DTF is a direct-to-film transfer. It’s printed onto film using a wide-format inkjet printer with specialized apparel inks. Adhesive is added and sticks to the wet ink; excess is removed, and the adhesive is melted with heat. After cooling, it is ready to apply. After placing the transfer onto the garment, it is heat-pressed for a specific time, temperature and pressure; after a few seconds to cool, the film is peeled off.
Pros of DTF Transfers
DTF transfers are really, really good for small quantities, especially when they’re full color. Screen printing is usually used for larger volumes, such as full-color photographs. If there aren’t that many shirts in an order, screen printing a full-color image isn’t very cost-effective. Another pro of DTF transfers is high resolution; inkjet printers can usually print at very high resolution, so you get a nice, crisp, clean print.
Pros of Screen Printing
DTF Printing or Screen Printing?
Screen printing is really good for higher volume. The only downside is that, depending on how many colors a press can handle, it can limit the number of colors you can print on a given shirt.
Another strength of screen printing is that the ink goes through the screen directly onto the garment or substrate, whereas with heat transfer it has to be printed onto a film and then transferred with a heat press onto a substrate, which is one of the cons with DTF.
One benefit of screen printing is the longevity of the ink because it is essentially embedded into the fibers of the shirt, which gives it a little more staying power; DTF also holds up very well wash after wash if applied properly.
There are certain types of ink, at least for right now, that DTF can’t print. You can’t print metallic with DTF as you can with screen printing; you can’t print puff as you can with screen printing; you can’t print glitter or any type of specialty inks with DTF that you can with screen printing.
Which Method Is Better
For smaller quantities of full-color graphics, DTF is the way to go. If you’re doing fewer colors at higher volume, screen printing is the way to go, and it also depends on whether it’s manual or automatic, since automatic equipment can do a lot in a very short time.
Detailed Comparison
Ultra Color Max DTF transfers really rival plastisol transfers, with incredible stretch before the print starts cracking.
Both of these offer free-floating text with no clear outlines, and they can be printed on cotton, polyester, cotton/poly blends, and tri-blends in pretty much any color, light or dark.
The goof-proof screen-printed transfers’ 4-6-second press time makes printing super efficient and quick, letting you knock out large runs of shirts in about an hour. The Ultra Color Max transfers feature a 12- to 15-second press, so while it’s not 30 seconds and still relatively quick, it’s still three times longer than that screen print transfer.
Ultra color max DTF transfers do have a proofing charge; our designers will get your art into tip-top shape to ensure it prints great.
Color Matching and Artwork
DTF transfers are black with different colors. When you need to match color exactly, you’re going to have some variations. Screen printed transfers, on the other hand, are produced with spot color inks, essentially a custom ink matched to the color of each color printing in your design, so for every additional color in your design, your price will increase.
You can order all transfers with your own uploaded raster or vector artwork, or design them from scratch using an online designer.
Color and Artwork Differences
Speaking of color, DTF transfers can print unlimited colors; that’s the benefit of CMYK printing, while with screen-printed transfers, every additional color in the design increases complexity. DTF can easily produce gradients and photorealistic images in CMYK, whereas screen printing and spot colors can’t replicate those elements, so screen printing is limited to more or less solid colors.
Detail, Feel, and Press Time
With fine detail, both transfer types can achieve fine lines and small details, with screen printing slightly edging out DTF, with a minimum line weight of just .012 inches versus .018 inches in DTF transfers. DTF transfers are lightweight and durable with a soft, almost satin-like finish. Screen printing feels like a soft-hand screen print; it might even be softer than many graphic tees, durable and light, with great stretch, elasticity and rebound.
Which Should You Choose
If a design has three or more colors, DTF is the better option up to a certain quantity, depending on the image size, before switching to screen printing shows lower pricing.
DTF transfers are going to really shine in those lower-quantity orders, or with artwork with a lot of colors in it, gradients, or photorealistic prints.