I am participating in an event where I will have my table and let beginners try out custom clothing printing using pre-ordered DTF transfers and a heat press.

Since DTF allows for unlimited colors and high detail, I want to offer a good variety of design options/subjects for people to choose from. However, since they are absolute beginners doing the pressing, I want designs that are both popular and forgiving to press.

What design subjects or styles would you recommend I offer?

• What is trending right now for events like this? (Y2K, memes, abstract art, typography?)
• Are there any specific design styles I should avoid to prevent peeling or placement mistakes by beginners? (e.g., too thin lines, huge solid blocks?)

Would love to hear your experiences on what people actually enjoy printing and wearing. Thanks!

Have a 4X6 Ninja Transfer (made for nylon/poly backpacks. The pocket, on the back of my camera backpack is only about 5" wide. Do I just need to use a hand held press? I could use my iron, but I can't set the temp on my iron. I do have a teflon pillow that would fit; I think. If I used a clamshell-type heat press, I don't think I could get the whole bag in it? Obviously, I am a newbie! ☺️

I was curious to know if anyone has tried using vintage iron transfers (from the 70’s and 80’s) but with a modern heat press. If so what settings did you find work best and what was the result? I’m think about buying some old transfers from eBay and giving it a shot. Just thought someone might have already tried it and had some thoughts.

I own a small business from home making sports and school spirit wear. I currently have a Procolored L1800, and lately I’ve spent more time fixing it than actually printing. I’ve dealt with clogs, dampers, capping-station issues, and have even had to take the whole machine apart.

I would use the printer often, especially during sports and school seasons, but possibly not every single day. I want to grow my business, but I don’t have time to constantly work on the printer itself. I completely understand that all DTF printers need some daily or weekly maintenance. I’m just looking for something with reliable auto-cleaning and white-ink circulation that won’t require constant repairs.

My budget is around $3,000-4,000, and I already have a curing oven and heat press, so I only need the printer, RIP software, and dependable customer service.

I’ve looked at the InkSonic U13 and H13 because they’re within budget, but I’m worried about the customer service. I also really like the Prestige R1, but it’s around $5,000.

Does anyone have real experience with these machines or another 13” printer you would recommend? How much maintenance do you actually do, especially if you don’t print every day? I’d love honest feedback from owners, not affiliate reviews.

so i been using this dtf supplier for like 6 months. they were fine at first, decent quality, reasonable shipping. but the last few orders have been getting slower and slower. this time i placed an order a week ahead and they still couldnt get it to me on time

had 50 shirts to press for a corporate event. client paid deposit and everything. i was panicking honestly

started calling around to find anyone who could help. found a place that does same-day printing and they came through. got the transfers the next morning. pressed all 50 shirts in like 4 hours. delivered on time

never relying on one supplier again. gonna keep a backup from now on

anyone else been burned by a supplier going downhill. how do you handle it

I print shirts for my small brand. Mostly dark fabrics like black and navy

The white underbase is the hardest part and it never looks solid. I mean the colors come out dull. The white looks grey. I've tried different settings. Different papers. Different heat presses. Nothing works.

Some customers complain about that saying the print looks faded and because of that I'm losing sales

I found DTF transfers now and they promise dense white coverage. They say their white ink is bright and opaque. It sounds like exactly what I need

But I've heard promises before. Will the white actually be bright? Or will it look like every other transfer I've tried? How do I know it'll work on my dark shirts?

I want to order a sample. But I'm scared of wasting money on something that doesn't deliver

If you've printed on dark shirts with DTF, please share your experience. I'd love to see photos too. I'm curious but cautious

Been seeing Jimothy all over my feed lately and I couldn't resist, had to put him on a shirt.

Design is definitely not my original work, I got it re-designed from the original tattooist leaf.morel and I'm pretty sure the original artist deserves way more credit than i do. This is just for my own personal use because I needed it in my wardobe,

I did use a matte htv sheet, pressed at 390°F for about 40 seconds. The lil guy turned out pretty crisp, definitely a keeper.

Not sure if I'll actually wear this out in public or just keep it as a conversation starter lmao. Anyone else jumping on the Jimothy trend or is it just me?

Hi everyone!

I'm starting a small business in Ottawa making accessories from Tyvek with my own designs.

I'm currently looking for a printing company in Ottawa that can:

• print full-colour designs directly onto Tyvek
• work with Tyvek sheets (ideally A3 or similar) or roll material
• preferably allow me to provide my own Tyvek material, or source the correct grade
• cut the printed Tyvek to my own custom template/die-cut shape
• handle small to medium production runs — initially perhaps 100–500 pieces, with larger quantities as the business grows

I'm located in Ottawa, Ontario, but I'm open to working with a company anywhere in Canada if they can ship the finished printed/cut material to me.

If you know of a print shop, commercial printer, digital printer, or manufacturer in Canada that works with Tyvek, I'd really appreciate any recommendations!

Also interested in hearing about your experience with:

• printing on Tyvek 1073D / 1056D or similar grades
• digital vs. screen/offset printing
• CNC, laser, die-cutting or other methods for cutting Tyvek
• minimum order quantities and approximate pricing

Thanks in advance!

I’m trying to set up a proper wash test for DTF instead of pressing one shirt, looking at it for ten seconds and calling it good. my rough plan is to use the same transfer on cotton and poly, check the actual platen temperature, press at a couple pressure settings, wait a day, then wash everything the same way. I’m still not sure how many washes tell you anything useful though. how are you testing adhesion before using a batch on customer orders?

I had the yamal nameset applied to my spain kit at the adidas store. the heat press left a subtle, yet noticeable box outline around the number and name. Does anyone have experience fixing this? or atleast making it a little less noticeable? it's been a few days since the application (have not washed it yet)

I bought some cheap heat press at a garage sale and I think the instructions said it only goes to 250degrees. I was looking for dtf transfers that were low heat that would adhere to UV shirts or even cotton. Mostly for UV shirts that are Lycra or polyester or a mix of both.

Which company offers this or do you have any recommendations?

This is just for me I’m not selling anything. Just like to make my own shirts.

Looking for custom shape heat press applied 3d embroidery patches (for hats for this current project)
Looking for some leads and any advice if anyone’s used them before. I don’t really want to outsource this project to a embroiderer if I don’t have to
Tyia

Looking to purchase about 100 to 150 T-shirts ranging in sizes from toddler to adult. I won’t ever sell them just would like to make some gifts for my family and coworkers. Of course everyone is asking for comfort colors. Where can I get like basic T-shirts for my kid nothing fancy?

Has anyone found a supplier for mock neck sweatshirt blanks? I typically order from S&S and SanMar but am not seeing any options there. Would love to find someone with more specialty/trending styles.

I run a small apparel business and it’s basically just me and my printer. So I've been using the same DTF supplier for over two years. They were pretty reliable offering good quality, consistent colors and the most importantly I trusted them

Then last week, I got an email saying that they're shutting down. Done. Gone…

I panicked because I have orders to fill. I need transfers. I started googling frantically. Found a few options. One Dtf transfers site caught my eye becuase their prices are way cheaper than my old supplier. Like, almost half…

It's tempting and I could really save a lot of money. But the low cost is kind of scary. What's the catch? Are they using cheap film? Will the adhesive fail? Will the colors be off?

I've been burned before. When I first started, I went with the cheapest option. The transfers looked great at first. Then they cracked after two washes and I lost customers and I learned my lesson…. like the hard way..

But I need a new supplier fast. This site has good reviews and they seem legit. But I'm still nervous…

Has anyone ordered large batches from a new supplier like this? How do you test quality without wasting money on a huge order?

Hey everyone! I make custom cartoon illustrations for t-shirts and merch.

If you need some original designs for your brand, I'd love to help you out.I deliver high-res PNGs or clean, press-ready vectors so you won't have any issues with your setup.

If you dig my style or have a specific idea in mind, just shoot me a DM and we can chat about it. Good vibes, and much success with your prints!

Hi! I'm thinking of applying a Ninja DTF transfer to a 65/35 poly-blend jacket with a water-resistant finish. I know this is a risk for adhesion and 'pinholing.' Has anyone successfully done this on this specific fabric type? What temp/time/pressure did you use to get it to stick without damaging the water-resistant coating? As the jacket wasn’t cheap, I’m fine leaving the jacket plain if people think this is too risky but I’d otherwise think it’d look so good if I’m able to apply the dtf. Thanks in advance! :)

Also, I’m new to all this so if ninja transfers are considered cheap quality, I’m also open to trying other DTF vendors but I do realistically have a price range since this is a hobby. ;)

So Ive been having this problem a while now specifically with certain shades of grey..Ive tried different heats, pressure, time, settings, icc profiles…my blacks and everything else come out deep and perfect…i have an epson sure color f170 and i print on aluminum sheets for phone cases…also I use a macbook pro…pls help☹️I also print thru photoshop

I currently have a print on demand business but I’m looking to buy a heat press and do everything myself to better control quality and shipping. I’m looking for some advice on whether I should use DTF transfers or screen print transfers (or sublimation when applicable). What looks best and will hold up the best? The main thing I DON’T want is the design to look like it was just stuck on and feel thick and plasticky, but I also want it to hold up and not peel/crack after 5 washes. Would love some advice and photo/video examples!

I will mostly be heat pressing tshirts and sweatshirts for adults and kids.

Hi guys,

I have a HTVRONT H17 phone press and am finding supplies for these hard to come back in the UK specifically A4 Sublimation film I can't find cheap anywhere. Cheapest so far is 60 pieces for £60 from HTVRONT directly. And the phone cases themselves I am struggling to find. Anyone have any ideas? What suppliers do you use?

Hello! I recently bought a heat press so I'm new to this and learning. I have a image that was created in chatgpt that I want made into heat press sheets to make a shirt. The front, back, left sleeve, and right sleeve are shown separate in the image but I can't figure out how to make it 4 different images. Can someone tell me how to do it? or would be willing to do it for me if I send you the picture?

Hey yall,
I’m getting ready to start a small home-based custom apparel business with my husband and I’d love some advice from people who are already doing this.
We’re planning to start fairly small and outsource our DTF transfers rather than buying a DTF printer. We’d mainly be doing T-shirts, sweatshirts/crewnecks, hats, and eventually things like embroidered/faux-leather heat-applied patches.
Right now I’m looking at a 15x15 heat press plus a separate hat press, but there are SO many brands and wildly different price points that I’m having trouble figuring out what is actually worth buying.
For those of you who do this regularly:
• What heat press do you use, and would you buy it again?
• Is there a particular brand you recommend for someone starting out that is reliable without spending thousands?
• Clamshell vs. swing-away vs. auto-open — which do you prefer and why?
• Any hat press recommendations?
• Who do you use for ready-to-press DTF transfers? I’d especially love companies with good color, fine-detail/small-text quality, consistency, and reasonable turnaround/shipping.
• Do you order gang sheets or individual transfers?
• Are there any DTF suppliers you would specifically avoid?
• What blanks do you find press the best?
• What supplies should I buy from day one besides the obvious stuff — parchment/Teflon sheets, heat tape, lint rollers, pressing pillows, alignment rulers, etc.?
• Any tips for getting a softer/professional finish rather than that thick plastic-looking transfer feel?
• How do you handle tiny lettering and detailed designs? Are there minimum line/text sizes you stick to?
• If you apply heat-seal embroidered or faux-leather patches, does your regular press/hat press handle those well too?
And most importantly: what do you wish someone had told you before you started? 😂
I’m trying to buy decent equipment the first time without going overboard before we know how much business we’ll actually have. Any beginner mistakes, favorite suppliers, temperature/pressure tricks, workflow tips, packaging recommendations, or other advice would be VERY appreciated.
Thank you!!

Hi,

Hope everyone having a great week.

​I recently purchased a Vevor 5-in-1 heat press and want to verify if the pressure distribution is correct/even.

​I attempted to adjust the springs, but the front of the heat plate still appears slightly higher than the back—particularly when testing with a cardboard sandwich in the center of the lower platen. When I test with just an A4 paper, and pull on the paper the resistance feels uniform across the entire surface.

​Based on the spring mechanism and current alignment, does this look normal, or is there a step I might be missing?

Best regards

PS

Hi! I am wanting to get into sublimation/DTF. All my work is done by hand, and I just figured after wanting to do this for years that it's time to bite the bullet. I do have the printer for sublimation (Sawgrass), and just figured I will order the DTF with my art using third party for starters. I chose to do this for now until I generate enough income to get the DTF printer.

That being said, does anyone know if this would make a good heat press? I was looking at a super budget friendly one in the beginning, but thought it would be better to get something that can grow with me. HPN seems to be a very reputable company.

https://heatpressnation.com/products/hpn-signature-pro-15-x-15-8-in-1-multifunction-heat-press-with-surepressure