DTF Transfers

Direct-to-film (DTF) transfers are a popular method of adding full-color designs onto clothing, bags, and other textile items. DTF transfers use a specialized

DTF printer that prints the design onto a transfer sheet. This sheet is then ready to press onto a garment using heat and pressure, typically with a heat press machine .

To create and receive custom DTF transfers through Heat Transfer Warehouse, please perform the following steps:

1. Design : First, you will need to create your design using a compatible graphics software program. Make sure your design is in the appropriate format for both printing and transferring.
2. Upload: Next, you will upload your design; choose the appropriate transfer sheet size as well as printed design size in inches (if a specific design size is required); indicate the number of transfers needed; and specify your garment type/color. If you need an exact reorder, please let us know that as well.
3. Proof Approval: After purchasing your transfers, keep an eye on your email inbox for your digital proof. This proof will be received 1-2 business days after submitting your design. Sometimes it may land in your spam or junk folder, so be sure to check there too. Once you receive and approve your proof from transfers@heattransferwarehouse.com, we'll swiftly move your transfer into production. It will take 1-3 business days of production before your transfers are shipped out. Larger orders may delay this production time.
4. Receive: Once your transfers are ready, we'll ship them directly to your doorstep! Your transfers will arrive according to the shipping method you selected at checkout. It's as simple as that!
5. Heat Press: You will need a heat press to apply your DTF transfer to your garment. Make sure your heat press is compatible with DTF transfers and has the appropriate temperature and pressure settings.
6. Pressing Your Transfers: All DTF transfers come ready to press, so all you will need to do is follow the application instructions for pressing on your garments or products. More information on pressing your transfers can be found further in this FAQ.

1. Print: First, a digital design is printed onto a special PET (polyurethane terephthalate) film using a DTF printer. This printer utilizes water-based CMYK and white pigment inks to print the design in reverse. The white layer is printed last as a backing layer. This makes the colors on the substrate appear extra vibrant.
2. Powder: After printing, while the ink is still wet, a hot-melt adhesive powder is applied to the printed side of the film. This powder sticks to the wet ink and will ultimately bond the design to the fabric. Any excess powder is removed by shaking or tapping the film. Often, special equipment called shakers is used in this process to ensure the powder is laid evenly throughout the film.
3. Cure: The film containing the powdered design needs to be heated next to activate the adhesive powder. This can be achieved through the use of a heat press, curing oven, or conveyor dryer. The application of heat causes the adhesive powder to melt and adhere to the ink, creating a solid, transferable layer.
4. Press: The prepared film is placed onto the fabric with the printed side down. Using a heat press, the film is pressed onto the substrate of choice at the recommended application settings.
5. Peel: Once the transfer process is complete, it can be peeled warm, leaving the design adhered to the substrate.

DTF transfers boast elasticity and durability. They deliver high-resolution and intricately detailed prints that are bursting with vibrancy. They offer the convenience of hot or warm peels and require minimal pressing time. Compared to other methods, DTF printing demands less artwork preparation, as there is a reduced necessity for rasterization or negative space. Our custom DTF transfers only mandate a raster file with a recommended resolution of 300 DPI (for the best results in quality) but will accommodate both raster and vector formats. Furthermore, DTF transfers exhibit versatility, seamlessly adhering to various substrates including cotton, polyester, blends, and more. Unlike vinyl (HTV) cutting, DTF transfers eliminate the need for weeding, which saves a considerable amount of time! Moreover, they prove to be cost-effective, even for large production runs.

Wait 24 hours before your first wash, then use machine wash cold with mild detergent. Do not use fabric softener, do not bleach or dry clean, and dry on a low setting. Your DTF transfers can be washed regularly or inside-out, although the latter is recommended.

We highly recommend a traditional, clamp-down style heat press for applying DTF Transfers. Two of the most important factors in successfully pressing any DTF transfer are coverage and pressure (which are two weaknesses with irons and handheld craft presses). While you can attempt to use an iron or handheld style, we do not recommend this as you may run into adhesion issues and lower the life of your garment.

Once you have received your Ready to Press Direct to Film (DTF) Transfers, please follow these steps:

1. Pre-heat your heat press to 320°F.
2. Pre-press your garment by itself for a few seconds to remove moisture and wrinkles. 
3. Thread your garment (with the collar facing towards you) onto the platen of your heat press.
4. Cut out your design, leaving a small border of transfer sheet material around the edges.
5. Arrange your transfer onto your garment exactly as you would the end results to turn out. 
6. Press for 14 seconds with medium pressure. 
7. After your press, lift the transfer sheet quickly and carefully.

It is important to follow the manufacturer's instructions for your DTF printer, transfer sheet, and heat press for best results. Additionally, be sure to use high-quality materials and perhaps even perform a test press with an extra transfer on a small area before applying a larger design to ensure proper temperature, pressure, and transfer quality.

Make sure you are pressing at the correct temperature with adequate and consistent pressure. Often, the use of a handheld heat press or iron can cause adhesion issues due to their smaller surface area and less consistent pressure/temperature. This is why we recommend using a traditional clamp-style heat press.

When pressing, ensure that your garment is completely flat and that the pressing surface is even, with no collars or zippers in the way. It is important to maintain consistent pressure between your heat press and the transfer, which should not be impeded by elements of your garment.

Artwork with super small details or thin lines can also occasionally pose challenges, as the amount of backing adhesive might not be sufficient to adhere to your garments without some sort of alterations. Adjusting your design by thickening up these details or adding an outline can help mitigate this issue, along with following appropriate application and pressing instructions.

Technically you can layer transfers on top of one another when pressing, but we do not recommend this as the backing adhesive of DTF transfers is meant to apply and bond to the fabric of a garment. So while you may have a successful press of layered DTF transfers, the results will not be as permanent.

If your garment is kept in good condition (avoiding harsh weather and physical activity), a typical DTF transfer can last for 50+ wash cycles. While highly durable, a bit of peeling may occur over the years, but cracking is generally not a problem compared to a printing method such as screen printing.

Store your DTF transfers in something secure such as a zip-loc bag or a container in a cool, dry environment away from sunlight. DTF transfers can last for years if stored properly, although we recommend not waiting more than 3-6 months to press your transfers after receiving them.

For newly placed orders, it might take one to two business days to process your order depending on our current volume of orders. This includes the time to examine the provided artwork, set it up for printing, and possibly address any quality/printing concerns. We provide digital proofs for all DTF orders to make sure artwork and sizing are correct, but once approved, it will take 1-2 business days to print and ship your order. The shipping time is based on your shipping selection at checkout (Ground Shipping, 2-Day Air, Next Day Air, etc.). Please note that large quantity orders may result in extended production times.

Artwork should be saved at the highest quality possible in CMYK color mode ( not RGB). Vector artwork is highly recommended, although high-resolution raster images are also acceptable as long as it has a transparent background. For low-quality artwork, we offer a vector redraw service to recreate it in a high-quality format that is perfect for printing (plus we will send you any finished files to keep). Artwork does not need to be mirrored for DTF transfers, only for sublimation transfers.

We accept both vector and raster files for our DTF transfers, provided they meet certain criteria. Your files should be 300 DPI or higher and not exceed 512 MB in size. Accepted file formats include PNG, PDF, AI, PSD, EPS, or SVG. Feel free to upload your preferred format to create your DTF transfers with us!

We offer a large variety of transfer sheet sizes ranging from as small as 2.5” x 2.5” up to our largest gang sheet option at 17” x 192” (16 feet long). Regular-sized and small transfer sheet options can be purchased on our Full Color DTF Transfers page . Larger Gang Sheets can also be purchased on our DTF Gang Sheet page . 

To aid you in selecting the ideal transfer size, we provide a design size tool to facilitate the decision-making process. Feel free to utilize this tool to ensure your design aligns perfectly with your vision. When choosing a transfer size, it is necessary that your transfer matches the size of your design or is larger for optimal results.

DTF gang sheets are transfer sheets that can include multiple designs/transfers that you can then cut out and press separately from one other. Typically, gang sheets offer a more cost-effective option compared to ordering multiple individual transfers; that is, as long as you can effectively utilize the available space on the gang sheet. Gang sheets may feature multiple copies of the same logo/design or entirely different logos/designs.

Nope! You can order as few as one DTF transfer and can go up from there. Do note that large quantity orders might take longer than the normal 1-2 days of production time.

You can supply your artwork at any size, although if you have raster artwork, you should try and prepare it at the same size or larger than what you need it printed at since scaling smaller raster artwork to a larger size can negatively affect its quality. Vector artwork does not have this issue and can be supplied at any size since it can be scaled to any size with no negative effects. For printing, we size all artwork to be as large as possible on the transfer sheet while remaining proportional (as in, not stretched) unless you request it at a specific size.

No, any design (whether it’s full-color or a single color) will be priced the same. Pricing is based on the size and quantity of the transfer sheets, so feel free to have every color under the rainbow in your designs! However, if you need transfers in either all black or all white, you can purchase our WALAOne One Color Transfers as a more cost-effective option.

Generally, we try to obtain the highest quality artwork possible for printing to provide the best results possible, but we can always print what is sent if desired! Besides low-quality artwork, another common issue is the background color present in the artwork. Sometimes, removing this can lead to remnant pixels around the edge of your design, so artwork with a transparent background is preferred.

Unfortunately, we do not print artwork containing copyrighted content. Even if the intention is for personal use or non-profit purposes, we are still not able to sell copyrighted printed materials. We would need written permission to use the copyrighted artwork to print this sort of content fully.