DTF vs DTG (2026): Transfer Cost, Fabrics and When to Use Each
DTG and DTF are the two digital ways to put a full color design on a shirt, and they behave differently. DTG (direct to garment) sprays water based ink straight into the fabric, which gives the softest feel on light cotton. DTF (direct to film) prints the design on a film that you heat press onto almost any fabric, light or dark. If you print one-off cotton shirts with gradients, DTG is hard to beat. If you handle polyester, blends, dark garments or batches, DTF is the practical choice. Here is how they compare, what a transfer costs per design, and where each one fits. Prices were read on September 21, 2026.
How Each Process Works
With DTG, the garment goes into the printer. On dark or colored shirts it is pretreated first so the white ink has something to hold on to, then the printer lays down the design and the ink is cured with heat. The ink soaks into the fibers, which is why DTG is at its best on 100% cotton and why the feel is so soft. It also means each shirt is printed one at a time, and guides such as HeatPressNation put that at three to five minutes per shirt including pretreatment.
With DTF, the printer never touches the garment. The design is printed on a clear film, coated with a hot-melt adhesive powder and cured. You receive a sheet of transfers that can be stored and pressed whenever you need them. Applying one takes a heat press and about a minute: press the empty garment, press the transfer, peel the film, then cover the design (Teflon sheet for a glossy finish, cotton or linen for a matte finish) and press again to seal it. You do not need a printer in your shop.
Side by Side
| DTF transfers (ours) | DTG |
|---|---|
| Fabrics | |
| Cotton, polyester, blends, tri-blends, leather, denim and nylon. Not for coated fabrics, highly elastic materials, rough textures or sublimated jerseys. | Best on 100% cotton and high cotton blends, where the water based ink soaks into the fiber. Polyester is possible on some printers with a polyester pretreatment (Epson lists 100% polyester and poly/cotton blends for its SureColor F2270), but cotton is the usual choice. |
| Where this comes from: Our product page; French Press Custom and Printful guides, read Sep 21, 2026; Epson FAQ for the SureColor F2270, read Sep 22, 2026. | |
| Dark garments | |
| Yes. A white layer prints under every design (the underbase). | Yes, with pretreatment and a white underbase; colors tend to read softer than on light garments. |
| Where this comes from: Our product pages; Gelato and French Press Custom guides. | |
| Feel | |
| A thin, flexible layer on top of the fabric. | The softest hand: the ink becomes part of the fabric. |
| Where this comes from: Consistent across the guides we reviewed (Printful, French Press Custom, Gelato). We have not measured feel side by side. | |
| Durability | |
| In our shop we pressed standard DTF transfers on cotton and polyester at 300°F, then ran the garments through 50 washes: no cracks, no peeling, no fading. That is how far we tested, not a limit. The test used 300°F on polyester too; our current 280°F setting for polyester was not part of it. Industry guides put a well pressed transfer at 50 to 100 washes. | Suppliers describe DTG as durable with proper care on cotton. We have not run a wash test on DTG. |
| Where this comes from: Tested in our shop: November 2025. French Press Custom and Gelato guides, read Sep 21, 2026. | |
| Minimum and setup | |
| No minimum and no setup fee. One 24 in gang sheet is $8.40. | Print on demand services and print shops offer DTG with no minimum and no setup fee. |
| Where this comes from: Our product page; Printful product page; French Press Custom. | |
| Cost per design | |
| $4.20 per adult front when two fronts share a 24 in sheet, down to $1.94 on a 600 in sheet. Transfer only. | Depends on what is included. Printful: $11.92 for a Bella + Canvas 3001 with one DTG print, garment included, shipping separate. French Press Custom: $15.00 per piece for 12 to 30 pieces, decoration only, garment not included. |
| Where this comes from: Tables below, read Sep 21, 2026. | |
| Production per piece | |
| Pre-press the empty garment 10 s, apply the transfer 10 s, wait 5 to 10 s and peel, then cover the design (Teflon sheet for a glossy finish, cotton or linen for a matte finish) and seal 10 s. Transfers can be printed ahead and stored. | 1 to 3 minutes per garment (French Press Custom); 3 to 5 minutes per shirt including pretreatment (HeatPressNation). |
| Where this comes from: Our pressing instructions; French Press Custom and HeatPressNation guides. | |
| Equipment you need | |
| A heat press. No printer needed when you order transfers. | If you print in house: a DTG printer, pretreatment and a heat press or dryer; Gelato puts entry level DTG printers at about $1,800 and up. If you order from a print on demand service or a print shop: nothing, they deliver the printed shirt. |
| Where this comes from: Our product page; Gelato guide, read Sep 21, 2026. | |
What a Transfer Costs per Design
A gang sheet is one long sheet, 24 inches wide, where you fit as many designs as you want. Our custom DTF gang sheets by the inch cost $0.35 per inch of length from 24 to 96 inches, and the rate drops to $0.31 per inch on the longest sheets (full DTF transfer pricing per inch). To turn that into a cost per design, we counted how many adult fronts of 11 by 12 inches fit on each sheet.
| Run (adult fronts) | Cost per front | Sheet(s) | Fronts that fit | Sheet price | Fronts left over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $8.40 for the run ($4.20 per front if you use both) | 24 in | 2 | $8.40 | 1 |
| 12 | $2.45 | 84 in | 12 | $29.40 | 0 |
| 48 | $2.00 | 300 in | 48 | $96.00 | 0 |
| 144 | $1.96 | 600 in + 300 in | 144 | $282.00 | 0 |
How we count: sheets are 24 inches wide. We place adult fronts of 11 by 12 inches in straight rows with half an inch between designs, two per row, without nesting, so these counts are a floor and a real layout can fit more. Cost per front is the sheet price divided by the fronts on it, rounded to the cent. This is the cost of the transfer only. It does not include the garment, your pressing time, shipping (UPS Ground is $11.99 under $99 and free from $99) or taxes.
Other Public Prices We Read the Same Day
These prices cover different things: a finished shirt, decoration on your own garment, or a transfer you press yourself. Compare them only after adding what each one leaves out.
| Supplier and page | What the price covers | Size | Quantity | Garment | Print location | Extra charges stated | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Printful, Unisex Staple T-Shirt Bella + Canvas 3001, DTG printing | Garment plus one DTG print plus fulfillment | Not stated | 1; the bulk calculator shows 25 at $10.37 | Included | One print included; placement changes the price | Shipping from $4.95; taxes | $11.92 per shirt |
| French Press Custom, DTG Printing | Decoration only, one location, light garment | Not stated | 12 to 30 pieces; 51 to 100; 251 or more | Not included | One location | No setup fee; before 10.5% CA sales tax | $15.00; $8.00; $5.00 per piece |
| French Press Custom, DTF Transfers applied | Decoration only, one transfer per piece, applied by the shop | Not stated | 12 to 49 pieces; 100 to 249; 250 or more | Not included | One location | $15.00 one time setup per print location; before 10.5% CA sales tax; 12 piece minimum | $4.50; $3.00; $2.20 per piece |
| Atlanta Vinyl, Custom DTF Transfers By Size | One DTF transfer, ready to press | 11 x 11 in; 12 x 12 in | 1 or more | Not included | n/a | Shipping calculated at checkout | $6.66; $7.14 |
French Press Custom publishes its quantity tiers with gaps between them; we quote them as published.
When to Choose DTG
- One-offs or very small runs on 100% cotton, light garments.
- Photographic designs with gradients where the softest feel matters most.
- You already run a DTG printer, or you sell through a print on demand service.
When to Choose DTF
- Polyester, blends, performance fabrics, denim, nylon, or an order that mixes fabrics.
- Dark garments and bright solid colors.
- Batches: one gang sheet carries many designs; transfers can be printed ahead and pressed when the order comes in, with no printer in your shop. Rush jobs can go on Same Day gang sheets when confirmed before 1 PM ET.
If you go with DTF, keep our DTF heat press settings by fabric next to the press and test one garment before the batch.
If your jobs are mostly white or light polyester, the other comparison to read is DTF vs sublimation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is best, DTG or DTF?
Neither is best for every job. DTG gives the softest feel on light cotton and suits one-offs with gradients. DTF works on almost any fabric and on dark garments, needs no printer in your shop, and gets cheaper per design as the run grows.
Does DTF last longer than DTG?
We have not tested them side by side. What we can say is that standard DTF transfers pressed at 300°F on cotton and polyester in our shop went through 50 washes with no cracks, no peeling and no fading; that is how far we tested, not a limit. Suppliers describe DTG as durable with proper care on cotton.
Which is cheaper, DTF or DTG?
It depends on what is included. Our DTF transfers cost $4.20 per adult front when two fronts share a 24 in sheet and $2.00 per front on a 300 in sheet, transfer only. On September 21, 2026, Printful listed a Bella + Canvas 3001 with one DTG print at $11.92, garment included. Add the garment and your pressing time to our figure before comparing.
Do I need a printer to use DTF?
No. Order the transfers, then press them with a heat press: pre-press the empty garment for 10 seconds, apply the transfer for 10 seconds, peel after 5 to 10 seconds, cover the design (Teflon sheet for a glossy finish, cotton or linen for a matte finish) and seal for 10 seconds.
What are the disadvantages of DTF?
The print sits on the fabric as a thin layer, so it does not feel like DTG on cotton. Peel timing matters. DTF is not for coated fabrics, highly elastic materials or rough textures, and not for hard surfaces, where UV DTF transfers apply instead.
Print shops and resellers with a resale certificate can request tax exempt ordering with our Tax Exemption form. Pricing is the same for everyone, with no minimum, and you can see all wholesale DTF options in one place.
By Jose Polanco, Content Editor, DTF Transfers Wholesale
Jose Polanco is the content editor at DTF Transfers Wholesale, responsible for the company's guides and product pages. The DTF settings in this article are the ones used at the company's Miami facility. DTG figures come from the public pages cited in the text.
Prices read: September 21, 2026. Text reviewed: September 22, 2026.