Looking for a way to get photorealistic prints on T-shirts, hoodies, or bags without colour limits and complicated preparation? Wondering what exactly full-colour DTF transfers mean and whether they pay off for your print shop, studio, or brand? In this article, we'll go through how they work step by step, what they’re good for, and how to get the most out of them. Read the full guide and decide whether full-colour DTF transfers are the ideal solution for you.
What are full-colour DTF transfers
Full-colour DTF transfers (Direct-To-Film) are specially printed films where the design is first printed digitally and then prepared for transfer onto textiles using a powder adhesive or another material. The result works as a ready-made print, which you heat-press onto your textile whenever you need it.
Unlike classic direct-to-garment printing, here you printfirst onto film and only then onto the final product. This brings several key advantages. You can produce the design in advance in larger quantities, store it and then press it onto textiles gradually as orders come in. At the same time, the range of materials and products you can apply the print to expands significantly.
That’s why full-colour DTF transfers are great both forsmaller design studios and print-on-demand e-shops, and forlarger print shops, which need to add capacity or expand their portfolio without investing in additional machines.
How full-colour DTF printing works step by step
The principle of full-colour DTF printing is simple at its core, but it relies on well-thought-out technology:
First, the design is printed onto special DTF film using a digital printer and DTF inks. Printing is done in a colour layer (CMYK, sometimes with extended gamut) and white ink, which ensures coverage on dark materials.
Onto the fresh print, you apply powder adhesive, which is then cured in an oven or tunnel. This creates a transferable layer that bonds to the textile under heat and pressure.
The finished films are then pressed onto textiles in a heat press. At a set temperature and time, the entire design is transferred onto the textile or another material. After removing the film, adurable, flexible, full-colour printremains on the surface, ready for everyday wear and washing.
For Printstep customers, the key point is that all these steps are already done by the supplier. You receive ready-made DTF transfers, which you only need to heat-press onto your own products.
Which materials and products are full-colour DTF transfers suitable for
One of the biggest advantages of DTF technology is broad material compatibility. High-quality full-colour DTF transfers can be applied to cotton, blends, polyester, and other textiles, including more demanding surfaces such as softshell or denim.
In practice, this means you can print, for example, on:
- classic T-shirts and hoodies
- sports and workwear
- fabric bags and backpacks
- caps, aprons, and accessories
- jerseys, teamwear, and school/club merch
Because the design is transferred from the film only during pressing, adapting it to a specific product is very flexible. You can use the same transfers on several different types of textiles, which greatly simplifies logistics for smaller and larger operations.
Full-colour DTF transfers are ideal wherever you need a combination of photorealistic quality, material versatility, and fast response to demand.
Why choose full-colour DTF transfers instead of other printing technologies
When choosing a textile printing method, DTF is most often compared with traditional screen printing, sublimation, or DTG printing. Each method has its place, but full-colour DTF transfers bring several major advantages.
Screen printing is cost-effective at very high volumes, but it requires complex setup and is not ideal for small runs or frequent design changes. Sublimation is great for polyester, but it limits you by material type and base colour. DTG printing can handle photorealistic designs on cotton, but it has limitations on dark textiles and on some product types as well.
Full-colour DTF transfers, on the other hand:
- can handlecomplex graphics, photos, and gradientswithout limiting the number of colours,
- don’t require a minimum order — from a single piece to large series,
- work onlight and dark textiles,
- can be applied to a wider range of materials, not only pure cotton.
For companies that often need to change designs, test new collections, or work with personalisation, full-colour DTF transfers are in most cases themost flexible choice.
Conclusion
Full-colour DTF transfers are a modern and exceptionally flexible way to print on textiles, combining the benefits of digital printing and transfer technology. They allow you to print photorealistic designs, fine details, and colour gradients on a wide range of materials, from cotton to technical textiles. With proper production, application, and care, they offer high durability and long service life, comparable to or higher than many traditional techniques. Thanks to the option to print from a single piece to large series, they are suitable for small brands, studios, and large print shops. In the Printstep e-shop, you can also get full-colour DTF transfers as both continuous (by the metre) and sheet-format printing, plus support in the form of outsourcing and supplementary printing. If you’re looking for a solution that opens up new possibilities in textile printing without compromising on quality and colour, full-colour DTF transfers are exactly the technology you can rely on.
