric tests before bulk orders — for orders from 100 pieces we offer paid fabric tests (€25 per variant, credited against main order). No adhesion surprises.
• Volume ladder from 3 pieces (3 %) — many competitors start the ladder at 10 or 25 pieces.
• Advice on DTF vs. DTG vs. screen print — we recommend the most economical method for your specific fabric/quantity/motif combination — even if that's not DTF.
• A3 large-area print as standard — many competitors only offer up to A4. We print DTF up to DIN A3 at no surcharge.

Ready for your DTF order?

Design now → · Request consultation →

ShirtStore is your specialist for DTF print — Direct to Film — on every fabric in Germany and Europe. We print polyester sports shirts, blended polos, dark hoodies, school sweatshirts, functional fabric jerseys and workwear with photorealistic motifs, multi-colour logos and individual custom designs. Unlike classic digital print (DTG), which only works on high cotton content, DTF brings brilliant colours to every fabric. Unlike screen print, there are no setup costs, which is why DTF is economical from one piece and significantly cheaper than DTG from around 10-20 pieces. Volume discounts start from 25 pieces, best conditions from 100 pieces. Our production sits in the EU, every order is approved via mock-up and quality-checked after production. Unit prices start at around EUR 5 for a small logo, a DIN A3 large motif is EUR 13-15. Standard delivery time is 5-7 working days, express possible. Compared with flex print, DTF brings photo quality; compared with embroidery, the colour flexibility — the choice between the two depends on fabric and application. Our advisory team helps you free of charge. ShirtStore.de — DTF on every fabric.

Further Reading

• Direct-to-film printing — Wikipedia — overview of DTF process and applications
• Epson SureColor F-Series — manufacturer of industrial DTF printing systems
• OEKO-TEX — standard for harmful-substance-tested pigment inks and adhesive powders