If you're new to the textile business, you've probably heard of the latest technology, Direct Garment Transfer and direct film printer, also known as DTF printer vs DTG printer. But the question of why DTF technology was brought into the cloth business still stands. The goal of this piece is to compare DTG printers and DTF printers based on their different features and how they affect the process. Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing has been the most popular way to print t-shirts and other small items for a long time. However, Direct-to-film (DTF) printing has been gaining support in the industry in recent months, and more people are likely to follow suit. Both ways of printing are good for small items or personalizing, like T-shirts or masks. But the effects and printing process are different in each case, making it hard for a business to decide which one to use.
Because of the epidemic, companies that specialize in Print-on-Demand production have opened up, and DTG and DTF printing have come onto the market. This has increased the interest of manufacturers who want to start making personalized clothes.
Direct-to-garment (DTG) has been the most popular way to print t-shirts and make small productions for a long time. However, Direct-to-film or Film-to-Garment (DTF) has been getting a lot of attention in the industry and is gaining more fans every month. Before we can understand this paradigm shift, we need to know how the two methods are different.
DTG printer:
It needs to be done first: In the case of DTG, the first step is to treat the garments before printing. Before printing, we have to do this step because we will be working right on the fabric. This lets the ink dry well and keeps it from soaking through the fabric. Before printing, we will also need to heat the shirt to make this process work.
Direct writing on clothes: Direct to Garment (DTG) printing is faster than Direct Fabric (DTF) printing because there is no need to move.
Uses of white ink: We can use a white mask as a base to keep the ink from mixing with the color of the medium, but this isn't always required (for example, on white bases), and we can also limit the use of this mask by only putting white in certain areas.
Print on cotton: You should only print on cotton.
Final press: At the end of the process, we must do a final press to set the ink. Then, our clothing will be ready.
There is no need for pre-treatment: Since the DTF printer is already printed on a film that needs to be transferred, the cloth doesn't need to be treated first.
Printing on film: At DTF, we print the image on film and then move it to the fabric. Compared to DTG, this could make the process take longer.
Adhesive powder: This type of printing requires the use of an adhesive powder, which is put on the film right after the ink is written on it. This step is built into printers made just for DTF, so you don't have to do anything by hand.
Use of white ink: In this case, you need to put a layer of white ink on top of the color layer. This is the one that is put on the cloth and serves as the base for the main colors in the design.
There are no limits on fabric: DTF is helpful because you can use any kind of fabric besides cotton.
Transfer from film to fabric: The last step is to use a press to move the printed film onto the fabric.
So, what should we think about when deciding which print to buy?
As we've already said, a DTG printer can only print on cotton, but a DTF printer can print on a wide range of fabrics.
Production volume: At the moment, DTG machines are much more flexible and can make more and faster work than DTF machines. Because of this, it is very important to know what each company needs for producing.
The result: The result of one picture is very different from the other. In a DTG printer, the drawing and inks become part of the fabric and have a rougher feel, like the base itself. In a DTF printer, the setting powder makes it feel like plastic and hard, and it can't become part of the fabric. But because the colors are clean and don't mix with the color underneath, they seem to be of better quality.
Use of white ink: Both methods require a lot of white ink to print, but with a good Rip Software, you can control the amount of white ink used in DTG based on the color of the base, which can help you save a lot of money. For example, neo-Stampa has a special print mode for DTG that lets you quickly calibrate colors and choose how much white ink to use on different kinds of fabrics.
In a word, it seems that DTF printing is becoming more popular than DTG printing, even though the two have very different uses and purposes. If you want good color results but don't want to spend so much money, DTF printing might be better for small-scale printing. But DTG printing equipment is now more flexible and has more plates and processes, which makes printing faster and more versatile.
