Differences Between DTF Textile Ink & DTG Pigment Ink

Customers typically ask what is the distinction in the application of DTF print ink and also DTG pigment ink. For this trouble, let me evaluate it thoroughly. Prior to the analysis, permit's mention the current market's names for DTG pigment inks. Numerous of them describe DTF Textile Ink, as well as some are called movie transfer inks. Actually, DTF textile printing inks, in addition to film transfer, inks 2 names of ink are fairly comprehensive. DTF textile printing ink will absolutely be a bit additional basic, generally stressing the application of DTF pigment ink.

What is Direct to Garment (DTG) printing?

Direct-to-Garment Printing or DTG is a popularly known, is a printing process that is very similar to printing on paper, just that the medium used here is fabric. In fact, it was the paper printing inkjet machines that inspired DTG printing. The roots of Direct to Garment technology are in injection printers, which were first invented in the 1950s and became a common feature in every office. Direct to Garment printing was invented to serve a quicker remedy to the manually intensive screen printing. Direct to Garment printing process takes just a couple of minutes for a lasting high-quality print.

DTG printing is optimized to be quick, efficient and consistent. With a few steps, a DTG printer owner can print up to 60 t-shirts a day! To achieve high-quality results when using Direct to Garment printing, one needs high-quality fabric-friendly ink, the best fabric material and the right equipment for pre-treatment and heating the fabric. And of course a good Direct to Garment printer.

What is DTF Printing?

Direct to film printing is an exciting addition to the inkjet garment decoration process that requires no pre-treatment even for white ink.

DTF is an alternative printing process to DTG. Using a specific kind of water-based ink to print a film transfer that is then dried, a powdered glue is applied to the back and then heat cured ready for storage or instant use. One of the benefits to DTF Is there is no need to use pre-treatment, the powdered glue does this job for you. Once heat pressed the soft water based ink is transferred to the garment in just 15 seconds. The transfer is best used onto polyester and other non cotton fabrics that are difficult to print using traditional DTG printing.

DTG is designed predominantly for cotton garments, DTF will never replace DTG for cotton printing, but it is a good alternative when starting off in business due to its lower level of investment for a stand alone version or a fully automated system for mass production transfers.

DTF is an exciting addition to garment decoration that cannot be ignored. If you have shied away from DTG printing in the past because of the pre-treatment process required when using white ink, DTF breaks this cycle and requires no pre-treatment but still offers the soft hand water based ink produces.

Because the durability is enhanced by the special ink and adhesive, DTF printing is ideal for workwear like overalls, high viz, gym and cycling wear. It doesn’t crack like screen printing means has a very soft hand due to the water-based ink used.

Better to home, in both applications of DTF fabric print as well as straight to cotton print, both come from the application of pigment ink.

So what are the distinctions between the two applications?

1. Various workmanship

The largest distinction between both applications is that the process is different. The DTF Textile Ink application is that the ink is published on the warmth transfer movie, and then a layer of warm thaw powder is sprinkled on the surface of the heat transfer film, and after that, the color is created by pushing; while the DTG ink application is straight printed on the fabric. For better shade and also colorfastness, the material typically needs to be used along with pre-and post-treatment fluids throughout the printing process. The process is reasonably intricate for DTF print, and it often needs more professional clients to align the whole DTG print plan well. The DTF printing process is reasonably straightforward, and the client is simple to promptly grasp the procedure, simple to copy as well as popularize. This is likewise an important reason that the DTF printing program is so preferred.

2. Various shade expressiveness and also fastness

The DTF printing application is also much better in regards to shade expression. In a similar way, DTF printing executes better in terms of fastness. In order to boost the shade as well as fastness, direct splashing application commonly calls for the combination of pre-and post-treatment liquids to achieve far better outcomes and making use of hot melt powder in DTF printing applications perfectly solves the issues of color as well as fastness. The hot-melt powder is utilized as a sticky to completely combine pigment ink as well as material, and also the color efficiency and also fastness efficiency after shade growth is really excellent. The issue of color and fastness is extremely troublesome in the application of DTG printing. The hot melt powder is used as an intermediate tool to make the pigment ink and also the textile fit well, which flawlessly solves the old difficult problem of DTG printing application in terms of color and fastness.

3. Different hand sensation

Via the above-described distinction in the application procedure of both, in terms of hand feel, the straight spray application of DTG pigment ink will certainly execute much better. This is due to the fact that there is a layer of hot-melt powder between the ink and also the material in the DTF printing application. The hot-melt powder is utilized as a binder and the ink is moved to the fabric. The natural hand feel is reasonably even worse than that of direct finish application. DTG pigment ink is straight published on the fabric, so there is typically no hand feeling problem. In regards to hand feel, the application of direct spray finishing has obvious benefits. On the other hand, as the application of DTF printing innovation matures and also the application efficiency of warm thaw powder is boosted, the completed products made by DTF printing applications can additionally fulfill the needs of market clients.

4. Various prices of the solution

Today, the application machines for DTF printing are still mainly Epson 4720 nozzles, while the DTG printing is mainly commercial nozzles. The cost of the devices made use of between both is quite different. In regards to ink rates, the DTF Textile Ink for the 4720 makers is additionally more affordable than the ink for DTG printing ink. The largest cost of the DTF printing application is the heat transfer movie, and also the rate of the warmth transfer film is frequently dropping. Overall, the cost of DTF printing is lower than the price of DTG printing. DTF printing program has a low investment threshold, straightforward process, very easy access, and also duplicating, so it establishes rapidly and also is preferred quickly.

The DTF textile printing ink application is that the ink is published on the heat transfer film, as well as then a layer of hot melt powder is sprinkled on the surface area of the warmth transfer film, as well as after that the shade is produced by pressing; while the DTG ink application is directly printed on the fabric. In terms of ink costs, the DTF textile printing ink for the 4720 devices is likewise cheaper than the ink for DTG printing ink.

The above is what I shared with my friends regarding the distinction between DTF Textile Ink and also DTG pigment ink. At present, both remedies belong to pigment electronic applications. Both have their very own benefits as well as downsides. The marketplace positioning and customer base are still very large. Distinction. DTF printing will definitely become the mainstream service in the individualized application, and the digital printing of cotton fabric will most definitely be the major application of DTG direct to garment printing. The two solutions complement each other as well as will become the foundation of the quick advancement of the entire pigment electronic printing.