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PRESSING GUIDE
How to press our DTF transfers, and how to look after them afterwards
The settings below are the ones on the instruction sheet that comes with every order: temperature, time, pressure, how to peel, and the second press that seals the print. Here they are in one place, with the questions we are asked most often about them, and what we advise on washing and care once the garment is finished.
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The short version
Pre-heat the press to 155°C, or 120°C when pressing onto polyester. Press at a medium to firm pressure for 10 seconds, peel the carrier film, cover the print with the release paper we supply, and press again for 5 seconds. That second press is what seals the transfer to the garment, and it is the step most often missed. These times and temperatures are a guide only; on first use of our transfers, or on a fabric that is new to you, please press a test first.
Step by step
1. Pre-heat the press
Pre-heat your press to 155°C. If you are pressing onto polyester, or a garment with a high polyester content, set it to 120°C instead. The lower temperature helps to prevent dye migration, which is where the dye from the garment bleeds into the transfer during pressing. Please note that 155°C is the standard setting for the majority of garments, including cotton. The 120°C figure is specifically for polyester.
2. Lay the garment flat
Place the garment under the heat press and make sure it is flat, so that the press applies even pressure across the whole of the transfer. On a bag, or a garment with seams, pockets, or zips close to the print, make sure none of them are being squashed in the press, as they will stop the transfer receiving good, firm, even pressure.
3. Position the transfer
Place the DTF transfer in the desired position, with the adhesive on the back of the transfer in contact with the garment and the clear carrier film facing upwards.
4. Press
Press at a medium to firm pressure for 10 seconds.
5. Peel
The transfer can be peeled hot. We would suggest, though, removing the garment from the heat press and allowing the transfer to cool before peeling the film away in one smooth, rolling motion. There is more on hot and cold peeling below.
6. Press again
Place the garment back under the press as before, cover the print with the release paper provided, and press a second time for 5 seconds. Please do not skip this step.
Please note that the above times and temperatures are provided as a guide only. On first use of our DTF transfers, or when pressing a new type of fabric, we suggest performing a test first.
This is the same instruction sheet that comes in the parcel with every order.
Hot peel or cold peel?
Our DTF film is officially a hot peel film, but it can be peeled hot, warm, or cold, so you can use whichever method works for your workflow. Where the artwork has fine detail, or where the material the transfer is going onto has a coarser finish, we would recommend allowing the transfer to cool before peeling the carrier film from the print.
The second press, and what to cover it with
Our instructions include a second press once the carrier film has been peeled, and we stress it with every order. It is what helps the transfer bond properly to the garment, and it is an easy step to miss. When a print is reported to us as lifting, the second press is the first thing we ask about.
Cover the print for the second press with the release paper that comes with your order. It is a curing paper, essentially a parchment paper, and pressed through it the transfer takes on a matte, screen print style finish. A silicone transfer sheet is the other material we would recommend, and those two are the industry standard. We know that people use a variety of other materials on the second press to achieve different textures, and we are asked about 80 grit sandpaper in particular, but it is not something we would personally recommend.
Polyester, dye migration, and colour shifts
If a print has come out with a tint it did not have on screen, a bright yellow turning greenish on a royal blue garment for instance, and the garment is polyester, the likely cause is dye migration: the dye from the garment has bled up into the transfer during pressing. Reducing the press to 120°C for polyester is what helps to stop it, and a test on a spare garment is worth doing before the run. There is more on polyester, blends, and the fabrics to avoid altogether on our Which fabrics DTF transfers work on page.
Household irons
Our transfers are made for use with a commercial heat press, where temperature, pressure, and time can be held steady. Some customers have used a household iron and have been happy with the result, but we are not able to promise adhesion or durability when the transfers are applied that way, so please treat an iron as a test rather than a method.
Washing and aftercare
We do not publish formal washing guidelines for our transfers. Our advice is that a finished garment should be cared for in line with its own care label. The things that will lift a print sooner than anything else are hot tumble drying and other sources of heavy heat, including over-ironing, so those are the ones to warn your own customers away from.
On stretch fabrics such as gym wear, it is worth pressing a test and giving it a stretch and a wash before a full run, as described on the fabrics page.
If a print lifts
If a print comes back to you lifting or peeling, these are the things we would look at, in this order. First, whether the second press was carried out, because it is the step most often missed. Second, the press settings, as something to rule out rather than a verdict: temperature, time, and pressure, and whether the press is actually reaching the temperature shown on its dial. Third, the garment itself: anything containing nylon will not hold a transfer however well it is pressed, waterproof and water-repellent coatings are a common cause of failure, and sports and performance fabrics can be more difficult generally. Fourth, how the garment has been treated since, because a print that has been washed or tumble dried at a high temperature can look overheated and shrunk back rather than simply peeled away.
Ordering
Ready to press? Use the gang sheet builder
Upload your artwork to our online gang sheet builder, set the sizes and quantities you need, and check out. The file prints exactly as supplied, at the flat rate of £8.50 plus VAT per linear metre, and the instruction sheet comes in the parcel with every order. Please remember that the grey background in the builder preview is not printed; it is only there so the transfers are visible on the page.
New to our transfers? Test first, then build
If you have not pressed our transfers before, request a free sample pack, run it through the steps above on your own garments, and see how you get on with the peel. We are also always happy to take a look over your artwork before it goes to print and let you know if we think anything will cause a problem. There is no charge for advising on artwork suitability; email it to info@raptorprinters.co.uk before you build your sheet.
Full pricing is on our DTF Transfer Printing page.
Ready to order? Open the gang sheet builder.
Upload your artwork to the builder and check out, and the pressing instructions come with the order. If you would like your artwork looked at first, email it to us and we will check it for free before you build your sheet. If you have not pressed our transfers before, request a free sample pack and try the steps above on your own garments.
Open the gang sheet builder Email your artwork Request a free sample pack