Artwork Requirements for DTF Transfers

Resolution, Format, Background and Width

If your file ticks those four boxes, it'll print exactly the way it looks on your screen. If you're not sure, send it to us and we'll check it for you.

Resolution

300 DPI

At the size you are printing it

File type

PNG

Vector files work too

Background

Transparent

White prints as white

Max width

22.25 in

Length is up to you

DTF File Types We Accept

Send what you have and we'll do our best with it, though some formats hold fine detail better than others.

PNG
The one we ask for most. It carries a transparent background and keeps clean edges on any colour of garment.
Vector files, meaning AI, EPS, SVG or PDF
Scale a vector from a left chest print up to a hoodie back and the edges stay as sharp as they started.
JPG
Good for artwork that fills a rectangle. A JPG carries a solid background, so shaped designs want a PNG.

Sizing Artwork for a DTF Transfer

Set your canvas to the finished print size, then work at 300 DPI. A 12-inch back print comes out at around 3,600 pixels wide.
Enlarging a small file afterwards spreads the same detail across more inches. Send us the small version and we will tell you the largest size it holds at.

The numbers

  • Maximum print width, 22.25 inches
  • Length, as far as you need
  • Resolution, 300 DPI at final size
  • Thinnest line, 1pt
  • Smallest text, 6pt
  • Smallest element, 0.02 inches

Transparent Backgrounds on PNG Files

A design sitting on a white square prints with the white square attached. On a black t-shirt, that arrives as a white box with your logo in the middle of it.

Export as a PNG with the background layer hidden. A chequerboard pattern behind your design means it saved the way we need it.

Checking your export

In Canva, tick Transparent background on the export screen

In Photoshop, hide the background layer, then use Export As and choose PNG

A logo saved from a website often looks transparent against a white page and turns out to be a JPG

How Screen Colors Come Out in Print

Screens build colour out of light and we build it out of ink. Most shades land close to where you expect. Neons and glowing gradients move the most, since a backlit screen reaches further than pigment does.
Design in RGB and send it in RGB. Eight inks get us closer to what you see on the screen than a four-color press manages. For an exact match, send a Pantone reference or a printed sample, and we will work to that.

Checks Before You Upload

  • Canvas set to the finished print size

  • 300 DPI at that size

  • Background transparent

  • Nothing important within a quarter inch of the edge

  • Text outlined, or the font sent with the file

  • Saved as a PNG or a vector file

Common Questions About DTF Artwork

What DPI do DTF transfers need?

300 DPI at the printed size. A file measuring 300 DPI at two inches wide drops to 60 DPI once it is stretched to ten inches, so set your canvas to the finished size first and work from there. [link to: gang sheet builder] flags files that fall short.


Can I use a Canva design for DTF transfers?

Yes. Download it as a PNG and tick Transparent background on the export screen. Canva's standard download puts a white background behind the artwork, which prints as a white block on a coloured garment. Everything else about a Canva file prints fine.


Can I send a JPG for a DTF transfer?

Yes, for artwork that fills a rectangle. JPGs carry a solid background, so a circular logo arrives as a circle on a square and prints that way. For any design with shaped edges, send a PNG or a vector file and the cut follows your artwork.


Do you check artwork before printing?

Every file gets looked at before it goes on the press. Anything that would print soft, or that has a background where it should be transparent, comes back to you first. [link to: contact page] if you want a file checked before you place the order.


What is the smallest text you can print on a DTF transfer?

Around 6pt, in a font with some weight to it. Hairline serifs and thin scripts start to break up at that size, since the ink needs a certain width to hold on the film. Solid lines hold down to about 1pt.


Do DTF transfers need bleed?

Bleed is not needed. The cut follows your artwork, so nothing gets trimmed off the edges. Keep anything important a quarter inch clear of the outer edge and the design sits comfortably within the sheet. Full bleed backgrounds print fine where the design calls for one.

Check Your File Before Printing

Drop your artwork into the builder and it will flag anything that would print soft before you pay.

Build Your Gang Sheet →