Properly prepare your DTF file
Direct-to-film (DTF) printing has become the standard for textile personalization in just a few years. In addition to offering exceptional quality at a lower cost, DTF allows for printing on all types of textiles and in all colors (light or dark, cotton or polyester, silk or synthetic fibers).
Suitable for medium and large production runs, this technique is becoming increasingly accessible, particularly thanks to transfer printing services. However, creating DTF files requires adhering to certain rules, which are essential for high-quality prints. Here are our tips for creating perfect files for DTF printing!
Working with the correct color mode
DTF printers use four-color process printing (CMYK), while screen color modes correspond to RGB. If you leave your files in RGB mode, the colors you see on screen and those that are printed will differ. This is because RGB files are automatically converted to CMYK during printing. This conversion inevitably results in unexpected and muted colors.
To avoid any mistakes and be certain of the colours you really want, you will need to choose the CMYK mode on your graphic design software.
For professionals who produce large quantities, calibrating your monitor using a colorimeter is highly recommended . This process ensures your computer screen displays accurate colors and brightness
Create a print-ready mix
If you use a DTF transfer printing service, you will need to send your print-ready artwork. Arrange your various elements, making the most of the available space, within the strict limits of the chosen format.
When creating your file, use the dimensions indicated on the product pages. For example, for A4 format, enter the following dimensions: 28 x 21 cm.
Créadhésif Tip : to avoid going out of frame, it is best to activate Magnetism.
Choosing the right resolution
For high-quality prints, choose a resolution of 300 DPI. DPI stands for the number of distinct pixels per inch. In other words, the higher the value, the better the image quality. For a scanned image intended for printing, it is standard practice to sample it at 300 DPI.
Note that resampling a 72 dpi image to 300 dpi is pointless. It will not improve its quality or definition and will unnecessarily increase the file size.
Check the color composition
Colors: important elements of your visuals, yet often overlooked. For DTF printing, each color is composed of a specific percentage of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. If you don't pay attention to your color composition, you're likely to be very disappointed when you receive your transfer sheets.
If you need to adhere to an exact shade, consider using a four-color process color chart (BENDAY / PROCESS) and then transferring the CMYK values into your graphic design software.
Créadhésif Tip : Intense Black
For your solid black areas in CMYK mode, a single black value at 100% is insufficient for a good result because it's closer to a dark charcoal gray. We recommend creating a black base composed of 100% Black + 30% Cyan + 30% Magenta + 30% Yellow. This black base technique will enhance your solid black areas, making them denser and deeper without the risk of over-inking.
Vectorize fonts
We ask our clients to always vectorize the text in their illustrations. The reason is simple: if we don't have the font(s) you used in your project, we will have an error interpreting the file when we open it and we won't be able to continue the printing process.
To prevent accidental changes, we recommend converting all fonts used in your visuals to vectors. Please note that files without embedded fonts (.pdf) or files that are not vectorized cannot be printed.
Remove the background and keep a transparent background
If you used a colored background to create your visuals, remember to remove it before sending them to us. A white background is not the same as a transparent background. A transparent background can be identified in design software by white and gray squares in your workspace.
To avoid any problems, some creative software such as Photoshop even allows you to select "transparent background" when creating your file.
Save your in the correct format
To print your DTF images, we absolutely must add a white underlayer. Some file types don't allow us to do this or are simply unsuitable for printing.
Here are the file extensions we accept: .ai, .psd, .pdf and .tiff
Need step-by-step help creating perfect DTF printing files? Check out our guide or our YouTube video!
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about DTF personalization at 01 34 33 01 55.
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See you soon,
The Créadhésif Team
