Every print shop once started with one machine, one customer, and a lot of unanswered questions. DTF printing has the advantage that the barrier to entry is lower than with most other technologies, but lower does not mean zero. Anyone who starts without a clear idea of what they actually need, what they can offer, and at what price wastes both time and money. This article is a guide for those who are starting from scratch or are still considering whether to jump into DTF.
Why DTF Makes Sense as a Starting Technology
Compared to screen printing, you do not need screen printing frames, emulsions, or color mixing for each individual order. Compared to sublimation, you are not limited to polyester and light-colored materials. Compared to DTG (direct-to-garment printing), you do not need to pretreat each piece and you can print on a wider range of materials.
DTF gives you full-color printing with no limit on the number of colors, without the need to print large runs and with the option to work from a single piece. For a start-up print shop, this is a combination that makes it possible to accept diverse orders from the very first moment, without turning down small orders and without the commitment of a large minimum.
How DTF works in practice, from preparing the artwork to the final application, can be found in the article how DTF print production works step by step.
What You Really Need to Get Started with DTF
Getting started with DTF printing requires a basic setup of four elements. You cannot do without any of them -- but at the same time, you do not need to have everything in the highest category at the start.
1. DTF Printer
A basic entry-level DTF printer can handle A3 format or a roll width of 30-33 cm and works with one or two print heads. For a start-up operation, this is sufficient. Output is lower, but for the first orders, testing, and building a customer base, it is the right start. How current models differ from one another and what to look for when choosing is described in the article the best DTF printers in 2025.
2. Heat Press
Without a press, there is no pressing. To start, a basic flat press with even pressure and adjustable temperature is enough. The key parameters are temperature stability across the entire platen and the ability to set time and pressure precisely. A cheap press with fluctuating temperature will cost you more in rejects than you save on the purchase price.
3. Shaker and Curing Oven (or a Combined Unit)
Applying thermoplastic powder and curing it are mandatory steps between printing and pressing. There are separate shakers and ovens as well as combined units that handle both. For a small operation, a combined unit is usually more advantageous in terms of both space and cost.
4. RIP Software and Basic Accessories
RIP software (raster image processor) translates the artwork into print data and controls the application of colors and the white layer. Without it, the printer does not create the correct structure of ink layers. In addition, get a supply of DTF film, thermoplastic powder, and basic cleaning supplies for print head maintenance.
An Alternative to Starting with Your Own Machine: Outsourcing the Printing
Not every start-up print shop has to invest in its own DTF setup right away. If you are only testing the market, do not have enough orders to keep a machine busy, or lack initial capital, it makes sense to start as a reseller. Buy ready-made DTF transfers from a supplier and handle only the pressing yourself.
This path requires only a heat press, the cheapest part of the entire setup, and ready-made transfers from the manufacturer. The customer gets an identical result, and you can focus on business and customer service instead of running a machine.
Once your order volume reaches the point where your own printer pays off economically, you will already have a proven customer base and a clear idea of demand.
How such a cooperation model works in practice and what to expect from it is described in the article DTF for agencies, resellers, and print shops.
First Orders: Where to Start and What Not to Offer Right Away
A start-up print shop repeatedly makes one mistake – it tries to offer everything right away. The result is orders it is not prepared for technologically or in terms of capacity, and customers who leave disappointed. A better approach is to start narrow, but do it well.
For your first orders, focus on:
- T-shirts and sweatshirts made of cotton or a cotton-polyester blend – the most predictable materials for DTF
- simple designs with clean colors and no extremely fine details
- small runs of 5-30 pieces, where a mistake does not grow into large losses
- customers from your area, where quick communication and possible correction are feasible
What not to offer yet:
- stretch materials and sportswear – they require more precise parameters and experience with print cracking
- reflective and technical materials with certification
- express deliveries with zero room for error
- sublimation and other technologies that you do not yet master
For small companies and sole traders who, like you, are just starting out and are looking for a print shop for small runs, your offer is naturally attractive – you are addressing the same type of customer. Why small runs and personalized orders are a growing segment is explained in the article DTF printing for smaller companies and sole traders: quality corporate T-shirts even in small runs.
Pricing: How Not to Sell Below Cost and Not Lose the Customer
Pricing is where start-up print shops make the most mistakes, and almost always in the same way. They set the price based on what they see at competitors, or on what the customer says they are willing to pay. Meanwhile, they do not know their own costs precisely. Correct pricing starts from costs, not from the market!
Basic calculation items per piece:
- ink consumption (CMYK + white) converted to the design area
- consumption of film and powder per transfer
- depreciation of the machine and press (purchase price divided by estimated lifetime in pieces)
- energy (printing, curing, pressing)
- operator time (data preparation, printing, pressing, packing) multiplied by the hourly rate
- overhead costs (rent, software, maintenance, insurance)
Only after adding up these items do you know your actual cost per piece. The margin is added on top of that, not instead of it.
Indicative Pricing by Run Size
Run size | Indicative price per piece (A4 print) | Note |
| 1-5 pieces | 7,20–11,20 € | Highest share of setup and overhead per piece |
| 6-20 pieces | 4,80–7,20 € | Data preparation is spread across more pieces |
| 21-50 pieces | 3,20–4,80 € | The run starts to become efficient |
| 51-100 pieces | 2,40–3,60 € | Full use of production capacity |
| 100+ pieces | 1,80–2,80 € | Depends on design complexity and material |
The values are indicative for the Czech market and include printing without the price of the textile itself. Always calculate separately for each type of order. For example, a small chest design is a different calculation than a full-back print.
Conclusion
Getting started with DTF printing is not complicated, but starting well requires a clear head about what you really need, what you can realistically offer, and at what price it pays off to do it. A minimal setup lets you launch operations without unnecessary over-indebtedness, first orders on simple materials teach you the technology without costly mistakes, and pricing built on actual costs ensures that every order contributes to growth, not to a slow bleeding of margin. Anyone who masters these three things from the beginning has a solid foundation to build on.
