DTF Glossary
DTF (direct-to-film)
DTF, or direct-to-film, is a transfer-printing workflow in which artwork is printed onto carrier film, commonly with colour and a white underbase, combined with adhesive powder, cured, and later heat-transferred to a substrate. Prepress prepares size, transparency, layout, white, and the file contract before the RIP drives the printer.
In practice
DTF is not one file format or one machine setting. The production chain includes artwork approval, preflight, gang-sheet layout, separations, RIP interpretation, film, ink, powder, cure, pressing, and a physical quality check.
NestSheet prepares garment-DTF sheets in the browser. Its workflow is transparent PNG intake, gang-sheet nesting, sheet-wide white choke and a mirrored 300 dpi CMYK + W1 TIFF for MainTOP or a transparent PNG for RIPs that build white.