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DTF production, explained

Plain-language guides to the machinery behind a custom print shop — gang sheets, nesting, DPI, RIP workflows, and fulfillment. No fluff, real numbers.

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Basics

What is a DTF gang sheet?

A DTF gang sheet is a single sheet of transfer film with multiple designs arranged ("ganged") onto it, so one print run produces many transfers at once and wastes less film.

5 min readRead

What DPI do you need for DTF printing?

For DTF printing, 300 DPI at final print size is the quality target; 150 DPI is a workable floor; below 150 DPI prints visibly soft. Here's how to check artwork before it costs you film.

4 min readRead

The DTF production workflow, end to end

From a customer's design to a shipped package: the seven stages of a DTF production workflow — design intake, order intake, nesting, printing, pressing, consolidation, and shipping — and where shops lose money at each.

7 min readRead

DTF vs. DTG vs. sublimation vs. screen printing

DTF prints a transfer onto film that presses onto almost any fabric; DTG prints directly onto cotton; sublimation dyes polyester; screen printing wins at high volume with few colors. How to choose per job.

6 min readRead

DTF vs. HTV: when to retire the vinyl cutter

HTV (heat transfer vinyl) is cut and weeded by hand, one color per layer; DTF prints full color with no weeding. Where each wins on cost, labor, and durability — and when to switch.

5 min readRead

Production

Gang sheet nesting: how automatic packing cuts film waste

Nesting is the automatic arrangement of designs onto a gang sheet to minimize film use. How strip-packing algorithms work, why determinism matters for reprints, and what utilization to expect.

6 min readRead

What is a RIP hot folder — and how to automate it

A RIP hot folder is a watched directory: drop a print file in, and the RIP software automatically queues it for printing. How hot folders work, why half-written files cause corrupt prints, and how cloud software can feed an on-prem RIP safely.

5 min readRead

Choosing DTF film and powder: what actually matters

A practical buying guide to DTF transfer film (hot vs. cold peel, matte vs. glossy, thickness, roll width) and TPU adhesive powder (grain size, white vs. black) — and how storage affects both.

6 min readRead

How to press DTF transfers: settings that actually work

Working starting points for pressing DTF transfers: 300–325°F for 10–15 seconds at medium-firm pressure on cotton, lower for polyester, plus pre-press, peel, and second-press steps.

6 min readRead

Why DTF transfers fail: peeling, cracking, and fading

A troubleshooting guide to DTF transfer failures: what causes peeling edges, cracking after wash, faded prints, and patchy adhesion — and the fix for each.

6 min readRead

Fulfillment

How print shops stop shipping incomplete multi-item orders

Multi-item orders get split across print runs, mixed on the packing bench, and shipped incomplete. The fix is bin consolidation: scan each pressed item, route it to an assigned bin, and only ship when the system says the order is whole.

5 min readRead

Integrations

Connecting Shopify to print shop production

How custom print shops connect a Shopify storefront to production: webhook order intake, linking each line item to its design file, and exploding orders into trackable per-garment units.

5 min readRead

Business

How to price DTF prints and custom garments

A working pricing model for DTF shops: true cost per print (film, ink, powder, garment, labor, overhead), markup logic for transfers vs. finished garments, and where hidden costs eat margin.

7 min readRead

How to start a DTF printing business

The two entry paths — pressing purchased transfers (a few hundred dollars) vs. printing in-house (thousands) — plus the equipment, workflow, and pricing decisions that determine whether the business survives.

7 min readRead

See the whole pipeline in one system

Everything in these guides is built into KOVA — from the DPI gate to the bin scan. Start free and walk it yourself.

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