DTF and the future of screen printing

[Maxie]

Not all DTF is the same, like screen printing, one printer will get a soft smooth finish, another thick and rough
Depends a lot on the ink and TPU glue.   Also how you apply it and the garment.
I don't do a second hit in the press, I put the garments through my oven.     This dulls them a bit and the ink seems to melt into the fabric giving a much softer feel and amazing wash tests.
We have a heavy weight cotton sweatshirt that print really well with DTF.     A full front on a TS does I agree feel like plastic.      It's amazing for pocket prints, hats, sleeves, small orders with lots of colors.
If you want to be a artist stick with printing, if you want to make money add DTF.      Just be careful what you buy, there is a lot of junk on the market.

[farmboygraphics]

Just pressed a sample from the Quatro that my M&R rep left. I'm pretty impressed by the hand. Anyone else tried prints off it?

can you describe it please?

thanx,

pj

It feels like a heat pressed screen printed image. Zero plastic feel, no crinkle. I stretched the large section of the print and no sign of splitting. I got a lot of samples in from other companies and none of them come close to this. Next I'll bring it home and throw it in the wash with every load to see how it holds up. I pressed it onto a G500, I have one more sample and might put it on a 3001. I would imagine you can get samples from M&R, I'd recommend it if you're looking at these machines.

[Dottonedan]

The hand was my drawback also. And never preferring a DTG or a DTF over screen print. If they both went away, I’d be fine with it.  But sales are strong for people asking for DTF for us. But when they don’t ask for it, and the quantity and color count allows, we chose screen print.

Having said that, I’ve received samples and heat presses in house and there can be a drastic difference from supplier to supplier. We love what we get from our current supplier.  Uddercolor.com.  He’s a meticulous  printer as well. We do make use of halftones in the DTF where we can and that also helps break up the hand.

[AAMike]

Dan is right, halftoning is the way to go for a smooth soft print. I like using a line tone. My buddy and vendor wor the trophy at the DTF expo in Phoenix. I was amazed at the difference in all the entries using the same art for the contest. I was being spoiled and didn't know it because I had always used him.

[1964GN]

We just had a Velox installed yesterday and the very first test prints were very impressive. Using canvas for the second press completely changed the feel. We'll be doing some testing today with different percentages of white. We have several contract printers using other DTF companies that have already placed order with us. It's a bit to early to tell but I really feel this will be a great compliment to screen printing with a much higher margin.

[3Deep]

I'm able to do halftone prints with a very soft hand now on black shirts but have yet to get a nice halftone color print to work on a red,blue, green etc or light color shirt, someone is going to come up with a an app/program where you can just pop your image in and hit a button and get a halftone ready to print image, now that will be a game changer for DTF.  Right now it takes a little skill to get a nice halftone print ready for DTF and I don't do it a lot and have to go back from time to time to brush back up my skills to get an image ready for halftone DTF.

[rusty]

whats the initial investment needed? we outsource right now and I am happy with that but I see the need growing cause we deal with a lot of schools and the clubs are all 10-15 kids.

[GraphicDisorder]

We just had a Velox installed yesterday and the very first test prints were very impressive. Using canvas for the second press completely changed the feel. We'll be doing some testing today with different percentages of white. We have several contract printers using other DTF companies that have already placed order with us. It's a bit to early to tell but I really feel this will be a great compliment to screen printing with a much higher margin.

When you think you have it right, id like a sample. Happy to pay.

[1964GN]

When you think you have it right, id like a sample. Happy to pay.

We just had a Velox installed yesterday and the very first test prints were very impressive. Using canvas for the second press completely changed the feel. We'll be doing some testing today with different percentages of white. We have several contract printers using other DTF companies that have already placed order with us. It's a bit to early to tell but I really feel this will be a great compliment to screen printing with a much higher margin.

Will do. I do expect it to be at least a few weeks. We have a crap ton of testing and tweaking to do. I am headed to Minnesaota next week for a 2 day training seminar and I'm hoping that jump starts things. I can tell you that color reproduction is pretty spot on.

[1964GN]

whats the initial investment needed? we outsource right now and I am happy with that but I see the need growing cause we deal with a lot of schools and the clubs are all 10-15 kids.

Our unit was just north of 40k. There are cheaper units but we went with SPSI for the support, and we have a great relationship with them. We already have customers wanting to send orders but we just are not ready yet. One day of training isn't enough and I don't want to make our first clients guinea pigs.

[brandon]

We just had a Velox installed yesterday and the very first test prints were very impressive. Using canvas for the second press completely changed the feel. We'll be doing some testing today with different percentages of white. We have several contract printers using other DTF companies that have already placed order with us. It's a bit to early to tell but I really feel this will be a great compliment to screen printing with a much higher margin.

Canvas? Do tell please. Any particular type?

[Frog]

We just had a Velox installed yesterday and the very first test prints were very impressive. Using canvas for the second press completely changed the feel. We'll be doing some testing today with different percentages of white. We have several contract printers using other DTF companies that have already placed order with us. It's a bit to early to tell but I really feel this will be a great compliment to screen printing with a much higher margin.

Canvas? Do tell please. Any particular type?

You're looking for something with a little texture, and not too thick. I use pique, or the canvas from a cheap tote. It mostly gets rid of that smooth plastic feel by adding the texture of the cover "sheet". Upholsterers add various textures to vinyl similarly.

[AAMike]

Canvas? Do tell please. Any particular type?


I've seen people cutting out blank ones from Hobby Lobby. Haven't tried it yet

[Homer]

......so after seeing good- FREE- presses go to the scrap yard, y'all still dying on that hill that screen printing isn't going away?...just curious. Tons of retail and resort merch, all DTF....

[balloonguy]

I think DTF is a good tool but I do not see it replacing screen printing any time soon. I have way too many orders for single color prints on 500+ tees. No way I am heat pressing those. I use a fair amount of DTF but it is not my go to solution for any of my larger orders.