Printing craft
Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing involves printing the design onto a PET film, applying hot-melt adhesive powder, and heat-pressing it onto the fabric. It is compatible with a wide range of fabrics and supports printing on finished garments; however, an adhesive film layer remains on the printed area.
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Specification
How this craft performs, which fabrics it runs on, and where it fits best.
Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing, also known as White-Ink Heat Transfer Printing, is a digital heat-transfer printing process. A CMYK + white-ink design is printed onto a PET release film, coated with hot-melt TPU adhesive powder, and cured in an oven to produce a heat-transfer film. The design and adhesive layer are then transferred and bonded to the fabric surface under high temperature and pressure using a heat press. Once cooled, the carrier film is peeled away to complete the print. No fabric pretreatment is required. This process is compatible with a wide range of fabrics and supports printing on finished garments. However, the printed area forms an adhesive film layer, which may reduce breathability—particularly with large-area designs. Stretch fabrics may exhibit whitening or cracking when stretched. The quality of the adhesive powder directly affects wash durability; therefore, sample testing is strongly recommended for unfamiliar fabrics before bulk production.
Blank bases that list this craft among their customization options.
