Does DTF artwork need a transparent background?

Yes. DTF prints every pixel on the sheet, so a white box behind your logo prints as solid white ink, which is very visible on dark garments. Erase it to true transparency rather than filling it with white.

What size should a ready-made DTF gang sheet be?

Exactly 22 inches wide, 24 to 300 inches long in 12 inch steps, at 300 DPI actual size. Leave a quarter inch clear round the edge and a quarter inch between designs.

What file formats do you accept for DTF?

PNG, JPEG, PDF and TIFF. A transparent PNG at 300 DPI gives the sharpest result. If you send a PDF, outline the type or embed the fonts.

Artwork prep

Send the right file the first time.

DTF prints exactly what you send it, pixel for pixel. Five minutes of prep avoids the one thing that delays an order: artwork that cannot print well.

The short version

Format

Transparent PNG

PDF and TIFF also work

Resolution

300 DPI

at the final print size

Background

Transparent

white prints as white ink

Orientation

Not mirrored

send it reading correctly

The rules, one at a time

Each one exists because we have seen what happens when it is missing.

1
Send a transparent PNG
PNG, JPEG, PDF and TIFF all print, but a transparent PNG is the one that needs no interpretation. DTF prints every pixel on the sheet, so whatever is behind your art gets printed too.
2
Build it at 300 DPI
300 DPI at the size you actually want it printed. Anything under 150 DPI looks soft or pixelated on fabric, and we do not upsample artwork to hide it.
3
Kill the white box
A white rectangle behind a logo prints as solid white ink. On a black shirt that reads as a sticker, not a print. Erase it to true transparency, not to a white fill.
4
Do not mirror it
Send the art reading the right way round. DTF is not heat-transfer vinyl; the film is flipped for you at press time. A mirrored file prints backwards.
5
Outline or embed your fonts
If you send a PDF, convert type to outlines or embed the fonts. An unembedded font substitutes silently and you will not see it until the transfer arrives.
6
Keep thin strokes above 1pt
Hairlines and 0.5pt outlines can break up when the adhesive is applied. Thicken anything finer than about 1pt so it survives the press and the wash.

If your file does not qualify

None of this cancels your order. We check every file before printing and message you if something looks wrong.

Low resolution

Rebuild it larger at 300 DPI, or print it smaller. Enlarging a 72 DPI web image does not add detail back.

White background

Remove the background to transparency and re-export as PNG. Ask us if you are not sure how; we will look at it.

Screenshot or web image

Screenshots are almost always 72 DPI. Go back to the original file from whoever designed it.

JPEG with a halo

JPEG cannot store transparency, so soft edges pick up a white fringe. Export the same art as PNG instead.

Text too small to read

Anything under about 0.25" tall tends to fill in. Scale the type up or drop it.

No file at all

Send us what you have, even a photo of a sketch. We will tell you honestly whether it can print.

If you lay out the sheet yourself

Upload a ready sheet only if it meets these dimensions. If not, use the builder and we will lay it out for you.

Width	Exactly 22"
Length	From 24" to 300", in 12" steps
Resolution	300 DPI at actual size
Margin	Leave 0.25" clear all the way round
Spacing	At least 0.25" between designs
Color	RGB. We handle the conversion

What we check before printing

That the dimensions match the length you bought
That the resolution holds up at the print size
That the background is genuinely transparent, not white
That nothing runs off the edge of the film

See every artwork question →

File ready?

Drop it into the builder and we will arrange it, or send a sheet you already laid out.

Build a gang sheet →Upload a ready sheet 202.702.2871

The rules, one at a time

Each one exists because we have seen what happens when it is missing.

Send a transparent PNG

PNG, JPEG, PDF and TIFF all print, but a transparent PNG is the one that needs no interpretation. DTF prints every pixel on the sheet, so whatever is behind your art gets printed too.

Build it at 300 DPI

300 DPI at the size you actually want it printed. Anything under 150 DPI looks soft or pixelated on fabric, and we do not upsample artwork to hide it.

Kill the white box

A white rectangle behind a logo prints as solid white ink. On a black shirt that reads as a sticker, not a print. Erase it to true transparency, not to a white fill.

Do not mirror it

Send the art reading the right way round. DTF is not heat-transfer vinyl; the film is flipped for you at press time. A mirrored file prints backwards.

Outline or embed your fonts

If you send a PDF, convert type to outlines or embed the fonts. An unembedded font substitutes silently and you will not see it until the transfer arrives.

Keep thin strokes above 1pt

Hairlines and 0.5pt outlines can break up when the adhesive is applied. Thicken anything finer than about 1pt so it survives the press and the wash.