The DTF technology does not replace DTG printing or screen printing. Printing on film is also used in screen printing, so this is nothing new. DTF is a process that makes the printed film transferable directly onto the material, complementing rather than replacing these technologies — especially in cases where direct printing on textile is not possible.
It is a relatively new technology that eliminates the process film > screen > transfer paper, which is known in screen printing as conventional (transfer) screen printing. DTF was developed mainly to simplify the separation of films when using plotters. Some small graphics and highly detailed images could not be cut or separated properly with cutting plotters — DTF technology has made this process easier and more efficient.
Advantages:
- no ink penetration
- no strict timing requirements that could ruin, for example, a T-shirt
- higher print quality: sharper and more vivid colours, longer durability, fade-resistant, crack-free, tear-resistant, and elastic
- the ability to print on any textile — cotton, polyester, nylon, elastane, denim, and more — without limitations
- no need for heavy or manual printhead flushing every day to prevent drying
- no need to pre-treat each T-shirt (you can print multiple designs on one sheet and heat-press them separately)
- no need for multiple templates to print on various items such as hoodies, trousers, or baby bodysuits — the only limitation is the size of your heat press