DTF and the future of screen printing

[Frog]

I have yet to put my hands on a DTF print that id want to wear. Most of the time the print isn't even great. But a lot of that is who is doing the art. But the idea art can be made with DTF always in mind would be hard to do unless thats the only way you printed. I certainly wouldn't' want to go back editing files on files just to be able to print 1 garment or 10 garments every time. The time to do that would be hard to bill for.

DTF will improve, no doubt about it. But to be honest the whole thing feels to me just like DTG did for years. "gonna kill screen printing" and it never has.

I don't doubt there are people who have got some tricks and are doing good work with it, but I haven't seen that yet.                                                 

DTF feel is awesome, for small prints.  We just did the a 3 color flag on the sleeve of some navy tees and it looked and felt great.  If it was the full back it would have been terrible.

That said, I know  aguy that's doing his final press with a terrycloth dishtowel and he swears it gives it a better texture and makes it wear better.  I haven't tried it yet.

Do you use anything for a second printing? A piece of pique or waffle knit fabric works quite well for me .

I generally don't, because our prints are small.  Texture doesn't really matter on a logo that's 3.5" wide.  I will definitely try it on a larger print when one comes through next.  I have on on the horizon, it's a jersey front with an 8" circle...full coverage.

And of course, I meant second "pressing", not printing.

[DonR]

Someone send me a DTF full size print like that that doesn't feel like crap and ill look at it.

In fact who here thinks they have this mastered, id like to buy a print.

I will bite... Go to www.tprnt.com to get my email and send me the design you want to print. Let me know the color of the shirt. I will print it and send it to you with instructions on how to press. It is not going to feel like a water based discharge print or dye sub but hopefully you will see the value in using DTF as another tool.

[GraphicDisorder]

Someone send me a DTF full size print like that that doesn't feel like crap and ill look at it.

In fact who here thinks they have this mastered, id like to buy a print.

I will bite... Go to www.tprnt.com to get my email and send me the design you want to print. Let me know the color of the shirt. I will print it and send it to you with instructions on how to press. It is not going to feel like a water based discharge print or dye sub but hopefully you will see the value in using DTF as another tool.

Sent, let me know if I owe you something.

[zanegun08]

How do we setup a poll to vote on the likelihood of Brandt thinking that a large DTF print is passible?

Hope you share the results.

[CBCB]

How do we setup a poll to vote on the likelihood of Brandt thinking that a large DTF print is passible?

Hope you share the results.

Haha if a great customer only needs x25 of them they start feeling a lot softer.

[GraphicDisorder]

How do we setup a poll to vote on the likelihood of Brandt thinking that a large DTF print is passible?

Hope you share the results.

I have 2 samples coming, one a full print and one where I think he knocked the black out. He said I wont love the full print, and I don't doubt that for a second. We sent our art to them so its our art, no tricks.

Ill share my exact thoughts when they come.

Couple years back I was considering buying a digital squeegee. I consider that to be a large investment so I wanted samples. I sent M&R some of my art and told them to also send me some of the "very best prints" they have done. I got back many samples. Only a few that I thought were good/great. Rest in one way or another where IMO were poor to terrible. Stuff out of reg, stuff with pink or blue greys, stuff with banding and so on. This was done in house by M&R by Michelle and her team, she was said to be the best to ever do it. I was not at all impressed for what would have been around 500k investment or so. So be it machine or user or whatever I was out, they wouldn't have been able to pay me 500k to install it and use it free. Literally. Any time I am asked about DS I say the same thing, watching it but that tech aint there yet. It just isn't.

I suspect DTF to be even WORSE spot than that right now. But ill keep watching it and we'll see. The only reason DTF has had any traction IMO is because machines are over all pretty inexpensive.

[DonR]

Sent, let me know if I owe you something.

Sent two versions. The first has full ink coverage. The second version I removed the black and did a quick and dirty halftone. I know that the full ink version that big will not have a good feel. However, the halftoned version should give an acceptable feel.  I did not change the color at all, so it will not be as bright. Once the time is taken to adjust colors, the final transfer colors can look close to the original. The test was to create a good feel in a large DTF print, so I did not take the time to make the color adjustments.

Looking forward to hearing your feedback.

[Nation03]

I think it's safe to say DTF is just another tool in the tool belt. A friend of mine needed 12 shirts with 4 different designs, all of which had 10+ colors in them. Easy choice to use DTF. He loved them and we still made some money. I wouldn't want to heat press a 500 piece order, ever, regardless of the quality.

[GraphicDisorder]

Sent, let me know if I owe you something.

Sent two versions. The first has full ink coverage. The second version I removed the black and did a quick and dirty halftone. I know that the full ink version that big will not have a good feel. However, the halftoned version should give an acceptable feel.  I did not change the color at all, so it will not be as bright. Once the time is taken to adjust colors, the final transfer colors can look close to the original. The test was to create a good feel in a large DTF print, so I did not take the time to make the color adjustments.

Looking forward to hearing your feedback.

Looking forward to checking it out for sure. Thanks for sending them.

[blue moon]

Sent, let me know if I owe you something.

Sent two versions. The first has full ink coverage. The second version I removed the black and did a quick and dirty halftone. I know that the full ink version that big will not have a good feel. However, the halftoned version should give an acceptable feel.  I did not change the color at all, so it will not be as bright. Once the time is taken to adjust colors, the final transfer colors can look close to the original. The test was to create a good feel in a large DTF print, so I did not take the time to make the color adjustments.

Looking forward to hearing your feedback.

Looking forward to checking it out for sure. Thanks for sending them.

are you doing any DTG?

[GraphicDisorder]

Sent, let me know if I owe you something.

Sent two versions. The first has full ink coverage. The second version I removed the black and did a quick and dirty halftone. I know that the full ink version that big will not have a good feel. However, the halftoned version should give an acceptable feel.  I did not change the color at all, so it will not be as bright. Once the time is taken to adjust colors, the final transfer colors can look close to the original. The test was to create a good feel in a large DTF print, so I did not take the time to make the color adjustments.

Looking forward to hearing your feedback.

Looking forward to checking it out for sure. Thanks for sending them.

are you doing any DTG?

No, sold our Mlink years ago, Brother machine before that.

[3Deep]

I got some DTG sample prints many years back, look great coming off the press but within a few weeks prints cracked and faded off the shirt, can't think of the name of the company now but they were the top dog in DTG before M&R jumped into it.  They printed a white plastisol base then the DTG printed the colors and ran them thru this crazy looking M&R dryer.  I have a dragon file that I print very large with DTF and it has very very soft feel, I washed this shirt many many times and it still looks and feel great, if anyone doing DTF in-house want to try this file I'll send it to you just drop me an email.

just came to me it was the Kornit DTG machines

[GraphicDisorder]

Got the samples in.

This is unbiased as I can be on this. I am thankful DonR sent the samples and he did not charge me and he should/could have. He sent 2 samples of the same print. One is printed as normal with black printed. The other is printed without black and also has parts of it knocked out in half tone pattern that will reduce its hand/feel. He mentioned he did not retouch the art or do any funny business just printed what I sent him. I sent him a 300DPI 15"w PNG. We pressed them with a Stahls heat press to his specs. Gildan 100% Cotton shirts.

I think the files are too large to put all in this reply so I will probably have to do multiples. First prints are the full image with black printed. From a few feet the image looks great, colors aren't bad. As you get closer you start seeing the issues. Greys are toned red/brown, not that way in the art. On the edges you have spots where its got underbase peaking or spots where the rip freaks out with a fade/glow and it trys to solve it and it looks wrong just like DTG will do. I think most of this could be fixed in art. But wouldn't be a 2 minute fix either. It feels thick/rubbery and I think in general terrible as suspected. This would be sellable in regards if you had a garment that couldn't be screen printed or a forgot or messed up printed garment you could sub this for a couple and I think it would be OK. But i think you'd have to coach the customer its not the same as screen print.

[GraphicDisorder]

These will be the one where he killed the black and half toned the whole image. This is done to reduce the hand and it definitely does that. But it looks terrible. It also had dots not stick to the shirt and this made it look even worse. We followed his instructions but maybe we did something wrong in that regard and some tweaking the dots would not stay behind. But it still looks terrible. I would not sell this version under any context.

I will wash both when I can see how they feel after a couple washes.

For me without a single doubt DTG is better than this DTF. My Mlink DTG was better than this DTF in feel and hand.

I still think there is a market for both DTG/DTF but its not me yet.

[DonR]

That wasn't to bad. I was expecting to get totally trashed. Brandt's artwork was great "retail quality" but not what I would every suggest doing with DTF or DTG. However, when you get a customer who insists on printing a few shirts with a lot of colors, DTF is a great way to go. Every tool has it's use. As a side note, when the two prints were shown to my staff side by side, more picked the halftoned without black for the faded into the shirt look.