The main idea behind DTF printing is simple: you print on a film and use a heat press to move it to the fabric you want. This new technology has become popular because it can print on almost any fabric or leather. The DTF printing process can be used on cotton, silk, polyester, synthetic fabrics, natural leather, and synthetic leather.
How to Print Directly on Film Step by Step:
Create a Print on the Film
Instead of paper, put the PET film into the printer's trays. First, print the whole picture in white on a piece of PET film. Then, use the correct colour settings on the inkjet printer to print the picture you want on the white layer. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the image on the film must be a mirror image of the image on the fabric.
Powdering
In this step, the hot-melt powder is put on the printed picture of the film. When the paint is still wet, the powder is spread out evenly, and the extra powder is removed carefully. The most important thing about DTF printing is to make sure that the powder is spread evenly across the surface of the printed film.
Melt the Powder
The next step is to melt the powder. Most of the time, the DTF transfer is heated for about 2 minutes. If you are already in the business of making custom T-shirts, you can use your heat press to apply DTG, vinyl, or white toner printer transfers.
Pre-pressing
The cloth is pre-pressed before the image is transferred from the film at this stage. The fabric stays in the heat press and is pressed for 2 to 5 seconds while the heat is very high. This makes the fabric flatter and also helps get rid of moisture. Pre-pressing helps the image on the film get transferred to the fabric.
Transfer
This is the first step of DTF printing. The heat press is used to make a strong bond between the PET film with the image and melted powder and the cloth that has already been pressed. This process is also known as curing. Curing happens between 160 and 170 degrees Celsius for about 15 to 20 seconds. At this point, the film sticks firmly to the cloth.
Cold Peeling
Before removing the film, it is essential to let the fabric and the film cool to room temperature. The chemical structure of the hot melt is similar to that of amides when it cools. It acts as a binder to hold the coloured pigment in the inks to the cloth fibres. Once the film has cooled, it must be pulled away from the cloth, leaving the correct pattern printed in ink.
Post-pressing
This is an alternative step, but it is strongly recommended for the best results and high-performance qualities like being resistant to being washed and rubbed. The finished cloth with the transferred design is put in the heat press for 10 to 15 seconds during this step.
Overall, you could say that the DTF printing process gets rid of all the restrictions that come with other textile printing processes, especially when it comes to choosing the type of fabric the design will be printed on. In addition, since DTF printing no longer needs pre-treatment, the overall cost of printing will go down by a considerable amount, giving users a more significant profit margin.
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