Recently, you may have encountered a discussion about direct to film (DTF) printing and DTG printing, and want to know the advantages of DTF technology. Although DTG printing can produce high-quality full-size prints with bright colors and very soft feel, DTF printing has absolutely some advantages, making it a perfect complement to your garment printing business. Let’s get into the details!
Direct to film printing involves printing a design onto a special film, coating and melting a powder adhesive onto the printed film, and then pressing the design onto a garment or commodity. You will need transfer film and hot melt powder, as well as software to create prints – no other special equipment! Next, we will discuss the seven advantages of this new technology.
1.applicable to a variety of materials
Although direct to garment printing works best on 100% cotton, DTF is suitable for many different garment materials: cotton, nylon, treated leather, polyester, 50/50 blends, and light and dark fabrics. Transfer can even be applied to different types of surfaces, such as luggage, shoes, even glass, wood and metal! You can expand your inventory by using DTF to apply your design to a variety of products.
2.no pretreatment required
If you already have a DTG printer, you may be very familiar with the pretreatment process (not to mention the drying time). The hot melt capability applied to the DTF will bond the print directly to the material, which means that no pretreatment is required!
3.use less white ink
DTF requires less white ink – about 40% white, while DTG printing requires 200% white. White ink is often the most expensive because it is used more, so reducing the amount of white ink used for printing can save a lot of money.
4.more durable than DTG printing
It is undeniable that DTG printing has a soft, almost no feel, because the ink is directly applied to the clothes. Although DTF printing is not as soft as DTG boasts, transfer printing is more durable. Direct transfer to the film is very good for cleaning and flexible – which means that they will not crack or peel off and are very suitable for heavy-duty items.
5.easy application
Printing to film transfer means you can place the design on a hard to reach or clumsy surface. If the area can be heated, you can apply DTF design to it! Because you only need heat to adhere the design, you can even transfer your printing directly to your customers and allow them to ease the design onto any surface or object of their choice without special equipment!
6.faster production process
Since you can omit the steps of pretreatment and drying of clothes, you can significantly shorten the production time. This is good news for one-time or small batch orders that are traditionally unprofitable.
7.help you diversify your inventory
Although it may not be feasible to print a pile of the most popular designs on clothing of each size or color, DTF printing allows you to print popular designs in advance and store them in a very small space. Then, you can always have your best-selling products ready to apply to any clothing as needed!
Although DTF printing still cannot replace DTG, there are many reasons why DTF can be an important supplement to your business. If you are considering adding this convenient technology to your arsenal, you can easily do this with the Sublicool DTF printer!
