When personalized printed T-shirts become a trend, we must mention the printing technology that drives this trend – DTF printing.
DTF printing is popular among DIY enthusiasts as it provides vibrant colors and washable and durable prints! If you want to know how to do DTF printing at home, buckle up and follow us to explore!
What is DTF printing？
DTF printing involves printing the design on a transfer film and then transferring the design onto the fabric through a heat press to get a long-lasting, colorful print.
Benefits of DTF Printing at Home
- Low cost: There is no need to rent office space and recruit staff, which can lead to significant savings upfront.
- Cost-effective: operating from home anytime reduces the need for outsourcing custom printing and dramatically improves efficiency.
- Flexible design: Customised designs can be created according to customer needs.
- Easy to operate: The DTF printing process is simple and can be quickly learned and mastered by novices.
- Environmentally friendly: No waste gas or water is produced during the DTF printing process, which is pleasant to the environment.
- Low maintenance cost: Maintenance is relatively simple; home users can save much money.
Step-by-Step Guide For DTF Printing at Home
Required Equipment and Materials
- DTF Printer： Professional or modified machines for printing designs.
- DTF Ink： Dedicated inks ensure the printing of patterns with vibrant colors and rich details.
- DTF Film： One of the essential materials used as a substrate for printing and transferring patterns.
- DTF Powder： Make sure the print is bonded to the fabric.
- Curing Oven： Used to heat and cure hot DTF melt powder.
- Heat Press Machine： The design is transferred onto the fabric by heating and pressing.
Winnerjet recommends Epson retrofit DTF printers and Mimaki DTF printers for printer selection. For more choices, read ‘Best DTF Printer For Small Businesses – 2024‘ for reference.
Printing Process
- Prepare the site: prepare a space in your home with a dry environment, place your desk, and place your computer and printer there.
- Design Preparation: Use professional design software to print the pattern on the computer and save it in a format supported by the printer.
- Printer Setup: Configure the printer parameters and set them to high resolution and high color accuracy in print mode to ensure vibrant colors.
- Mirror Design: To ensure the pattern is correctly transferred onto the fabric, please mirror the design before printing.
- Print Design: Place the transfer film in the printer, keep the print side up, and start printing the pattern with ink.
- Shake the powder: While the transfer film ink is still wet, sprinkle the DTF powder evenly over the printed design section. Then, shake off the excess powder to ensure an even coating and minimize waste.
- Cure the powder: Place the powder-covered transfer film into the curing oven to heat and cure the powder.
- Fabric Preparation: Before transferring, ensure the fabric is dry, clean, and wrinkle-free. A heat press can press the fabric to ensure it is flat.
- Begin transfer: Place the transfer film on the heat press with the fabric adequately aligned. Set the heat press temperature to approximately 160-180°C (320-356°F) and press with medium pressure for 10-15 seconds.
- Peel off the transfer film: Remove the heat press, set the fabric aside, wait for the temperature to cool, and then carefully peel off the film at an angle to complete the transfer.
- Re-pressing: Place the transferred fabric on the heat press, place a piece of transfer film or parchment paper on the patterned part, and apply pressure to increase the durability of the pattern.
Care and maintenance after printing
1. Print quality problems
If you are experiencing problems such as fading and poor colors, check your printer settings and make sure you are using high-quality consumables.
2. Print Pattern Adhesion Problems
If patterns are peeling or cracking, this may be due to insufficient curing or improper heat pressing; double-check temperature settings and application time.
3. Colour accuracy problems
For color accuracy issues, calibrate the printer settings and ensure that high-resolution images are used in RGB color mode for best results.
Tips for Successful DTF Printing at Home
- Buy high-quality DTF printer, DTF ink, DTF transfer film, and DTF powder.
- Load the transfer film correctly.
- Set the temperature and time of heat pressing differently according to the type of fabric.
- Peel the film according to the properties of the transfer film. Hot peel films can be peeled off directly; cold peel films wait for the temperature to cool down and then peel off.
- Print and post-maintenance are performed according to the manufacturer’s printing guidelines.
Conclusion
That’s our guide to DTF printing at home, so don’t hesitate to take action today to inspire your creativity and produce something unique.
Is DTF printing suitable for beginners?
Yes, DTF printing is easy to follow. Follow the printing guide and master it with a few more practices.
Can I use DTF printing on dark-colored fabrics?
Yes, DTF Print supports printing on light and dark fabrics. White ink is used as the pattern base, and the colors will be more vibrant when printed on dark fabrics.
Do I need to pre-treat the fabric for DTF printing?
No. One of the advantages of DTF printing is that fabric pre-treatment is not required, unlike DTG printing. This makes printing more efficient.
Can I use the leftover transfer film more than once?
No. The transfer film is a one-time use.
Where can I purchase DTF consumables?
DTF consumables (e.g., inks, transfer films, adhesive powders, and printers) can be purchased from specialized online retailers, local printing supply shops, or manufacturers such as Winnerjet.
