What Is DTF Printing?
Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing prints your design onto a special PET film, coats it with hot melt powder, and heat-presses the transfer onto the garment. The film itself is produced separately from the fabric, so the same transfer works on cotton, polyester, blends, nylon and even leather. Most shops buy DTF PET film rolls in bulk and pair them with a dedicated DTF printer and hot melt powder.
What Is DTG Printing?
Direct-to-Garment (DTG) prints ink straight onto the fabric with an inkjet head, then cures it with heat. It excels on 100% cotton and delivers a very soft, breathable feel for complex, photographic designs. However, DTG is largely limited to cotton-rich garments and requires pre-treatment for dark fabrics.
DTF vs DTG: Side-by-Side
| Factor | DTF | DTG |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric compatibility | Cotton, polyester, blends, nylon, leather | Best on cotton; limited on synthetics |
| Startup cost | Lower (printer + shaker optional) | Higher (pretreat unit, larger printer) |
| Feel / hand | Slight transfer layer | Very soft, ink-in-fabric |
| Colors | Vivid, includes white underbase | Excellent on light cotton |
| Durability | High (50+ washes with quality film) | Good with proper cure |
| Best for | Small batches, mixed fabrics, hard items | Soft-hand cotton, photo prints |
Which One Should Your Shop Choose?
- Choose DTF if you print on a wide range of fabrics, want lower startup cost, or need to decorate non-apparel items. It is also ideal for on-demand, low-MOQ orders.
- Choose DTG if your core product is soft-hand cotton tees with detailed, photographic artwork and you already run a cotton-focused workflow.
Many growing shops run both: DTG for premium cotton lines and DTF for everything else.
Source Your DTF Supplies From the Factory
As a Shenzhen-based manufacturer with a 6,000 m² facility, we supply cold-peel and hot-peel DTF film, DTF ink and hot melt powder in wholesale volumes. Most orders ship DDP with an MOQ from 50 pcs / 20 rolls. Request a quote for factory-direct pricing.