The ROI of DTF

CUSTOMIZED APPAREL LONG has been part of the branding packages and products that many print shops offer, and for good reason. According to Technavio, the global market for custom apparel is forecast to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.04% between 2023 and 2028. (1)

In the past few years, direct-to-film — or DTF — printing has emerged as a popular alternative to more traditional technologies like dye sublimation and screen printing. This allows users to create vibrant, durable designs for customized apparel on-demand. As a result, more wide-format shop owners are considering adding DTF capability in-house to better satisfy their customers. Another goal is to diversify their revenue streams through offering quantity DTF transfers to apparel decorators, or finished transferred goods to their customers needing apparel printing services.

I talked with Roland DGA Application Specialist Mike Davis about why incorporating DTF printing can make sense for PSPs, and got his insights on equipment and techniques that can help shop owners maximize their DTF printing efficiency, productivity, and ROI.

DTF prints can be applied to a wide range of materials, including polyester, tri-blends, and cotton.

What market factors are motivating print service providers to consider adding DTF production?

mike davis: Sign and graphics shop owners that don’t currently offer custom shirts are realizing they’re losing profits — and possibly customers. They may be choosing not to offer apparel, or they may be sending it out. Outsourcing has its limitations including a reduced ability to control timing and quality, and it certainly reduces profits.

While PSPs may want to keep their apparel business in-house, in many cases, the demand level may not be high enough to support an investment in the equipment, supplies, and training needed for screen printing or dye-sublimation.

DTF printing technology is an efficient and easy-to-use technology — one that requires essentially the same skill level as printing banners. PSPs who do a larger volume of apparel or who want to sell transfer gang sheets to apparel decorators may need to consider a production DTF machine that can print larger quantities more rapidly.

DTF offers full-color, durable transfers for a variety of apparel items.

What kind of ROI can users anticipate?

A shop owner’s ROI varies depending on what the company is printing. However, on average, one person should be able to net close to $500 profit per 8-hour day with a desktop DTF machine like the Roland DG BY-20. A larger unit, such as the TY-300, allows for much greater profitability due to its increased media size and faster production speed.

Gang sheets that have several images on them can produce at least $100 in profit per sheet. This is based on the user selling the transfer and completed blank item. Here is an example: Say you have printed several banners for a sports team, and now they’d like some apparel. On one gang sheet measuring 16˝ x 20˝, which prints in about 10 minutes. You can provide graphics for a player’s jersey with a name and number on the back and logo on the front, six 4˝ x 4˝ pocket logos for coaches’ shirts, and three 3˝ x 3˝ logos for players’ hats.

You can sell these items for a considerable profit. A typical player’s jersey is valued at about $25 for front and back graphics. Hats are sold for about $12 each. Coaches’ dry-fit shirts with a left-chest graphic go for about $25. These are margins that really can contribute to your bottom line.

Custom apparel for sports teams and their fans is an expanding market for sign and wide-format digital printing shops.

Evaluating DTF systems

Here are four important considerations to ask when evaluating DTF systems:

• Production Capabilities: What is the maximum output you can produce in a day? Shops that need to produce 50-75 shirts a day, on average, should consider a desktop DTF machine. Those who need higher levels of output for retail or wholesale should consider a production DTF printer. Most brand-name production machines print one roll of film, which is approximately 328 feet, in a day.
• Power requirements: While DTF printers usually have a very low power draw, the shaker oven may require 220 service. Your dealer will be able to talk you through each specific device’s power requirements.
• Space needs: A desktop device requires only a 2’ x 4’ tabletop to accommodate the printer, supplies, and a laptop. Most production systems have substantially larger footprints. The Roland DG TY-300 with a shaker/dryer unit, for example, requires about a 9’ x 13’ space.
• Reliability of the machine: Unless you are a printer technician, I would recommend buying a name-brand DTF printer that comes with support and a warranty backed by the manufacturer. Printers made by some overseas manufacturers and refurbished printers — even those resold in the U.S. — don’t often provide the support, software, or replacement parts that may be needed over the lifetime of your printer.

What types of material can DTF prints be applied to?

DTF prints offer tremendous versatility. They can be used on most textiles, including natural and synthetic fabrics. Specifically, they can be applied to tri-blends (fabrics made from cotton, rayon, and polyester) as well as to 100% polyester, 100% cotton, cotton canvas, twill, and denim.

Also, unlike dye sublimation, DTF prints can be applied to dark fabrics.

DTF gang sheets with several images on them can produce at least $100 in profit per sheet if the user is selling the transfer and completed blank apparel items.

How durable are DTF prints?

DTF transfers, when properly applied, are very durable and have been found to last 50 or more washes.

Can you store DTF transfers? Or do they need to be used immediately?

They can be stored for later use. Many printers can print them, put them aside, and transfer them six months later. I personally have tested transfers that are a year old with good results. The caveat is that they must be produced properly and stored properly.

Where does DTF production fall on the scale of sustainable production?

DTF is a great option for sustainability. Using DTF, shop owners can print on-demand or transfer on-demand, which vastly reduces waste and extra inventory. Most shop owners can simply stock apparel blanks and wait for on-demand requests or print several transfers that are ready to apply.

What do you see ahead for the DTF market?

This technology is where the market is going. More and more PSPs are adding DTF capability, and those that aren’t integrating this technology are outsourcing to shops that are using DTF. Many screen printers are also adding DTF for short runs and sampling. Today’s DTF printers are more intuitive and efficient than ever and provide the versatility, vibrancy, and on-demand production capability that shop owners need.