They're Lying To You!
- Ben Thompson
- Jul 28
- 3 min read
Would you buy a car without doing the research? Most people wouldn’t.
When you’re spending money on something important, you want to know what you’re getting.
The same idea applies to custom apparel.
If you’ve ever called around for custom shirts and been told, “Yeah, we print shirts,” there’s a good chance you aren’t getting the full story. Not every company that says they print shirts is actually screen printing them.
Surprising, right?
Some are using DTF transfers instead.
Now, this isn’t a hit piece on transfers. In the right situation they can be a great option.
The problem is that most customers don’t know the difference. And if nobody explains the difference, it’s hard to know what you’re paying for.
What is a DTF transfer?
DTF (direct-to-film) transfers have become increasingly popular, and for good reason.
You can do it from home. A heat press and a simple setup.
It’s cost effective to run. If you can do it alone, you don’t need a team.
It’s clean. No real prep work, no clean up. You order the transfers online and then press them. Wherever; the garage, a small office or even the living room.
There can be positives for the customer. You have the option to put a variety of colors on a shirt without the cost skyrocketing. You can order at smaller quantities. We’re not going to screen print a shirt or two but, with a transfer, we will.
They have their place. However, there can be some muddy areas that are worth knowing.
The Cons.
Color Quality: Unless the shop is running a reputable, commercial-grade printer, the colors often don’t turn out great. With good equipment, transfers usually come out fine, but not every shop is working with that.
The Feel: This is a big one. Often not thought about until you’ve paid and have the shirt in front of you. Transfers trap heat, like an extra layer sitting on top of the shirt.
When we have customers coming in unhappy with a product from another company, we can usually identify the problem right away. It was a transfer and they didn’t like how it felt.
“It feels like a giant sticker.” You’re right, it does.
Transfers have come a long way but, even the best ones still feel a little like a sticker, in our opinion.
Peeling or Cracking: This shouldn't happen, but it does. If a company uses high quality material and follows certain press guidelines, it's unlikely that a transfer will peel off. However, it does happen - including to us! Why? Who knows. It can be a number of things including: a bad press, not enough heat or pressure, a bad transfer, and even the ingredients of the shirt being problematic for one reason or another.
Screen Printing does fade and crack over time - a long time. But in many cases, some people enjoy how the ink naturally fades over time giving the shirt a vintage or worn look. That's certainly not a selling point for everyone. But simply put, screen printing isn't going to peel. A transfer can.
They key is working with a company who guarantees their products so that if something goes wrong, they replace your items in a reasonable amount time.
Do we ever use them?
Honesty and transparency are important.
We use both, defaulting to screen printing first. Screen printing has been the standard for a long time for a reason; it lasts, it looks clean, and the colors stay true over time. Due to the ink bonding with the fabric, it creates a softer and more natural feel.
A common myth with screen printing is that people think you can’t do full color, that is not true. We can do lots of colors! We can do shades, halftones, and a number of tricks to make it look just as fun as DTF in many cases.
When do we reach towards transfers?
Small runs. When the time to set up the screens and ink, along with the cleanup afterwards, just doesn’t make sense for the number of shirts you need.
Intricate full color graphics. If someone wants a photorealistic image sometimes, that’s easier to achieve on transfers.
The Point?
Be aware of what you’re actually purchasing. If the “feel” is important to you, transfers might not be for you. You may want to talk to a place that screen prints.
Our advice? Go to a shop that can do a variety of print methods. That way you get an honest recommendation that’s based on what’s best for you and your company, instead of only recommending what they offer.
Want more advice? We may have touched on the topic...
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