Press settings, file prep, what to do when a transfer won’t stick. If it’s not here, ask — we’ll answer and probably add it.
Pressing
What are the press settings?
| Temperature | 300°F / 150°C |
| Time | 12 seconds |
| Pressure | Firm — medium-high on a clamshell, 40–60 psi on a pneumatic |
| Peel | Cold. Wait until the film is room temperature. |
| Second press | 5 seconds through parchment paper or a Teflon sheet |
Those are starting points. Every press reads a little different from its dial; a $10 infrared thermometer on the platen tells you what yours actually does. If transfers are lifting at the edges, go up 10°F or add 3 seconds. If they look shiny or the fabric is scorching, come down.
Hot peel or cold peel?
Cold. Our film is a cold-peel film. Peeling warm pulls adhesive off the fabric and leaves the transfer thin and patchy. Give it 20–30 seconds to cool, or press a batch and peel them in order — by the time you’ve pressed the fourth, the first is ready.
Why the second press?
The first press bonds the adhesive. The second press, after the film is off, drives the ink into the fabric and knocks down the sheen. Skip it and the transfer feels like a sticker and cracks sooner in the wash. It’s five seconds.
Which fabrics work?
- Cotton, poly, cotton/poly blends, tri-blends — standard settings.
- Polyester performance fabric — drop to 280°F and press 15 seconds. Above 300°F some polys dye-migrate and you get a pink ghost around a red logo. Test one first.
- Nylon and coated fabrics — 270°F, 15 seconds. Some nylons won’t take any transfer; test.
- Canvas, denim, twill — standard settings, but pre-press the garment 5 seconds to flatten the weave.
- Leather — 270°F, 10 seconds, light pressure. Works, but test an offcut.
The transfer didn’t stick. What happened?
In order of likelihood:
- Peeled it warm. Most common by far. Let the next one cool fully.
- Not enough pressure. If you can slide a sheet of paper under the platen edge with the press closed, it’s too loose.
- Platen is cooler than the dial says. Check with a thermometer.
- Moisture in the garment. Pre-press 5 seconds to drive it out.
- Silicone or fabric softener on the garment. Wash it plain and retry.
If you’ve checked all five and it’s still lifting, send us a photo — if the film’s the problem, we reprint.
How does it wash?
Inside out, cold or warm, no bleach, tumble low or hang. Wait 24 hours after pressing before the first wash. Done right, a DTF transfer outlasts the shirt — 50+ washes without cracking is normal. Done with a warm peel and no second press, it cracks in five.
Files
What file do you need?
PNG, transparent background, 300 DPI at the size it’ll print, sRGB. That sentence is 90% of file problems. JPGs have no transparency — the white box prints. PDFs and AI files we’ll take if that’s what you have, but a PNG removes the guesswork.
Does white print?
Yes. Every transfer gets a white underbase automatically, so a white design on a black shirt prints white. You don’t add it to the file; the press does it. Anything transparent in the file gets no ink and no white — that’s why the background has to be transparent.
Will the colors match my screen?
Close, not identical. Your screen is backlit; a shirt isn’t. Bright neons print a shade duller, and very dark navy can read black. If a specific color matters — a brand color, a team color — order a 3-inch by-size sample first. It’s a few dollars and it settles the question before you print sixty.
Can I use a photo?
Yes, DTF prints photos well. Two things: cut the background out so it’s transparent, and don’t upscale — a phone photo at its native size is usually fine for a 10-inch print, but a 400px web image stretched to 10 inches will look like it.
What about fine lines and small text?
Keep lines at 1 pt or thicker and text at 6 pt or larger. Below that, the underbase and the ink stop lining up cleanly and the detail fills in. If your design has hairlines, bold them slightly — it’ll look right on the shirt.
Ordering
Is there a minimum?
No. One 22×12 sheet or one 2-inch transfer is an order. There’s a $50 threshold for free shipping, not a minimum.
Gang sheet or by-size?
Under ten of one design, by-size — no layout, no cutting. Over ten, or mixed designs, a gang sheet is cheaper per transfer. The builder does the layout if you don’t want to.
Does the builder cost more?
No. Same per-inch price as uploading your own sheet. Some shops charge a builder premium; we don’t.
How fast?
Order by 2 PM ET, prints and ships today. Ground from Virginia is 1–2 business days to most of the East Coast. State-by-state here.
Can I reorder the same sheet?
Yes — your files stay attached to your order history. Open the old order, click reorder, done. Same press and ink profile, so it matches.
I’m a reseller. Do I pay sales tax?
Not if you send us a resale certificate. Here’s how.
Something’s wrong with my order.
Print error, wrong size, damaged in the box — send a photo within 3 days of delivery and we reprint. If the file you sent was the problem, we’ll tell you what to fix and reprint at cost. Full policy.
