From sportswear to branded tote bags, custom merchandise continues to grow in popularity across sectors, driving print shops to cater to short runs, personalisation, and rapid turnaround. As print providers look to this market, two printing technologies often stand out: Direct‑to‑Film (DTF) and Direct‑to‑Garment (DTG). Each offers its own benefits, and understanding these differences helps determine the most suitable production method for print service providers.
What is DTF Printing?
DTF (Direct‑to‑Film) printing is a relatively new printing process, tailored to the fast-moving promotional merchandising market. The process includes printing a design onto a specialist film followed by a hot‑melt adhesive powder being applied. The printed film is then passed through a dryer unit, drying the ink and smoothing the powder layer. This direct-to-transfer sheet can then be applied onto almost any fabric, such as cotton, polyester and leather, using a heat press.
What is DTG Printing?
DTG (Direct‑to‑Garment) is a more traditional process, where the material is pre-treated before being printed directly onto and then cured. Due to the direct-to-garment technique, this technology is best suited for natural fabrics such as cotton and linen, while some blended fabrics can also be used with varying results. The resulting product is more breathable and softer when compared to more textured DTF prints.
To DTF or to DTG?
While both printers are well suited for merchandise and custom apparel production, there are key differences when it comes to the workflow and end-product. DTF printing offers broader flexibility, with more applications available thanks to its ability to be applied to any fabric via the transfer sheet. This can easily be produced and stored ahead of time, before the garment even arrives at the printshop. The manual heat-press application also means that the prints can be applied to hard-to-reach areas, instead of being restricted to flat and accessible surfaces.
On the other hand, DTG is more adept at producing intricate details and subtle gradients in its prints. Since it is applied directly onto the fabric, the resulting print is more breathable and washable compared to DTF prints, which sit on top of the fabric.
Sustainability depends on the workflow, DTG typically uses water-based inks but may require pre-treatment and washing, while DTF eliminates water usage but introduces consumables such as film and adhesive powder.
Lastly, when it comes to production processes, there is a notable difference between the two technologies. DTF only requires a two-step printing process with the DTF printer and a heat press, meanwhile DTG requires multiple steps, including pre-treatment so that the ink can adhere to the fabric, printing and curing. Due to this more time-consuming DTG process, DTF printing is more adept at bulk orders as can operate easily without constant supervision, while DTG printing is better at producing a few custom products on demand. This also means that DTF operates much better in smaller print shops, as the entire process requires less space compared to the DTG workflow
Why DTF Is Gaining Momentum
In recent years DTF has seen rapid adoption across the merchandise and promotional sectors due to its versatility, production efficiency, and compatibility with a wide range of fabrics. The technology is constantly undergoing significant innovation, including emerging powderless DTF capabilities and automated heat-press systems, helping businesses streamline workflow and improve scalability to match demand.
Mimaki’s launch of its pioneering DTF technology in 2023 with the TxF150-75 marked a significant step in bringing reliable and colour accurate print capabilities to the market, addressing key challenges such as colour consistency, white ink reliability and production stability that had previously limited wider DTF adoption. Developed alongside Mimaki’s PHT50 ink set, the TxF Series is designed to deliver stable performance across a broad range of professional DTF films, including hot-peel, cold-peel, matte and glossy types – helping reduce media-related instability while supporting sharp details, consistent white opacity and reliable transfer quality. This progress reflects the wider momentum behind DTF, a sector that continues to grow year on year, with strong sales across EMEA and a growing range of solutions entering the market – even extending beyond textile applications with UV-DTF technology.
Matching Technology to Market Demand
For print service providers, the decision between DTF and DTG comes down to the types of applications being produced, the desired finish and required production capacity. For example, while some printers prefer the softer hand feel of DTG prints, others utilise the textured finish achieved by DTF to produce faux embroidery effects, which saw a notable rise in popularity last year. An increasing number of print service providers are adopting hybrid workflows, combining DTF for versatility and scalability with DTG for premium, soft-touch applications, while some choose to focus on DTF for its broad application scope, efficient workflow and smaller footprint.
Ultimately, the choice between DTF and DTG is not about which technology is better, but which is better suited to a specific business model. As customer demand continues to evolve towards faster turnaround, greater personalisation and broader application possibilities, the most successful print providers will be those able to align technology with market needs or increasingly, leverage both.
