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Gloved hands peeling a transfer film away from a sand coloured t-shirt beside a heat press that is still steaming

DTF (Direct-to-Film)

Vibrant transfers that work on anything

DTF prints your design onto a film, applies a powder adhesive, then heat-presses the design onto virtually any fabric. The result is a stretchy, durable print with full-color capability that works equally well on cotton, polyester, blends, and performance wear.

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Minimum quantity
12 pieces
Turnaround
5–7 business days
Pricing
From $10 per piece
Best for
Polyester and blends, Multi-color designs at low quantity, Performance wear

How we run it

From artwork to finished piece

  1. Step 1

    Print on film

    Design is reversed and printed onto PET film.

  2. Step 2

    Powder & cure

    Hot-melt adhesive powder is applied and cured.

  3. Step 3

    Heat press

    Transfer is pressed onto the garment.

  4. Step 4

    Cool peel

    Film is removed once cooled, leaving a vibrant print.

Why choose this method

  • Works on any fabric (cotton, poly, nylon, etc.)
  • Stretches and recovers without cracking
  • Full color with no setup fees
  • Strong on dark garments

Things to know

  • Slight texture you can feel by hand
  • Less breathable than direct prints over large coverage areas

Related work

A printer pulling a squeegee of golden ink across a screen mounted over a cream t-shirt on a manual press in a daylit shop

Screen Printing

Cost-effective for medium-to-large runs with bold color and exceptional durability.

A direct to garment printer spraying ink onto a white t-shirt held flat on the platen inside the machine

DTG (Direct-to-Garment)

Photographic detail, full-color, no setup fees. Best for small runs and complex art.

A multi needle embroidery machine stitching a cream scrollwork design into blue fabric held in a metal hoop

Embroidery

Stitched-in designs with a premium tactile finish that lasts decades.

Ready to print?

Browse the catalog or send us your artwork for a quote on this method.

Get a quoteSee examples