# DTF Question



## dtfcurious

Hello, I have a question about DTF and a color issue(?)

I hope this makes sense, but I recently got my DTF printer to start printing and the prints are coming out real nice. There’s just one thing that kinda frustrates me and I wanna know if this is common or an issue with the program? Maybe ICC Profiles?

I use PartnerRIP Pro (the software the seller gave me) and when there’s some blue + green color like turquoise, it makes the color a bright blue instead. I don’t use any ICC profile 

























As you can see in the color test, blue green colors aren’t really showing up. I don’t think it’s an issue with yellow since you can see it printed well here. And you might see a change of colors between the photos of the file vs. the actual print. It’s okay to me for other prints, it’s just very saturated. But with prints that has colors like turquoise, it’s a bit annoying.


















These are the setting I’m using. Let me know if there’s something I need to change. Any suggestions will help a lot. 

Oh, and I am new here. Seems like a nice place


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## splathead

Welcome to the forum. Did you ask the seller what the issue might be?


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## dtfcurious

splathead said:


> Welcome to the forum. Did you ask the seller what the issue might be?


Thank you for the welcome!

I did, and they only asked if it’s an issue with yellow which it obviously isn’t. The seller isn’t much helpful as I asked many questions before and they answer one of them but never answer the rest. You literally have to push them to answer and sometimes it’s a vague answer. That is also frustrating. Which is why I moved to a forum to see if anyone else has a similar problem or maybe has an idea about what happened.


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## TABOB

I don't use ICC profiles for printing shirts... I simply eyeball the colors.
I think the seller is right... Looks like you need to increase the yellow a little bit


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## Nishant Sharma

Hello Everyone, I want to add WIMS to my L1800, does it make a significant difference to maintenance, lesser chances of clogging, better prints and so on. Should it be applied only to white ink or for all the colors? 

Your time and experience is my prime source in getting this right


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## Ron Teamtex

dtfcurious said:


> Hello, I have a question about DTF and a color issue(?)
> 
> I hope this makes sense, but I recently got my DTF printer to start printing and the prints are coming out real nice. There’s just one thing that kinda frustrates me and I wanna know if this is common or an issue with the program? Maybe ICC Profiles?
> 
> I use PartnerRIP Pro (the software the seller gave me) and when there’s some blue + green color like turquoise, it makes the color a bright blue instead. I don’t use any ICC profile
> View attachment 273037
> 
> View attachment 273038
> 
> View attachment 273039
> 
> 
> As you can see in the color test, blue green colors aren’t really showing up. I don’t think it’s an issue with yellow since you can see it printed well here. And you might see a change of colors between the photos of the file vs. the actual print. It’s okay to me for other prints, it’s just very saturated. But with prints that has colors like turquoise, it’s a bit annoying.
> 
> View attachment 273040
> 
> View attachment 273041
> 
> 
> These are the setting I’m using. Let me know if there’s something I need to change. Any suggestions will help a lot.
> 
> Oh, and I am new here. Seems like a nice place


Hello, I am having the same issues with colour. I use an Epson F2000 DTG printer to print my DTF transfers. Some colour transfers are amazing, while others are dull. The strange thing is that if I print the same design with the same settings directly onto the shirt after pre-treating it, the colours are bright and accurate, however, when I print onto a transfer sheet the colours seem to look fine on the sheet but they look muted after transferring onto the shirt. Did you find a solution?

Ron


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## TABOB

Ron Teamtex said:


> when I print onto a transfer sheet the colours seem to look fine on the sheet but they look muted after transferring onto the shirt.


Actually you have the opposite problem.
Try increasing the color density, and let the color layer dry for a bit before printing the white.


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## Ron Teamtex

I will try that today. I am doing additional testing and transferring onto shirts to find the optimum settings. I will reply here with the results. Thanks. 
If anyone else who uses Garment Creator and Epson F2000 or F2100 has any suggestions, I would appreciate the help as well.


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## Ron Teamtex

TABOB said:


> Actually you have the opposite problem.
> Try increasing the color density, and let the color layer dry for a bit before printing the white.


How long do you recommend for the colour layer to dry before printing the white? Also, should the white density be zero or do you recommend increasing it too? All the videos I have watched say that too much ink is not good for DTF and the ink consumption for DTF should be less than DTG thereby less expensive per print.


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## TABOB

Ron Teamtex said:


> How long do you recommend for the colour layer to dry before printing the white? Also, should the white density be zero or do you recommend increasing it too?


I don't know because I'm impatient and use a hair drier.
It will also depend on the film you are using. Some will dry faster, but the slow drying ones are actually better.
Also the white ink for DTF only printers is different.



Ron Teamtex said:


> All the videos I have watched say that too much ink is not good for DTF and the ink consumption for DTF should be less than DTG thereby less expensive per print.


Forget the videos. You will also see people printing both layers at the same time.
You will need a heat pad to do this with a DTG printer, and I'm not sure it is a good idea.

Print cost is a little bit lower for black shirts... but higher than direct DTG for white shirts.

The powder you are using makes a difference as well. You can buy white, black, or clear powder.
The white powder will obviously help with the opacity.


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## FJG

Ron Teamtex said:


> I will try that today. I am doing additional testing and transferring onto shirts to find the optimum settings. I will reply here with the results. Thanks.
> If anyone else who uses Garment Creator and Epson F2000 or F2100 has any suggestions, I would appreciate the help as well.


I've been using the following settings in Garment Creator for DTF:

*Color:*
Print Quality: Level 3
Color Print Quality: Level 3
Ink Density: -25
Contrast: 50

*White:*
White Print Quality: Level 1
Ink Density: -40

I also use white powder from Ecofreen. The transfers look super vibrant and have a pretty soft feel to them.


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## Ron Teamtex

FJG, thank you for the settings. I will try them.


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## Ron Teamtex

Ron Teamtex said:


> FJG, thank you for the settings. I will try them.


Hey FJG, I have attached my Garment Creator settings as per you suggestion above. The colours were good, but still a bit muted. The white under base settings seem to be better as I was laying down too much white. Do I have the settings correct?


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## FJG

Ron Teamtex said:


> Hey FJG, I have attached my Garment Creator settings as per you suggestion above. The colours were good, but still a bit muted. The white under base settings seem to be better as I was laying down too much white. Do I have the settings correct?


What brand film and powder are you using? Is the powder black or white?


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## Ron Teamtex

i am using white powder. It works well. See the link below. I have also attached the colour print settings (Light Colour T-Shirt) that produces more accurate colours for me. 








DTF Transfer Adhesive - Medium - Stretchy


Transfer adhesive powder is applied to DTF prints after printing. Medium adhesive is our favorite. It's a nice balance between fine and coarse. Instructions: Apply to printed wet ink evenly and shake off excess from film. Heat at 210 degrees for 2-3 minutes until powder is melted. Cures Matte...




dtfsuperstore.com













What do you think?


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## FJG

Ron Teamtex said:


> i am using white powder. It works well. See the link below. I have also attached the colour print settings (Light Colour T-Shirt) that produces more accurate colours for me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DTF Transfer Adhesive - Medium - Stretchy
> 
> 
> Transfer adhesive powder is applied to DTF prints after printing. Medium adhesive is our favorite. It's a nice balance between fine and coarse. Instructions: Apply to printed wet ink evenly and shake off excess from film. Heat at 210 degrees for 2-3 minutes until powder is melted. Cures Matte...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> dtfsuperstore.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 274434
> 
> What do you think?


Yup! That's the way I do it. Light color preset with the previously mentioned settings and then the Dark Color Tshirt (white only) preset.


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## TABOB

Ron Teamtex said:


> i am using white powder.


The powder may look white while in powder form, but I bet it turns clear/translucent once baked.

What you need for a colored garment transfer:
a) a thick enough color layer for vibrancy
b) a thick enough white layer for opacity
c) adhesive.

All transfers work the same way, but obviously a black shirt needs a more opaque white layer than a grey shirt.
My guess is that your transfers lose their opacity once pressed, as the translucent adhesive is absorbed by the fabric.
You could use white powder (remains white when baked), but it will create other issues.
The best option is to make the white layer more opaque (more white ink).


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## FJG

TABOB said:


> The powder may look white while in powder form, but I bet it turns clear/translucent once baked.
> 
> What you need for a colored garment transfer:
> a) a thick enough color layer for vibrancy
> b) a thick enough white layer for opacity
> c) adhesive.
> 
> All transfers work the same way, but obviously a black shirt needs a more opaque white layer than a grey shirt.
> My guess is that your transfers lose their opacity once pressed, as the translucent adhesive is absorbed by the fabric.
> You could use white powder (remains white when baked), but it will create other issues.
> The best option is to making the white layer more opaque (more white ink).


Have you tried DTF with the Epson F2100/Garment Creator?


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## TABOB

FJG said:


> Have you tried DTF with the Epson F2100/Garment Creator?


I haven't, but it is irrelevant.
The same principles apply to ALL printers and all printing methods.


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## Ron Teamtex

TABOB said:


> The powder may look white while in powder form, but I bet it turns clear/translucent once baked.
> 
> What you need for a colored garment transfer:
> a) a thick enough color layer for vibrancy
> b) a thick enough white layer for opacity
> c) adhesive.
> 
> All transfers work the same way, but obviously a black shirt needs a more opaque white layer than a grey shirt.
> My guess is that your transfers lose their opacity once pressed, as the translucent adhesive is absorbed by the fabric.
> You could use white powder (remains white when baked), but it will create other issues.
> The best option is to make the white layer more opaque (more white ink).


Thanks for that information. 
Another thing that I am not sure of is how much powder adhesive to apply to the printer transfer. What is your recommendation?


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## FJG

@Ron Teamtex can you post a picture of what the transfer looks like after pressing it?

As far as the amount of powder to apply, all of the ink on the film should be covered with powder. After it's all covered, shake and/or tap the excess powder off. The necessary amount will stay on the ink and it will be ready to cure.

What temperature and time are you using to cure the powder?


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## TABOB

Ron Teamtex said:


> Another thing that I am not sure of is how much powder adhesive to apply to the printer transfer.


No need to measure the powder obviously.
Just apply as much as possible.


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## Ron Teamtex

FJG said:


> @Ron Teamtex can you post a picture of what the transfer looks like after pressing it?
> 
> As far as the amount of powder to apply, all of the ink on the film should be covered with powder. After it's all covered, shake and/or tap the excess powder off. The necessary amount will stay on the ink and it will be ready to cure.
> 
> What temperature and time are you using to cure the powder?


I cure it at 275F for 2 minutes 30 seconds. The transfers apply well, and the peel well after they cool down to the touch. No problem there; my issue is consistent opacity on all areas of the print.


TABOB said:


> No need to measure the powder obviously.
> Just apply as much as possible.


Okay. I have been doing that. I created a salt/cheese skaker type of top to sprinkle the powder over the print evenly. Then i pick up the sheet and roll the powder side to side to insure all the ink gets covered. Then I flick the back of the transfer to remove excess powder, and shake it s well. Then I cure it on another transfer machine using the hover method at 275F for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.


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## TABOB

Lets start from the basics...
Do the transfers look bright enough if applied on a white garment?
If yes, then obviously you problem is the white layer opacity ans this is what you have to fix.


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## FJG

Ron Teamtex said:


> I cure it at 275F for 2 minutes 30 seconds. The transfers apply well, and the peel well after they cool down to the touch. No problem there; my issue is consistent opacity on all areas of the print.


Gotcha. I cure the powder at 338F for 5 minutes, but I guess that could vary depending on the brand.

I would love to see a picture of the transfer after pressing. We've done over 200 transfers on black hoodies and sweatpants in the last two days with the settings I mentioned previously and have no issue with the colors.


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## TABOB

FJG said:


> I cure the powder at 338F for 5 minutes, but I guess that could vary depending on the brand.


You cannot cure the powder... it's thermoplastic.



Ron Teamtex said:


> Then I cure it on another transfer machine using the hover method at 275F for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.


I just noticed the temperature and time... way too low!
You need 350F for 5 minutes or 300F for 7 minutes.


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## FJG

TABOB said:


> You cannot cure the powder... it's thermoplastic.


Bake, melt, whichever term you prefer.


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## FJG

TABOB said:


> I just noticed the temperature and time... way too low!
> You need 350F for 5 minutes or 300F for 7 minutes.


The recommended baking time and temperature vary by manufacturer/brand and also the heating method being used. For example; using a Heat Press, Ecofreen recommends hovering at 338F for 5 minutes while Kingdom DTF recommends hovering at 325F - 350F for 2 minutes or until the powder melts.


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## TABOB

FJG said:


> Bake, melt, whichever term you prefer.


"Melt" is the only correct term, and it's just a side-effect.
What you want to cure is the ink underneath it.

When using cold curing inks, no baking is needed.
This way you can also hoover the excess powder once the ink is cured.


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## FJG

TABOB said:


> "Melt" is the only correct term, and it's just a side-effect.
> What you want to cure is the ink underneath it.
> 
> When using cold curing inks, no baking is needed.
> This way you can also hoover the excess powder once the ink is cured.


Whatever you say, Bob. You understood what I was trying to say, but I understand you trying to be extremely technical.


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## TABOB

FJG said:


> The recommended baking time and temperature vary by manufacturer/brand and also the heating method being used. For example; using a Heat Press, Ecofreen recommends hovering at 338F for 5 minutes while Kingdom DTF recommends hovering at 325F - 350F for 2 minutes or until the powder melts.


I think the term most are using is "guidelines".
The "until the powder melts" method is a good one, but ONLY when using the specific powder they provide. They are basically using the powder as a temperature indicator.
I just know that 350F for 5 minutes is a safe bet for all inks, so a good starting point.


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## TABOB

FJG said:


> Whatever you say, Bob. You understood what I was trying to say, but I understand you trying to be extremely technical.


Correct!
I just hate incorrect terminology... it's confusing.


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## Delhi Tshirts

Hello,

I am working on dtf printer last 7days. But I am getting problem with white backing.

After transfer on black garment.
White is coming light and white is not coming good.

Can anyone help me. What is wrong -
white ink problem / power problem / percentage of white set in printer ??


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## tamaralig

Ron Teamtex said:


> I will try that today. I am doing additional testing and transferring onto shirts to find the optimum settings. I will reply here with the results. Thanks.
> If anyone else who uses Garment Creator and Epson F2000 or F2100 has any suggestions, I would appreciate the help as well.


Why I experienced dull colors after pressing, that was the heat from the initial press. I was using the film supplier, suggested 350°. I started with a lower temp at 285° and found that neutral spot. Try lowering your temp.


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## tamaralig

Ron Teamtex said:


> Thanks for that information.
> Another thing that I am not sure of is how much powder adhesive to apply to the printer transfer. What is your recommendation?


You coat the entire design then knock off the excess. Your cured transfer should look like it has a slick glaze.

I do use GC with the F2100. I use Ecofreen film and powders. In GC, my color density is -10 and my white density is -50.


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## J_F

"The powder you are using makes a difference as well. You can buy white, black, or clear powder.
The white powder will obviously help with the opacity."

I wasn't aware that there were different coloured powders


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