Direct-to-Film printing
DTF, short for ‘Direct-to-Film’ is a printing technique that is gaining rapid adoption in the Textile & Apparel industry.
An inkjet printer prints designs and logos on special DTF film using dedicated heat-transfer pigment inks and a white layer.
The process applies soluble ‘hot melt powder’ to wet ink layers, bonding the design firmly to the fabric.
Afterward, The film then passes through a dryer unit, drying the ink and smoothing the powder layer.
The process produces a direct-to-transfer sheet, which operators heat-press onto fabrics such as cotton, polyester, blends, silk, and leather.
DTF Printing Market Opportunity
Apparel decoration is a highly popular and dynamic sector, where DTF technology has had a huge impact in recent years.
DTF is ideal for logos, images, and labels on the front, back, sleeves, and inside of T-shirts, hoodies, and workwear.
Personalisation, such as names and numbers on sportswear further extends the usage and promotional items like caps and bags are further good usage examples.
DTF offers significant advantages over existing technologies because it allows users to heat-press designs onto a wide range of fabrics. It supports full-colour, detailed artwork, and small production runs while maintaining excellent washability*.
DTF is therefore expected to significantly increase its share in the apparel decoration segment.
Why choose Mimaki?
Mimaki is a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers for the textile and apparel industry, with a world-wide sales and service organisation. Moreover, the company is widely recognised for its innovation and reliability across various printing technologies.
The TxF Series is Mimaki’s first DTF printer, offered with Mimaki’s genuine DTF ink and RasterLink 7 RIP software. This unique combination ensures a highly reliable and stable DTF print workflow, while also providing Mimaki’s guaranteed service and after-purchase support. As a result, users can achieve consistent, high-quality output with full technical confidence.
In addition, other consumables and equipment — such as DTF film, hot-melt adhesive powder, DTF shaker and dryer unit, and heat press — must be purchased separately to complete the full DTF printing setup.
Market proven technologies
The TxF Series is packed with market-proven technologies to counter common issues of currently available direct-to-film printers, such as ink sedimentation and clogged ink supply.
Mimaki DTF ink
Mimaki’s genuine DTF ink (PHT50) ensures a high and consistent ink quality, regardless of production batch or order date.
RasterLink 7
RasterLink 7 offers convenient DTF functionality such as variable data printing and white layer creation/positioning, all in a simple and user-friendly interface.
Important Recommendations
In addition to the print quality, also the quality of the DTF film and used powder, as well as the timing and temperature settings of the drying unit and heat press can make or break the ‘end-result’.
Use DTF films with a thin and uniform surface for better temperature and transfer characteristics.
Use Polyurethane hot melt powder with a diameter of around 200 microns for the best adhesion characteristics.
Although you can apply the powder manually, use dryer units with a powder supply and shaker section (DTF shaker and dryer) to guarantee a more uniform thickness and thereby improve its transfer characteristics .
Follow the instructions of the DTF film supplier/manufacturer for the press (temperature & time) and peel settings.
DTF Printing – Frequently Asked Questions
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