Merchpath

Apparel

Direct-to-Film (DTF)

Full-color transfers applied with heat. The right call for runs as small as 6 pieces and detailed artwork screen printing cannot reach.

Direct-to-film printing prints your design onto a special film, then heat-presses the transfer onto the garment. The result is a full-color, durable application that opens up two scenarios screen printing struggles with: small runs (because there is no per-color screen setup) and complex artwork (because the transfer is digitally printed in one pass). It works on cotton, polyester, and blends, including darks, without the underbase compromise DTG requires on dark fabrics.

Best for

  • •Orders as small as 6 pieces
  • •Full-color or photographic artwork
  • •Dark garments where DTG underbase would compromise the print
  • •Polyester and performance fabrics where DTG bonds poorly

Not ideal for

  • •Very large runs (500+) where screen printing is significantly more cost-effective per piece
  • •Items where a premium tactile finish is the primary goal (embroidery is better)
  • •Designs that need true Pantone spot-color accuracy (DTF is a CMYK process)

Direct-to-film printing: small runs and full-color artwork without screen setup

Direct-to-film printing solves the same problem DTG solves on the apparel side, but with two important advantages: it works on a wider range of fabrics, and it works on dark garments without compromising the print. The process is straightforward. The design is printed onto a film coated with adhesive powder, cured, then heat-pressed onto the garment. The transfer bonds to the fabric and produces a print that is durable, full-color, and ready to wash.

The practical advantage over screen printing is the absence of per-color screen setup. Each color in a screen-printed design requires its own screen, which is what makes screen printing economically unviable below about 24 pieces. DTF has no setup of that kind. A six-piece run costs proportionally close to what a sixty-piece run costs per unit, which is what makes it the right method for small orders, sample runs, and pieces where the artwork is more complex than four or five flat colors.

The constraint is volume economics. At 500+ pieces with a one- or two-color logo, screen printing is significantly cheaper per unit. DTF sits in the middle of the volume range — competitive at 6 to 250 pieces, less so above that. For a design with photographic detail or many colors, DTF stays competitive even at higher volumes because it does not pay per-color setup fees.

We treat DTF as the default for small-quantity apparel orders. If you need six tees printed for a team off-site, DTF is the method we will quote. If you need six hundred for an event with a one-color logo, screen printing wins on cost. We will quote whichever produces the better result at your specific volume.

Artwork requirements

File Format

High-res PNG with transparent background preferred. Vector also accepted.

Color Mode

Full RGB. CMYK conversion handled during production.

Resolution

300 dpi minimum at final print size.

Notes

Ensure clean transparent edges. White areas in the design print as white ink — the printer lays down a white underbase only where the design specifies it.

Questions about direct-to-film (dtf) for your order?

We will help you confirm the right method for your artwork and quantity. Reach out and we will give you a straight answer.

Get in Touch