South Africa’s Favourite DTF Printing For Apparel Specialist
Cotton Polly's premium (DTF) printing services offer several distinct benefits when creating designs for t-shirts.
What is DTF Printing?
- What It Is: DTF (also know as Direct To Film) printing is a fairly new technology used to apply detailed, vibrant, and colorful designs to t-shirts and other smooth fabric based garments.
- How it’s Done: Using a DTF enabled printer, an image or design is printed directly onto a special film, afterwards a layer of white ink is applied over the design by the same printer.
- The Curing Process: Once the printing has completed, the film is then fed through a machine where powdered glue is applied over the design, it is then fed through a curing oven where it is heated so as to cure the ink and the glue.
- The Application Process: After printing and curing process, the design is applied to a garment using a heat press. Once pressed the DTF film is peeled off leaving only the design behind on the t-shirt.
Why we prefer to use DTF printing to apply your designs…
- Detailed Designs & Vibrant Colors: DTF printing allows for highly detailed photograph like designs with vibrant and vivid colors.
- Soft Feel: DTF prints have a soft feel on the fabric, maintaining the comfort of the t-shirt without adding bulk or stiffness.
- Versatility in Fabric: DTF can be applied to any color fabric, it is also compatible with various fabric types, including cotton, polyester, blends, and even some specialty fabrics.
- Fade Resistance: DTF prints are highly resistant to fading, ensuring that the designs remain vibrant, even after multiple washes.
- Cost-Effective for Small Runs: DTF printing is cost-effective for producing one off, small, or even larger batches of printed t-shirts. There are no major setup costs involved, making it an ideal choice for custom or limited-edition designs.
As with any technology, DTF does have a few limitations.
- Limited Fabric Compatibility: DTF printing works best on certain types of fabrics, such as smooth cotton and polyester, it is not as effective as Machine Embroideryon fabrics with rough or uneven textures.
- Durability Issues: If the washing guidelines are not followed correctly, there may be a risk that over time the print may crack, crease, or even begin to separate from the garment.
- Limited Color Accuracy: Although fully capable of producing bright, vibrant, and vivid colors, precise color output may not always exactly match the design as seen on the screen. Printers simply cannot print the full color spectrum as that which can be seen on modern screens.
If DTF Printing does not fully meet your design requirements, we recommend considering one of these alternative options… Machine Embroidery or HTV Vinyl
