DTF & UV DTF Transfers: Artwork Requirements

Guide to Ordering DTF and UV DTF Transfers: Artwork Requirements, Production, Policies, and Artwork Expectations.

Important things first! 😉

Please ensure that graphics with a resolution lower than 300 DPI are not used for UV DTF printing! Starting May 10th, 2024, we will no longer notify you if your graphic is of low resolution. We've found that the back-and-forth emails regarding design quality consume too much valuable time. If you utilize our gang sheet building app, you agreed to these terms by checking the Confirmation box when saving and submitting your sheet for printing. Similarly, by placing your order on our website, you acknowledged these terms by checking the box during checkout. We appreciate your understanding.

Receiving your order and finding the transfers don't meet your expectations can be frustrating. Our aim is to guide you in preparing your DTF and UV DTF artwork to ensure satisfactory printed results.

If files aren't prepared correctly, it can lead to frustration when you receive your prints or delays in production. Please take a moment to review the artwork guidelines provided below.

1. Your Digital Transfer Artwork Files Will Be Printed Exactly As They're Submitted

Your artwork will be printed as submitted. We cannot be held responsible for any issues related to the appearance of transfers if the submitted artwork doesn't meet the requirements mentioned in this blog post.

If you need help, you may want to choose the Basic Design Service or Check My Gang Sheet options in the Add-On Services section of our website.

2. Utilize Appropriate Software for Artwork Creation and Gang Sheet Building

Using professional graphics software is the most straightforward method to ensure that your artwork and gang sheets meet all the necessary requirements for a successful print.

We advise against using Silhouette, Cricut software or Canva for designing purposes:

• Silhouette and Cricut software was designed for cutting, not designing.

• While Canva is user-friendly for creating designs, issues may arise when saving or downloading your designs and gang sheets.

In both cases, even high-quality designs may be compressed and lose quality during the saving or downloading process.

3. Create Artwork at High Resolution

Low-quality artwork, which can cause a design to appear foggy, pixelated, or with jagged edges, is one of the most common issues in DTF printing. To avoid frustration when your transfers look less than desirable or to prevent delays caused by artwork quality, you have these options:

1. Vectorize Your Design: Using vector software, such as Adobe Illustrator, eliminates concerns about resolution. Creating artwork from scratch in this program ensures your designs print crisply.

2. Set Resolution to 300 dpi or higher: Photoshop and other raster-based programs use pixels to create images. To ensure crisp, clean edges in your artwork, it's essential to use as many pixels as possible. We recommend setting your resolution to 300 DPI or higher and ensuring your design is appropriately sized for your project.

   For example, a 3x3-inch design at 300 DPI won’t work for a full-front t-shirt design because the resolution will drop significantly when stretched to 10x10 inches. Always start with a design that matches the size you need to avoid quality issues!

3. Outsource Design Work: Our Designers can redraw most artwork at a higher quality, whether vector or high-resolution raster. You can order "Fix My Image" option on the Add-On Services page, and our designers will take care of your artwork.

4. Artwork Should Have Sharp Edges

To achieve the best print quality, your artwork should have sharp, defined edges. Effects like neon glow, drop shadows, translucent areas, or soft/fading edges may not print well due to the white underbase. These issues become especially noticeable when transferring DTF prints onto dark-colored garments and are completely incompatible with UV DTF.

Before submitting your artwork, please remove all neon glow, transparencies, and soft or fading edges to ensure the best possible outcome.

5. Limitations of Standard DTF and UV DTF Printers in Reproducing Neon, Highlighter, and Fluorescent Hues

Neon and fluorescent colors cannot be printed with a standard DTF or UV DTF printer primarily due to the limitations of the printing process and the characteristics of neon and fluorescent pigments.

1. Ink Compatibility: DTF and UV DTF printers typically use pigment inks. Neon and fluorescent colors require special pigments that emit bright, intense light under certain conditions. Standard pigment inks used in DTF and UV DTF printing lack the necessary properties to replicate neon or fluorescent effects.
   

2. Technical Challenges: Specialized neon or fluorescent inks are available for DTF printing, however, not many companies offer neon and fluorescent printers as printers have to be converted to be able to print using these special inks. Once a printer is converted, it cannot print standard DTF orders. Since commercial DTF printer is a significant financial investment, not many companies can afford maintaining an additional printer that can exclusively print highlighter-bright colors.

If you require a neon/fluorescent outcome, please look for companies that offer this specialty printing service.

6. Backgrounds In Artwork Will Be Printed

Any backgrounds in the artwork file will be printed. If you prefer no solid background, save your file with a transparent background in PDF or PNG format.

Note that JPG/JPEG files have solid backgrounds, so use professional design software to remove them. However, it may be complicated to properly remove the background and still retain all the colors within the design.

7. Convert Fonts to Curves/Outlines

Convert all fonts to curves/outlines in vector file types like PDF or EPS.

In Adobe Illustrator:

Illustrator allows you to convert your fonts to outlines. To convert text to outlines, do the following:

• Select the type object you are trying to convert.

• Click Type > Create Outlines.

In Adobe Photoshop:

In Photoshop, you must rasterize the font layer. Before you rasterize a vector layer, always duplicate it by choosing:

• Layer > Duplicate.

• Then, to rasterize the copy, choose Type > Rasterize Type Layer.

In Corel Draw:

In Corel, you must first convert your text to a curve object.

• Using the Pick Tool, select the text.

• Go to Arrange > Convert to Curves.

Alternatively, right click on the text when it's selected and choose Convert to Curves.

8. Minimum Line Thickness is 0.02 in. (or 0.5 mm, or 1.44 pt)

Delicate details in your artwork might not print correctly if they're too thin. Similarly, very narrow gaps between elements of your design could close up during production. Ensuring these small details and gaps are sufficiently thick is crucial, as their loss could impact the legibility of your design.

The minimum thickness required for DTF artwork should be 0.02 inches or thicker. Any part of the artwork thinner than this may result in the following issues:

• The artwork may NOT print at all.

• Lines that are too thin may fall off the film before you have a chance to press the transfer.

• Lines that are too thin may not transfer to the garment, as they will be too thin to pick up any adhesive powder.

• Lines that are too thin may break apart when you peel off your film.

You can check the size of your artwork by creating a small circle with a diameter of 0.02 inches and moving it around your design. Place it over the thinnest part of the design. If the circle is larger than the width of the thin elements of your design, then they are too thin for proper printing and transfer.

To better understand WHY the thin lines do not print right, please refer to the "About DTF Choke" paragraph at the end of this blog post.

So, what’s the solution? It’s simple! Refer to the screenshot below.

On the left side of the screen, the design has very thin lines. The leaves and the dots around the hexagon are too fine—they won’t print well, transfer well, or last long. These details are so thin that the printer won’t be able to add the necessary white under-layer, and no adhesive will stick to them properly.

The solution is to add a thin offset—white in my example—just thick enough so the details in the design are larger and wider than a 0.02" dot. This ensures better printing, transfer, and durability!

9. Gang Sheets Sizing

UV DTF Gang Sheets:

• Maximum width: 23 inches (no length limit).

• If you’re using Affinity Designer to create your gang sheets, ensure the length does not exceed 96 inches.

DTF Gang Sheets:

• Maximum width: 22 inches (no length limit).

• For gang sheets created in Affinity Designer, please keep the length under 96 inches.

For longer gang sheets, consider using our Gang Sheet Builder for the best results.

10. Gang Sheets Sizing Limitations

When creating long UV DTF gang sheets, keep the following in mind:

1 - If your gang sheet exceeds 4-5 feet in length, we will most likely need to slice it into shorter sheets before printing. While creating one long gang sheet offers convenience, UV DTF printers—unlike DTF printers—may require periodic stops for cleaning, making this adjustment necessary.

If you prefer your sheets not be cut, please ensure your gang sheets are no longer than 4-5 feet. Thank you for your understanding!

2 - Our shop is climate-controlled with 2 AC units, heaters, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers to maintain optimal conditions. However, this airflow can occasionally introduce dust onto the sticky printing base. Unlike regular DTF sheets, UV DTF sheets have very strong adhesive, making it impossible to remove dust once it lands. When UV ink is applied over dust speckles, it creates small dimples in the transfer.

We typically catch these issues during quality checks. If your order arrives with some designs crossed out on the sheet, you now know why 🙂. Rest assured, we will always reprint any affected designs to ensure you receive perfect results.

11. Make Your Artboard / Design the Same Size As Your Design

The Width & Height you select in our Gang Sheet Builder only determine the size of the whole file. Please note that any extra space between your design and the edge of the file, known as negative space, will be included in the sizing, resulting in the design being printed smaller than intended. The dimensions you choose should match your design's desired Height & Width. Ensure your design has no negative space.

12. Do Not Mirror Your Design

You don't need to mirror your design unless you want it to appear mirrored when pressed onto the blank. Our software automatically mirrors all designs and gang sheets before printing.

13. Design Spacing Recommendations

To ensure easier cutting and handling of your transfers, we recommend leaving at least 0.2-0.25 inches of space between designs on your gang sheet.

This is particularly important for UV DTF printing, as the UV varnish coating slightly overlaps the edges of each print. This overlap reduces the actual space between designs, making it more challenging to cut them apart if the spacing is too tight.

By maintaining adequate spacing, you’ll have a much easier time separating your designs without risking damage to the varnish or the prints themselves. Keep your distance manageable for the best results!

Artwork Expectations

14. Printed Colors May Not Match Your Screen

The colors on your screen (computer, tablet, or phone) are not an accurate representation of how your artwork will print. DTF Transfers are printed in CMYK, but your screen displays in RGB. Some colors might print how they look on screen, but we cannot guarantee the colors will match.

15. We Do Not Color Match or Target Colors

We do not provide color matching or targeting for DTF and UV DTF printing, including spot colors, Pantones, or matching colors to other products we offer. If you’re concerned about specific colors, we strongly recommend ordering a sample run before placing a larger order.

To achieve the best results for strict color requirements, we highly recommend using our DTF color chart. This chart gives you a clearer idea of the colors that will print, helping you make more informed decisions for predictable results.

Please note that we operate two different types of printers:

• DTF Printer: For garment transfers.

• UV DTF Printer: For hard surface transfers.

While both produce transfers on carrier sheets for home application, they are distinct systems. We cannot guarantee the same image will print with identical colors on both printers. These differences arise because:

1. The printers use different inks (DTF vs. UV DTF).

2. Images are processed and prepared for printing through separate software programs.

If you want to create a matching set (e.g., a garment and a mug), we suggest ordering a sample run to preview the results. Please be aware that the DTF Color Chart does not apply to UV DTF color matching.

16. Pantone Color Values Should Not Be Used In Designs

Please refrain from designing your files with Pantone color values, as our software will convert them to CMYK before printing. This conversion frequently leads to color inaccuracies.

17. Transfers Will Come On A Roll

You have the option to order single images or gang sheets with multiple images. In most cases, your transfers will be shipped to you on a roll, rather than cut apart. If time is of the essence, you can also opt for our Cut Transfers Apart Services.

18. Help Is Available From Our Designers

Please refrain from including notes such as "check my artwork/gang sheet before printing." Instead, we recommend reviewing guidelines in this blog post thoroughly. Then, zoom in on your artwork or gang sheet and ensure the resolution is adequate, there are no overlapping images, the artwork has no negative space, and so on.

However, if you're unsure and need help reviewing your artwork or gang sheet before printing, our team of designers is ready to assist. Simply select the "Check my Artwork" or "Check my Gang Sheet" option on the Add-On Services page. A fee of $15.00 per design/gang sheet will be applied for our team to review your gang sheet and suggest adjustments. For more extensive changes or multiple proofs, there will be an additional fee of $15.00 for each 30 minutes of our work.

19. Acceptable File Types & Formats

We accept various file types, but we have preferences for certain formats over others. We prefer file types capable of containing vector artwork for best printing results, such as SVG, EPS, AI, or PDF files. Additionally, PSD and PNG files can be used, but please ensure they are high resolution and have transparent backgrounds - this will assist us in fulfilling your order without any delays.

About DTF and UV DTF Choke

& About UV DTF Bleed

In DTF and UV DTF printing, applying the white underbase layer beneath the color is a crucial technique for enhancing the vibrancy and visibility of colors in the final print. This white underbase is printed using high-opacity ink, ensuring solid coverage.

Without this white underbase, the color ink alone lacks sufficient opacity to stand out effectively, especially on darker or colored surfaces. In UV DTF printing, color inks without the white underbase may appear translucent when applied to glass, or completely invisible when transferred to dark surfaces (they may still work on white!) Therefore, by incorporating the white underbase, we ensure that the colors appear vivid and true to the original design.

Additionally, in DTF printing, the transfer won't last for more than a few washes if white ink isn't applied. Therefore, white ink has to be used even for white garments.

In our printing workflow, when your design is prepared using our RIP software, the white layer is intentionally made slightly smaller than the design itself. The difference between the size of the white layer and the design is called CHOKE. This careful adjustment prevents the white layer from extending beyond the edges of the color layer. If the white layer were to protrude, it could create an undesirable visual effect - a white outline around your entire design.

Due to the use of the choke, there is a minimum limit on how small or thin your design should be. This ensures that there is still a sufficient amount of the white underbase printed beneath the color, preserving the integrity of the final print while maximizing color vibrancy.

For more information on the artwork size and line thickness, please refer to the "Minimum line thickness" paragraph above.

As you apply a UV DTF transfer, you'll notice the presence of a clear layer printed slightly larger than your artwork. This clear layer is the UV DTF varnish, giving the transfer a glossy appearance and sealing the edges. Unlike the white underbase, the varnish layer is made slightly larger than the design (BLEED vs. choke) to securely seal the edges and prolong the life of your transfer.

We hope you find this information helpful. However, feel free to contact us if you have any further questions!

Danny & Elena @ PNW Print Co.

order@pnwprintco.com