Special Effects in DTF Will Make Your “Prints” More Memorable

The DTF market is expanding with new vendors and innovations like multi-head printers enabling diverse ink options (spot, neon). Decorative films offer streamlined special effects. Keypoint Intelligence tested metallic and glitter films, noting varied ease of use and wash durability. New technology using adhesive and foil directly promises further creative advancements in DTF.

The direct-to-film (DTF) revolution is only getting bigger. More blue-chip vendors are entering the space, keen to make up ground on the head start of the Chinese vendors.

It’s time you really pay attention.

Recently, the growth in print systems is in three or more printheads, which help to eliminate some creative boundaries. Extra printheads allow for more flexible inkset combinations—more so than standard CMYK and White inksets—including spot colours, neon, and light cyan/magenta inks. For apparel decorators, this represents an opportunity to differentiate from the CMYK-only mass market.

Specialist films, another growing space, have a decorative finish incorporated into their release layer and can help overcome other creative limitations. Finishing options range from metallic foils and glitters to glow-in-the-dark and rainbow-reflective effects. While adding special effects is nothing new (via heat transfer vinyl or special screen print inks), DTF decorative films offer a streamlined process with no cutting and weeding, as well as the ability to create “one offs” more cost effectively.

Put to The Test

Keypoint Intelligence sourced a selection of foils and glitter films from suppliers. We used an STS VJ628 DTF printer with manual powdering, a desktop curing oven supplied by InkTec, and a GeoKnight heat press. Garment blanks were Next Level 3600 100% cotton and AWDis Cool T 100% polyester t-shirts. With setup complete, we quickly found that the guidance provided on cure and transfer settings was often limited. Trial and error were required to ensure optimal performance: More tinkering was needed with certain devices to nail down the right settings, while others were more forgiving.

We Have Lift Off

There were varying degrees of ease when releasing the films from the garment after pressing. All the films required cooling to room temperature before peeling off. The glitter films proved easy to release from the 100% cotton and 100% polyester pieces across all tested brands, but certain foils were more challenging to initiate the release from the 100% cotton blanks.

How Good Did They Look?

Some films (STS, DaeHa, Calca) displayed a very nice luster. Others had a more subtle metallic effect, showing luster at certain angles but not all. We conducted tests applying large blocks of transfer to reproduce a football kit name and number on the back of the polyester shirt. Finely detailed patterns were used on the 100% cotton shirts, and the quality of transfers across all films was impressive.

Significant differences were observed with glitter films. Some laid down a far higher coverage of reflective glitter particles than others (Nanjing Yiqia Digital Co and STS were best prior to washing), resulting in a more impactful, eye-catching finish.

It All Comes Out in the Wash

Many film manufacturers are cautious about the durability of their specialist films in the laundry room, often recommending cold washing and advising against tumble drying altogether. T-shirts were washed inside out in a 30 degree/800rpm wash cycle.  Glitter samples as well as the metallic on polyester jobs were dried in an air dryer tent. The metallic on 100% cotton t-shirts were tested in both dryer types to see if any difference emerged.

Only one of the six metallic effect films on 100% cotton showed any degradation after 15 wash/dry cycles using the air dryer. Two brands started to show minor degradation in the tumble dryer. All seven metallic brands on the polyester t-shirt stood up perfectly to 15 wash-and-air-dry cycles, with no signs of degradation and excellent stretch resistance.

Results for the glitter film were mixed. Some brands held up very well (Calca, Nanjing Yiqia Digital Co, STS), while others experienced moderate to high glitter loss after 15 wash and air-dry cycles. In fact, when rating the samples for visible glitter impact before and after 15 washes, the league table changed considerably—some brands retained or improved their rating as others dropped in the rankings.

Foil and Ink Designs Becomes Reality

I saw multiple vendors taking foil decoration to another level at APPPExpo in China earlier this year. Instead of printing onto a decorative foil, these new devices use a standard PET film and include an adhesive channel printhead and jet glue in the areas where foil is required. No white ink is laid over the glue, leaving it on the surface of the garment when the initial heat transfer of the film is conducted. The operator then adds a standard metallic foil and carries out another press. The heat from the second press activates the glue, making it tacky so the foil releases from the film and is fixed to the garment. A final press—you have the finished product.

This decorative capability does require a device to have three or more printheads. The example I saw was a four-head system with two spot colours and two fluorescent inks taking up one extra head, with the glue taking up the other.
      
FESPA will publish a second DTF testing article next week, this time focused on neon-capable devices!

Meet David Sweetnam

As Director of EMEA/APAC Research & Lab Services at Keypoint Intelligence, David Sweetnam is responsible for a variety of tasks around testing in the production space and business development in the entire print space. He heads up Keypoint’s UK lab, not only managing projects but doing the testing at times and writing the reports, too. Over the last few years, David has built a new avenue for Keypoint through textile/apparel/garment testing. He’s always up for a good conversation, you can reach him at david.sweetnam@keypointintelligence.com.

Keypoint Intelligence’s work in the direct-to-film space is testament to the dedication and leadership of David Sweetnam, Director of EMEA/APAC Research & Lab Services. With decades of testing expertise and a hands-on approach, David heads up our evaluations of today’s most advanced print systems—including digital textile, wide format signage and production cut sheet. His insights and benchmarks have helped shape the industry’s understanding of what’s possible in the evolving world of DTF.