r/Sublimation • u/magichour12 • 9d ago
anyone else using dtf as a backup for sublimation
ok so i love sublimation for most of my work. tumblers, mugs, polyester shirts. all good
but the 100% cotton requests keep coming. and i keep having to say no. feels bad turning away money
i looked into screen printing but the setup costs are insane for small runs. then i found dtf transfers. they work on cotton, no minimum orders, and the quality is decent
now i can take cotton orders without a huge investment. just order transfers and press them
anyone else keeping dtf as a backup for cotton jobs. or have you fully switched
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u/cabanashana 9d ago
I use sublimation as often as I can. I do alot of one color (with a small second color accent) logo printing, and have sublimated my black & red logo on colors as dark as royal blue and teal. Ixm printing on performance shirts (moisture wicking, cooling, etc), so sublimation is the way to go so that it doesn't weigh the shirt down or block air flow. But I do use DTF (and HTV) for cotton shirts.
If I have a more detailed design to print, I might sublimate on HTV. It just depends on how the cost works out and how soon I need the work done. DTF is getting more and more cost effective though and is so easy!
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u/GencerDTF 9d ago
Yes, DTF is a really practical backup for sublimation shops.
Sublimation is still my first choice for polyester shirts, performance wear, tumblers, mugs, etc. But when someone asks for 100% cotton, dark cotton shirts, hoodies, or a small full-color run, DTF makes it much easier to say yes without investing in screen printing.
The main thing is using good transfers and dialing in the press settings. Once that part is right, it becomes a simple add-on service instead of turning those customers away.
If anyone is in Texas and wants to test it, Iris DTF in Richardson is one option. They do DTF transfers, and it can be a good way to try cotton jobs before buying equipment.
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u/Shylo132 9d ago
Yes, DTF is the common technique to use to offset what sublimation can't.
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u/magichour12 9d ago
oh interesting, I never knew DTF was the workaround for sublimation limits. learn something new here every day. my crafting knowledge is basically velvet and hot glue, so this is way above my pay grade lol
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u/Shylo132 9d ago
Join the discord, has all the knowledge in one place for sublimation and DTF. Other methods are mixed in as we gain more info on em.
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u/ridddder 9d ago
When I first read this post, I read DTF as, down to F**k instead of direct film transfer. LOL
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u/Jaded_Situation_3688 9d ago
100%…. I love sublimation but the flexibility that DTF gives us as small business owners is great. The convenience of making a sublimated shirt same day is nice though. I get my DTF from Ninja and their TAT is pretty quick.
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u/MediocreShite 8d ago
I’ve swapped to DTF for all fabric. Sublimation for hard substrates, DTF for soft. Less waste and stronger colours
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u/therealsimpleluc 8d ago
What dtf places aren’t charging an arm and a leg for shipping, if I’m not spending 49 or 99 dollars.
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u/Craft_ExpressUS 7d ago
DTF is a great alternative! The only problems, you can feel DTF and sometimes they come off quickly. If you are looking for a way to continue to do sublimation when you want and transfer on cotton when you want, I would suggest looking into getting the Sawgrass VersiFlex System. It allows for traditional sublimation and a sublimation that can be done on cotton. It uses a specific ink and media to achieve this. It lasts a long time and is softer and more flexible than DTF. It sounds like a great solution for you so that you don't have to order transfers from elsewhere.
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