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Although it is 'best' to use a heat press, you can also use an iron using the below instructions. Please note that as an iron does not show you the temperature or pressure, we can't provide the same guarantee on washability and results. Having said this, we have lots of customers sucessfully applying our DTF using this method!
1. Align Your Design
Carefully position your artwork in the desired print area. To prevent any movement while applying heat, secure the transfer using our Thermal Heat Tape.
2. Press
Set your iron to a temperature suitable for your garment's material. Place a piece of baking paper over the top of the design and apply firm pressure for 20 seconds. If the transfer isn’t adhering properly, gradually increase the heat towards the cotton/linen setting, ensuring it doesn’t damage the fabric.
3. Peel
As you are not using an industrial press, we recommend waiting for a cold peel when using an iron. If any part of the design isn’t sticking, place the transfer back down and press again with increased pressure and heat. Don't worry, our DTF transfers can withstand multiple presses!
4. Final Press
Place a sheet of baking paper over the design, then press for 15 seconds. This helps soften the design, enhance durability, and reduce shine.
5. Washing Instructions
For best results, wash the garment inside out with cold water. Since an iron applies heat with less pressure and evenness than a heat press, we recommend hang drying. If using a dryer, turn the garment inside out and use a low heat setting.
Every iron varies in heat and pressure, so testing is key to finding the best settings for your setup. Remember, you can’t overpress your transfers—better pressure and heat ensure greater durability through washing and drying.
Disclaimer!
While our Direct-to-Film (DTF) transfers are designed for optimal durability and washability when applied using a professional heat press, we cannot guarantee the same results if applied using a household iron. The use of an iron may result in uneven pressure and inconsistent heat, which can affect adhesion and the longevity of the print.
For all natural fibered garments (cotton, linen, etc), set your temp to 140 degrees and press for 8-10 seconds.
For anything polyester, set the temp to 130 degrees and press for 12-15 seconds. This includes poly hats, bags etc.
Yes you can use an Iron! Please see below for instructions.
1. Align Your Design
Carefully position your artwork in the desired print area. To prevent any movement while applying heat, secure the transfer using our Thermal Heat Tape.
2. Press
Set your iron to a temperature suitable for your garment's material. Place a piece of baking paper over the top of the design and apply firm pressure for 20 seconds. If the transfer isn’t adhering properly, gradually increase the heat towards the cotton/linen setting, ensuring it doesn’t damage the fabric.
3. Peel
As you are not using an industrial press, we recommend waiting for a cold peel when using an iron. If any part of the design isn’t sticking, place the transfer back down and press again with increased pressure and heat. Don't worry, our DTF transfers can withstand multiple presses!
4. Final Press
Place a sheet of baking paper over the design, then press for 15 seconds. This helps soften the design, enhance durability, and reduce shine.
5. Washing Instructions
For best results, wash the garment inside out with cold water. Since an iron applies heat with less pressure and evenness than a heat press, we recommend hang drying. If using a dryer, turn the garment inside out and use a low heat setting.
Every iron varies in heat and pressure, so testing is key to finding the best settings for your setup. Remember, you can’t overpress your transfers—better pressure and heat ensure greater durability through washing and drying.
Disclaimer!
While our Direct-to-Film (DTF) transfers are designed for optimal durability and washability when applied using a professional heat press, we cannot guarantee the same results if applied using a household iron. The use of an iron may result in uneven pressure and inconsistent heat, which can affect adhesion and the longevity of the print.
The better question is, what can’t you print on? Our specialty DTF ink is formulated to be able to press onto all fabrics and materials. Including (but not limited to):
Cotton and cotton blends, Dri Fit + Sports material, Polyester and polyester blends, Spandex (hello stretchy ink), Canvas, Denim, Linen, Flannel, leather … the list goes on
DTF Direct is the love child of one of the bigger DTG printers in Australia. What does this tell you? It tells you that DTF printing is the way of the future. The print quality, longevity and pricing is really unmatched especially for those intricate and colourful designs and smaller orders.
Absolutely everyone! Whether you are a stay-at-home mum looking for a side hustle, a sporting team, charity or even a large print shop looking for a more cost effective business solution – DTF IS FOR YOU!
Firstly, well we would be really surprised. We would follow the following steps to determine what could be wrong with your order:
1. We request photos and a detailed description of what the issue is along with a description of your pressing process
2. We review the submitted print files. We look for things like artwork resolution, drop shadows, transparency
3. We review the pressing process you have used
4. We let you know the results of our findings based on the information received
If it is found that the issue stems from DTF Direct’s print processes or product, we will reprint and ship your order as a matter of urgency. If the issue stems from your artwork, storage or pressing process than we will try and work on a solution that will help you in the best way we can.
DTF Direct is based in Brisbane, QLD. We offer Local Pickup for our local friends, and both Standard and Express shipping options for our interstate friends.
No we don't have minimums, you can order just one print at a time via our 'Order by Size' option.
Not yet at the moment we are only offering standard CMYK DTF printing.
We aim* to ship all orders within 24 hours of receiving them (daily order cut off is 10am). This means, if you place your order before 10am in the morning, we aim to dispatch it by the following business day.
*As we work in the production industry, we can’t 100% guarantee our machines are running smoothly 365 days of the year. So on the odd occasion, we may be experiencing machine issues and surpass the 24hr turn around. You can email or jump on our chat widget any time to check on the status of your order.
If your order is time sensitive, please choose our Priority Processing option at the checkout. All orders placed by 12pm with Priority Processing will be shipped that same day. We highly recommend choosing EXPRESS shipping when placing time sensitive orders.
We aim* to ship all orders within 24 hours of receiving them (daily order cut off is 10am). This means, if you place your order before 10am in the morning, we aim to dispatch it the following business day.
*As we work in the production industry, we can’t 100% guarantee our machines are running smoothly 365 days of the year. So on the odd occasion, we may be experiencing machine issues and surpass the 24hr turn around. You can email or jump on our chat widget any time to check on the status of your order.
If your order is time sensitive, please choose our Priority Processing option at the checkout. All orders placed by 12pm with Priority Processing will be shipped that same day. We highly recommend choosing EXPRESS shipping when placing time sensitive orders.
We offer both Standard and Express shipping via Australia Post. To get an accurate estimate of delivery time, we recommend using their shipping calculator. All orders are processed within 24hrs, with a cut off time of 10am.
If your order is time-sensitive, we offer a Priority Processing option at checkout. By selecting this option and placing your order by 12 pm, we’ll ship your order the same day. For faster delivery, we highly recommend selecting Express shipping alongside Priority Processing.
Note: Please be aware that we have no control over the postal system once your order has been shipped.
Absolutely. Local Pickup is available for you to choose during the checkout. Our address is 11 Maud Street, Newstead.
Pickup is available Monday to Friday between 8am and 4pm. We also have an after hours collection area, please email the team if you would like us to place your order in the after hours area.
At this stage International Shipping is not available. We aim to add this option in the near future.
No! We are super honest about the downsides of printing DTF and shadows and transparency are the downside of this print process. This guy has made an awesome video that explains why.
Seriously watch this before placing your order to understand the strengths and weaknesses of DTF printing.
We do not charge any setup fees, when you place your order you will only pay for the prints you are ordering. When uploading your designs, you can add a note for our design to to assist in simple artwork edits such as:
- Please remove white background
- Please invert white to black
Ideally we would prefer all artworks to be supplied in PNG format, at 300dpi at the size you would like it printed. Pngs will have a transparent background, and you need to ensure there is no blank space around them.
When uploading your own gang sheet, please ensure they have a transparent background.
Yes! We print in full colour, CMYK which is much like a paper printer. There are a few limitations though such as shadows, fades etc. DTF printing is not able to acheive shadowing, fading, opacity (semi-transparent pixels) effects as we have to put a solid white base down (for the glue to stick to). When you lay a solid white base over a opacity you are going to see it when you press.
No, please don't manipulate the orientation of your artwork. Just upload your print file as per normal.
Yes! You can include multiple designs and sizes on a single DTF Direct Gang Sheet. Gang sheets are a convenient way to print multiple designs and size variations together. The larger the roll, the better the price per square centimetre so consider going for one of our bigger gang sheets to get the best value.
Note: Only vectorized gang sheets that are ready to print will be accepted. If you aren't able to make your own gang sheet, you could use our Gang Sheet Builder or upload via our Transfers By Size option.
You can upload any of the following file types:
- JPG
- PNG
- PSD
- AI
- SVG
Please ensure if you are uploading a png, jpg or pdf that your file size is a minimum of 300DPI. If you don't have one of these files available, simply email us your logo and we would be happy to assist in converting it (so long as the resolution is ok).
If you pop onto our 'Transfers By Size' page, you can click through each size to see how that size will look on a tshirt. If you need more guidance on a particular product, just send us an email and we would love to assist.
Uusally, a LHC print is between 8cm and 10cm wide or tall. If you ensure the longest side is between 8cm and 10cm it will look great.
*Note: A child shirt will be 6-7cm
No, it is not possible to send a proof of your designs before printing. Please ensure you are happy with your artwork when it is uploaded.
What you need?
Heat Press + Garment + Our DTF Transfers
The Steps
- Set your press temp to 140 degrees. Take some time to line up your transfer in the desired position on the garment/item. Consider using a heat resistant adhesive tape to hold the design in place - this is particularly important for accessories such as hats.
- Press the design with a medium pressure for 8-10 seconds. If pressing onto polyester, reduce heat to 130 degrees and increase the press time to 12-15seconds. Make sure you test that your product can withstand the heat.
- Let the transfer cool for 15-30 seconds. Lift the transfer starting in one corner and peel back gently.
Tip: When peeling, double check that all of the design is adhering to the garment. If you see any part of the design sticking to the film, press the whole design back down immdediately. Double check that you used the correct heat, press and time. If these settings are all correct, the design may not have been cool enough. Press the transfer again for 8 seconds. Let the design cool down again comopletely, and then peel again.
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Once the design has transferred to the garment, press again for 5-10 seconds. This helps to increase the longevity and durability of the print (AKA increase washability).
You will need a heat press or iron, our DTF transfers and the product you would like to press onto. It's as easy as that!