What Is the Difference Between DTF printing And UV DTF printing?

DTF (direct-to-film) printing and UV DTF printing (Ultraviolet direct-to-film) are both popular digital printing technologies in recent years, but they have significant differences in application, process and consumables. SUBLICOOL will show you a detailed comparison between the two:

Working principle:

DTF printing: Print the pattern on the PET transfer film, and then transfer the pattern to the fabric surface through the steps of spreading hot melt powder, drying and hot pressing.

UV DTF printing: Use UV ink to print directly on a special AB film, and after curing the ink by ultraviolet light, transfer the pattern to a hard material or irregular surface.

Applicable materials:

DTF printing: Mainly used for soft fabric materials such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, pillows, aprons, etc. UV DTF printing: Suitable for hard materials such as glass, metal, acrylic, ceramics, plastics, etc., and also suitable for curved or irregularly shaped objects such as mugs, mobile phone cases, suitcases, etc.

Consumables and equipment:

DTF printing: DTF transfer film, hot melt powder, DTF ink, DTF printing powder shaking machine, and heat press are required.

UV printing: Use UV ink and AB film (A film is used for printing, B film is used for protection and transfer). So, UV printing equipment, and no additional heat press is required.

Advantages and disadvantages:

High-quality DTF printing:

Advantages: More suitable for cotton fabrics, no pretreatment is required, and the cost is low. Disadvantages: Not suitable for hard materials. UV DTF printing: Advantages: Suitable for hard and irregular surfaces, strong durability, and the pattern has a three-dimensional sense.

Disadvantages: The equipment cost is high, and UV ink has a certain impact on the environment and human body.

Application scenarios:

DTF printing: So, Mainly used in clothing customization, home textiles, cultural shirts and other fields. On the contrary, UV printing:  Widely used in gift customization, advertising logos, packaging decoration and other fields.

Printing effect:

DTF printing: The pattern is brightly colored and suitable for complex patterns and details. But it has a certain impact on the breathability of the fabric. UV printing: The pattern has good wear resistance and durability, suitable for hard materials, but the pattern edge clarity is slightly lower than DTF printing.