Direct to Film (DTF) Application Instructions
First, Check Your Temperature & Pressure
It's important to calibrate your press to the proper temperature and pressure required for quality results. For checking temperature, we recommend using a quality Infrared (IR)
Temperature Gun (Contactless) to ensure your heat press is heating evenly and accurately.
When it comes to quality heat pressed garments, pressure is (almost) everything. Not using enough pressure is the most common cause for any application issues we see.
Make sure your pressure is set correctly on your machine - refer to your press' manual for how to do this correctly.
Step 1: Adjust Settings & Prepare your Garment
Set your time and temperature to our recommended settings:
Temperature: 325°F
Pressure: Medium to Heavy Pressure
Pre-press your garment for 5-10 seconds at 325°F.
Step 2: Load Garment, Place Transfer, and Press!
Lay garment down on the lower platen, making sure seams, zippers, etc are off the edge.
This ensures even application. Place the transfer print-side down so that the ink is touching the garment - make sure it's not upside down!
The clear film is super helpful with making sure you're placing the transfer correctly.
Press the transfer for 7-10 seconds at 325°F. Our DTF transfers are COOL or COLD peel.
Immediately after the garment is cool, hold the garment steady, grab a corner of the paper,
and peel diagonally in a smooth, deliberate motion.
Step 3: Finish it Off!
A post-press really helps to seal the transfer to the garment. Now it's time to decide what
kind of finish you'd like!
For a gloss finish: use teflon paper.
For a matte finish: use parchment paper or a clean scrap shirt.
Cover your transfer with the option of your choice, then post-press your transfer for 5-10 seconds.
