A

Adhesive Powder (Hot-Melt Powder) — A thermoplastic powder applied to wet DTF ink before curing. When heated during pressing, it melts and bonds the transfer permanently to fabric fibers. The quality and consistency of powder application directly affects wash durability.

B

Banding — Horizontal lines or streaks visible in a printed design, usually caused by a clogged or misfiring print head. A sign of a printer maintenance issue, not a file problem.

Bleed — Extra design area that extends beyond the intended print boundary. In DTF, bleed helps ensure clean edges when transfers are cut.

C

CMYK — Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black). The four-color ink model used in commercial printing. DTF printers use CMYK inks plus white to reproduce full-color designs. Files should be submitted in CMYK for the most accurate color output.

Cold Peel — A peel method where you allow the transfer to cool completely before removing the PET film. Recommended for heat-sensitive fabrics like nylon. Produces a slightly matte finish.

Curing — The process of heating the adhesive powder after it's applied to the wet ink, causing it to melt and fuse with the ink layer. Proper curing is essential for wash durability.

D

DPI (Dots Per Inch) — A measure of print resolution. DTF transfers require a minimum of 300 DPI for sharp, clean output. Lower DPI files will print with visible pixelation.

DTF (Direct-to-Film) — A printing method where designs are printed onto a special PET film, coated with adhesive powder, cured, and then heat-pressed onto fabric. Works on virtually any fabric type and color.

Dye Migration — A phenomenon where dye from the fabric bleeds into the transfer during pressing, causing color distortion. Most common on polyester fabrics pressed at too high a temperature. Prevented by lowering press temperature and using a proper white ink underbase.

G

Gang Sheet — A single large sheet of DTF film containing multiple designs, printed together in one production run. Gang sheets maximize cost efficiency by allowing you to pay for the sheet rather than per individual design.

H

Halo Effect — A visible outline or sheen around a DTF design, usually caused by low-quality film or excess adhesive powder. A sign of production quality issues.

Heat Press — The machine used to apply DTF transfers to fabric using a combination of heat, pressure, and time. Available in clamshell, swing-away, and auto-open styles.

Hot Peel — Peeling the PET film immediately after pressing while the transfer is still hot. Produces a slightly glossy finish and is suitable for most cotton and poly-blend fabrics.

I

Ink Density — The amount of ink deposited per unit area during printing. Higher ink density produces more vibrant, opaque colors but requires proper curing to avoid cracking.

P

PET Film (Polyester Film) — The clear carrier film onto which DTF designs are printed. After pressing, the film is peeled away, leaving only the ink and adhesive on the fabric.

Pre-Press — Pressing the blank garment for 3–5 seconds before applying the transfer to remove moisture and wrinkles. Improves adhesion and reduces failed transfers.

PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) — The unit used to measure heat press pressure. Most DTF transfers require 40–60 PSI for proper bonding.

R

RIP Software (Raster Image Processor) — Specialized software that converts design files into precise printing instructions for the DTF printer. Controls ink density, white underbase generation, color profiles, and nesting. The quality of RIP processing significantly affects print output.

RGB — Red, Green, Blue. The color model used for screens and digital displays. RGB files should be converted to CMYK before submitting for DTF printing to avoid unexpected color shifts.

S

Sublimation — A competing print method that uses heat to transfer dye directly into polyester fabric. Unlike DTF, sublimation only works on light-colored, high-polyester fabrics and cannot produce white ink.

T

Transparent Background — A file background with no color or fill, represented by a checkerboard pattern in design software. Required for DTF files so the transfer only includes your design, not a white or colored box around it.

U

Underbase — The white ink layer printed first (beneath the color layers) in DTF production. The underbase creates opacity so colors appear vibrant on dark or colored fabrics. Without it, colors would appear transparent or muted.

W

Warm Peel — Peeling the PET film after allowing the transfer to cool for 5–10 seconds — not fully hot, not fully cold. The most common peel method for cotton and cotton-poly blends.

Wash Durability — How many wash cycles a DTF transfer can withstand before showing significant fading or peeling. Premium transfers are rated for 50+ washes when applied correctly.

White Ink — A specialty ink used in DTF printing to create the opaque underbase layer. White ink is what allows DTF transfers to print vibrantly on dark fabrics — a key advantage over sublimation.