DTF printing for UK clothing.

How DTF printing works for UK custom clothing: full colour on any fabric colour, wash durability, artwork setup, print positions, quantities and lead times.

DTF - direct to film - is the process behind most full colour custom clothing in the UK today. It prints your design onto a film, then heat presses it onto the garment, which means full colour on any fabric colour with no screens to pay for.

How DTF printing works

Your artwork is printed in full colour onto a transfer film, backed with an adhesive powder, then heat pressed onto the garment. The white ink layer underneath the colour is the key part - it means the design keeps its colours on a black hoodie exactly as it does on a white tee.

Because the design is printed digitally rather than through a screen, there is no per-colour setup. A twelve-colour photographic design costs the same to set up as a single-colour logo.

Full colour, including photographic artwork and gradients

Works on dark garments thanks to the white base layer

No screen or plate charges, so short runs are affordable

Suits cotton, polyester and blends alike

DTF versus screen printing and embroidery

Screen printing is still the cheapest route for very large runs of a simple one or two colour design, because the screen cost spreads across hundreds of garments. Below that, DTF wins on price because there is nothing to set up.

Embroidery is the better choice on caps and structured items, and where a stitched finish is expected - a corporate polo or a workwear jacket. DTF is the better choice for anything with detail, photographs or more than a couple of colours.

DTF - full colour, detailed artwork, small to medium runs

Screen print - simple artwork, very large runs

Embroidery - caps, structured garments, stitched finish

Artwork for DTF printing

Supply a PDF or high-resolution PNG at 300dpi at the size you want it printed. A PNG with a transparent background is ideal, because anything left as white in the file will print as white ink on the garment.

Screen colours and printed colours never match perfectly - screens emit light and fabric reflects it, and every screen is calibrated differently. We run a free file check on every order and flag anything likely to shift noticeably before we press.

PDF or high-resolution PNG at 300dpi

Transparent background PNG for anything not on white

Supply artwork at final print size where possible

Free file check and proof before production

Print positions and sizes

The common positions are left chest, full front, full back and sleeve. Left chest suits staff and corporate wear, full front suits event and merchandise runs, and a back print is where most people put a sponsor or tour list.

Each garment page on the site shows the positions available for that item, and you can combine positions on the same order.

Wash durability and care

A correctly pressed DTF print survives normal domestic washing without cracking. Wash inside out at 30 degrees, skip the tumble dryer where you can, and do not iron directly over the print.

Colour also varies slightly between garment batches and between fabric types, so a print on a cotton tee and the same print on a poly blend hoodie will not be pixel-identical.

What is DTF printing?

DTF stands for direct to film. Your design is printed in full colour onto a transfer film with a white ink base, then heat pressed onto the garment. It gives full colour results on any fabric colour with no screens to set up.

Is DTF better than screen printing?

For detailed or full colour artwork and for small to medium runs, yes, because there are no per-colour screen charges. For very large runs of a simple one or two colour design, screen printing is usually cheaper per garment.

Does DTF printing crack in the wash?

Not when pressed correctly. Wash the garment inside out at 30 degrees, avoid the tumble dryer where possible and do not iron directly over the print.

Can you DTF print on black clothing?

Yes. DTF lays down a white ink base under the colour, so designs keep their colours on black and dark garments as well as on white ones.

What artwork do you need for DTF printing?

A print-ready PDF or a high-resolution PNG at 300dpi, ideally with a transparent background and at the size you want it printed. We check every file free of charge and email a proof before printing.

Is your DTF printing done in the UK?

Yes, printing and pressing are done in-house in the UK, which is why we can turn around event deadlines and reprints quickly.

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