What It Costs to Start DTF Printing: The Full Equipment List

The start-up list

Epson's user's guide for its DTF-capable SureColor F1070 lists the post-processing supplies alongside the printer: film, powder, a powder shaker or sieve, a tray larger than the film, and a mask and protective eyewear. Here is the full list with what each item does.

Item	What it does	Notes
DTF printer (white ink)	Prints color plus a white layer onto PET film	Epson: powder will not stick unless white ink is printed
Curing oven or shaker oven	Melts the powder onto the printed film	Often sold in a bundle with the printer
Heat press (15 x 15 or larger)	Transfers the finished film to the garment	Use the transfer maker's settings
DTF film	The carrier the design is printed on	Match the width to the printer (13 or 14 in on desktop models)
Hot-melt powder	The adhesive that bonds the print to fabric	Apply away from the printer (Epson)
DTF ink set	Color plus white ink	xTool's tanks hold 500 mL per color and 1,000 mL of white
Shaker or sieve and a tray	Spreads powder evenly and catches the excess	Listed by Epson
Mask and protective eyewear	Keeps powder out of eyes and mouth	Listed by Epson
Humidifier and thermometer-hygrometer	Holds the room in the printer maker's range	Epson: 59 to 77°F, 40 to 60% RH
Windows computer (often)	Runs the printer's RIP software	Many DTF printers do not support Mac

The big purchases

Printer and curing

Desktop DTF printers are sold alone or bundled with an oven, and the bundle is usually the better buy because a printer alone cannot finish a transfer. Automated systems that print, powder and cure in one line cost several times more. For reference, Epson lists its hybrid direct-to-garment and DTF SureColor F1070 at an MSRP of $4,995, before curing equipment. Our best DTF printer guide compares current kits.

Heat press

DTF transfers need firm, repeatable pressure, so a 15 x 15 press with set or readable pressure is worth having from the start. Stahls' instructions for its own DTF transfers call for 325°F on 100% cotton and 290°F on other fabrics, 12 to 15 seconds at medium pressure, peeled hot. See our heat press guide.

Consumables

Film, powder and ink are the ongoing costs. Buy film in the width your printer takes, powder from a supplier whose instructions you can follow, and ink matched to your printer (many makers sell their own). Check the live prices in the boxes below, and track how many prints each roll, bag and bottle actually gives you in the first month; that is the only reliable cost per print.

Costs people forget

• Maintenance ink. White ink settles, so DTF printers circulate and clean it automatically, and that uses ink whether or not you sell anything.
• Room conditions. Epson recommends 59 to 77°F and 40 to 60% relative humidity for its printer. In a dry or cold room, budget for a humidifier and heating.
• Ventilation and protection. Follow the safety data sheets for your powder and ink. Epson lists a mask and protective eyewear for powdering, and many shops add a fume extractor near the oven.
• Warranty gaps. Some DTF warranties cover ink-contact parts or printheads for less time than the rest of the printer. Read the terms before you buy.
• Test prints and waste. Expect to spend film, powder and garments dialing in your settings.

Print your own or buy transfers?

Stahls' published UltraColor MAX pricing makes the comparison concrete. At its starting rate of 6 cents per square inch and its volume rate of as low as 4 cents, here is what common designs cost to buy ready-made (a design is priced on its size, rounded up to the next whole inch):

Design size	Square inches	At 6 cents	At 4 cents
Left chest, 4 x 4 in	16	$0.96	$0.64
Full front, 10 x 12 in	120	$7.20	$4.80
Large front, 12 x 14 in	168	$10.08	$6.72

Stahls also sets a $0.35 minimum per piece and a maximum sheet of 22 x 22 inches, and says most orders placed by 8 AM ET ship the same business day. Buying transfers has no maintenance, no room setup and no idle-time ink use; printing your own pays off only when you print steadily, most days, and can sell what you make.

A sensible order of purchases

1. Buy a good heat press and order transfers to test designs and demand.
2. Track how many square inches of transfers you buy each month.
3. When that spend is steady and high, price a DTF bundle against it, including consumables and maintenance.
4. Set up the room (temperature, humidity, ventilation) before the printer arrives.

If your products are polyester or drinkware, compare sublimation too: our DTF vs sublimation guide covers the cheaper route for those items.