Difference Between Sublimation, DTF, And Printable Heat Transfer Vinyl

DTF vs Sublimation, DTF vs Printable Heat Transfer Vinyl, What is DTF, What is Sublimation, What is printable heat transfer vinyl

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Want to know the difference between sublimation, DTF, and printable heat transfer vinyl?


For those who want to upgrade from weeding HTV/iron-on, you will be happy to know that you can ditch your Cricut machine and HTV and still make and sell your heat transfer projects.

Don’t worry, if you still want to put in some sweat equity to make your heat transfer projects, you’ll still be able to do that, and here’s how.

Sublimation, printable heat transfer vinyl, and DTF.

These 3 processes are very similar but yet different. I go into each process below.

What is Sublimation?

Sublimation is the process of printing a design using sublimation ink. Unlike HTV, this ink, when applied to your material using heat, infuses into the fabric of the material. This creates a longer-lasting project with no concerns about cracking, etc.

difference between sublimation, DTF, and printable heat transfer vinyl

Why sublimation?

Sublimation can be better than HTV because:

  1. You don’t have to weed any HTV
  2. The designs last longer
  3. You can get full-color images without having to layer HTV

Where to get sublimation printers?

You can find sublimation printers on Amazon and you can convert an Epson inkjet printer into a sublimation printer.

Please note that once you turn an inkjet printer into a sublimation printer, you cannot reverse it, your printer will forever be a sublimation printer.

The best place to find sublimation printers is on Swing Design. The best thing about Swing Design is:

  1. They have over 100 sublimation printers and blanks
  2.  They have honest reviews on their printers
  3. They offer payment plans on the majority of their sublimation printers

What is printable heat transfer vinyl?

Printable heat transfer vinyl is vinyl that you put into your inkjet printer and print any design you want. You then take this vinyl and press it onto your base material using a heat press machine or Cricut EasyPress machine.

Sublimation vs DTF vs printable heat transfer vinyl

Why printable heat transfer vinyl?

  1. It’s faster than using HTV
  2. You can print graphic designs
  3. Your printer can remain an inkjet printer to print a variety of projects including documents

Where to get printable heat transfer vinyl?

Swing Design will be the best place to get your printable heat transfer vinyl and they have my favorite kind, the Starcraft Printable Heat Transfer Sheets.

You can also find printable heat transfer vinyl on Amazon

Direct To Film Transfers

Direct to film transfers or DTF are designs that are printed using high-quality specialized printers. These printers are typically large and use ink and powder to print images onto a clear film transfer. 

DTF vs sublimation vs printable heat transfer vinyl

Once the designs have been printed on the film transfer paper, all you need to do is take the design, lay it on your shirt or other base material, and press it onto the material using a heat press machine or Cricut EasyPress machine.

Super easy.

Why DTF?

If you’re wondering why you should use DTF, I have three simple reasons.

  1. You will save lots of time by not having to weed HTV/iron-on
  2. You get higher-quality prints by outsourcing to a highly specialized printer that creates colors and quality to perfection
  3. All you have to do is press your design onto your shirt or other base material

The DTF process is perfect when you’re creating bulk orders with one design or even if you have your own shirt designs you want to sell, you can order the DTF in bulk and press them onto shirts as you receive the orders.

Where to get DTF transfers?

Ninja Transfers

If you Google Ninja Transfers you will see a lot of videos, social media content, and articles and for good reason. NinjaTransfers has some of the best DTF transfers available for the following reasons:

  • Vibrant DTF colors
  • Long-lasting DTFs
  • Great prices and fast shipping

MyCraftSource

I personally love MyCraftSource because this is where I buy most of my HTV, adhesive vinyl and my DTFs. MyCraftSource is located about 30 miles from where I live and it’s easy for me to place an order online and pick it up the same day.

Their DTF transfers are absolutely amazing and I’ve recorded a few videos of me using them

What to avoid with DTF

Most companies will not make DTFs that contain copyrighted content such as Disney characters, or any other mainstream content that is copyrighted.

How to order DTF transfers?

To order DTF transfers, follow the steps below:

  1. First, you need to make your designs. You can use Canva to make your designs or any other designing software such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape. You can also use personal images that you have on hand. Make sure all images are high-quality.
  2. Once you’ve made your design, be sure to save a high-quality image in whatever format and quality you need to upload to the site you’ll be purchasing from. Typically, image files should be a picture file with a transparent background (PNG, JPG, JPEG) but be sure to check the site that you’re ordering from. 
  3. Upload the image to the site you’ll be purchasing from, place your order, and get your DTF in the mail.
  4. Press your designs onto your shirts or other materials.

Check out my YouTube review on Ninja Transfers.

So if you’re ready to start selling HTV projects without having to weed HTV, consider sublimation, printable heat transfer vinyl, or DTFs.

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