If you've asked for a print quote recently you'll have met the acronym: DTF. It has quietly become the default method for short and mid-run garment printing in the UK, and it's the method we use for most printed orders at EMBOZZ. Here's what it actually is, minus the sales gloss.
How it works
DTF stands for direct-to-film. Your artwork is printed in reverse onto a PET film, first in colour and then with a layer of white ink laid over the whole design — the underbase. A powdered adhesive is applied and cured, and the film is then heat-pressed onto the garment. Peel the film away and the design sits bonded into the fabric surface.
Why the white underbase is the whole point
Older transfer methods printed colour straight onto the garment, so the fabric colour showed through the ink — fine on white tees, muddy on anything dark. The DTF underbase means your colours sit on white, whatever the garment colour. A red and gold logo looks identical on a white tee, a navy polo and a black hoodie. If your brand uses dark garments — and most do — this is the property that matters.
What DTF is best at
- Full colour at no extra cost. Unlike screen printing, ten colours cost the same as one — there are no screens to make.
- Short runs. Screen printing has setup costs that only make sense at volume. DTF is economical from 20 pieces, which is exactly where most team and small-business orders sit.
- Fine detail. Thin lines, small text and photographic elements reproduce cleanly — detail that embroidery physically cannot hold.
- Mixed garments. One press run can decorate cotton tees, poly sports kit and blended hoodies — useful when a team order spans different garment types.
What it's not best at
Honesty matters here. For very large runs (thousands), screen printing still wins on unit cost. For a small, simple left-chest mark on a polo, embroidery reads as more premium — we cover that trade-off in Printed vs Embroidered Workwear. And a badly pressed DTF transfer — wrong temperature, wrong dwell time — will fail early, which is why who does the pressing matters more than the acronym.
How long does it last?
Properly produced and pressed, a DTF print survives 100+ washes without cracking or peeling. Wash inside-out at 30–40°C and avoid ironing directly over the print, and it will generally outlast the garment.
What to send your printer
A PNG with a transparent background at decent resolution is the practical minimum; vector files (PDF, AI, EPS, SVG) are better because they scale without loss. No file? At EMBOZZ we prepare artwork — vectorising, colour separation, sizing — as part of the job rather than as a surcharge.
See your logo DTF-printed before you order
The fastest way to judge the method is to see your own branding on the actual product. Send us your logo and we'll build a free mock-up — and you approve a proof before anything is pressed, on every order.
