DTF transfers on jackets and windbreakers
When the art is big, multi-color or too fine for thread, we press a DTF (direct-to-film) transfer instead. Battle Born Clothing presses them in-house; the transfers are printed by DTF Tribe in Carson City, NV. Quoted per job.
When DTF beats embroidery on a jacket
- Large back art on windbreakers (Sport-Tek JST73, Independent EXP54LWZ) and smooth polyester shells.
- Logos with gradients, photos, tiny text or more than 15 colors.
- Thin puffers where dense embroidery would pucker and perforate the shell.
- Short runs of complex art where screen setup fees would not make sense (DTF has no screen fees).
When embroidery is still the right call
A left-chest company logo on a soft shell, fleece or Carhartt should be embroidered. It lasts the life of the jacket and reads as a uniform. DTF on a fleece face or a textured duck shell does not hold as well as it does on a smooth shell.
Pricing
DTF is quoted per job by print size and quantity. There are no screen or digitizing fees. For reference, our 48-piece screen print rate on a dark tee is $4.34 per location plus $0.25 flash; DTF on jackets is priced separately because the garments and press times differ. Send the art and quantity on the quote form and we price it the same business day.
Artwork for DTF
Vector (AI, EPS, PDF, SVG) is best. A 300 dpi PNG with a transparent background at final print size is fine. We confirm size and placement on a digital proof before pressing.
Questions
Will DTF hold up on a jacket?
On a smooth polyester or nylon shell, yes, with normal care (wash cold, inside out, no high-heat dryer). On heavy fleece or napped fabric, embroidery is the better choice.
Can you press DTF on customer-supplied jackets?
Yes, with a $2 per item handling fee and the standard ~4% spoilage allowance that applies to any customer-supplied goods.