DTF technology is no new term in the printing world, but it is positively the future of all things print. Despite being a recent innovation, it’s taken the industry by storm because of its versatile applications and impressive printing speed and volume, especially with industrial-grade DTF printers.
If you didn’t know already, DTF printing is a method of transferring designs onto various fabrics and materials. Clothes, caps, mugs, you name it! Unlike traditional printing methods, DTF doesn’t require pre-treatment of fabrics or materials, making it flexible for a wide range of applications. As the name goes, Direct-to-Film, the process involves printing a design onto a special film, coating it with an adhesive powder, and then heat-pressing it onto the desired substrate.
Benefits of DTF Printing
- Versatility: DTF printing shines in its ability to adhere to a multitude of fabric types, including cotton, polyester, silk, and even rigid materials, offering print shops the flexibility to cater to diverse market needs.
- Quality and Durability: DTF prints are known for their vibrant colors, sharp details, and excellent durability. The prints withstand multiple washes, maintaining their integrity and appearance over time.
- Cost-Effectiveness: By eliminating the need for pre-treatment and allowing for low setup costs, DTF printing can be a more cost-effective solution, especially for small to medium-sized runs.
- Ease of Use: The DTF process streamlines production workflows, making it accessible for print shops of all sizes. Its simplicity and efficiency can significantly reduce turnaround times, enhancing customer satisfaction.
P/S: DTF printing’s versatility comes from its ability to adhere to various materials, offering high-quality, durable prints.
However, it is very important to test the print’s adhesion and durability on different substrates and consider any pre-treatment or post-press processes that might be necessary to ensure the longevity of the print on non-traditional materials.
Owning Your Own DTF Printer Vs Outsourcing Transfer Films
Prices for a DTF printer depends on the specific model, features, and abilities. There are a lot of options in the market and you will be spoilt for choices. In this article, we will be using this DTF PRO MAXi as an example to base off our calculations for you to clearly see why it makes sense to have your own printer and scale your print shop.
This printer is a real workhorse and can print up to 100 films per hour. It is a real good investment should you decide to purchase it in the future.
So now you might be asking yourself, “When do I actually get a DTF printer for my shop?”
Let’s be real, investing ten thousands of dollars sounds absolutely scary. This thought automatically makes outsourcing printed gang sheets seem like the easy way out.
Truth be told, not only will you save a lot more money by investing in a good printer. You are able to generate more revenue for your print shop in the long run too. This is your turning point to scale into a bigger business.
When you outsource your gangsheets, of course it means no upfront payment. But it also means more money to be spent for each production. Let’s see why:
The price of gangsheets sold in the market ranges from $5 – $15 depending on the quantity ordered. Let’s take the midpoint of $7.97 for orders starting from 50 pieces.
Since this is the price for a gangsheet with a size of 12” x 17”, we need to convert it to square feet measurements for an apple to apple comparison when you are using your own DTF printer.
An estimated $2.70 is the cost of a transfer film amounted to a size of approximately 1.42 square feet.
Assuming that your blanks will cost $3.60 including shipping, we calculated how much it would cost for one shirt including 1 transfer film.
Do bear in mind that when you are calculating the cost per shirt, you will also need to consider other miscellaneous costs such as mainteinance, equipment, and even labor.
Do take note that these numbers are just estimations and may vary according to real time.
| Cost Per Shirt | Outsource Gangsheet | Own Printer |
|---|---|---|
| Blank T-shirt | $3.60 | $3.60 |
| Maintainence | $0.25 | $0.25 |
| Equipment | $1.15 | $1.15 |
| Transfer films (1.42 sqft) | $7.97 | $2.70 |
| TOTAL COST | $12.97 | $7.70 |
Now, let’s put in numbers to see the selling price you could put on your customised T-shirt after adding markups to the cost.
| Scenarios | Outsource Gangsheet | Own Printer |
|---|---|---|
| Total cost Per Shirt | $12.97 | $7.70 |
| Markup % | 20 | 40 |
| Selling Price | $15.56 | $10.78 |
| Margin % | 16.65 | 28.57 |
| PROFIT PER SHIRT | $2.59 | $3.08 |
The numbers are crystal clear. With your own DTF printer, you get to even play around with your mark-ups to match with competition such as Printful, and offer lower prices compared to outsourcing your gangsheets.
Even without doing so, your prices are already attractive to customers.
Now from the table above you can see that you get to save $5.27 from owning your own printer, compared to outsourcing your gangsheets.
Let’s see how long you can save up this difference in cost to buy your own printer.
P/S: If you want to learn about Margins & Markups in detail, read more on it here.
| Shirt Sales Per Month | Months to saving $16,000 |
|---|---|
| 50 | 61 |
| 100 | 30 |
| 150 | 20 |
| 200 | 15 |
| 250 | 12 |
| 300 | 10 |
| 350 | 9 |
| 400 | 8 |
| 450 | 7 |
| 500 | 6 |
If production starts to hit 250 shirts per month, you could already consider purchasing the printer and save a real amount of money which can be used for a lot of other things.
Now, how long would it take and how many shirts would you need to sell for you to get back the $16,000 you have spent on?
In the printing industry, it’s best to set a dateline of your ROI for your machinery and try to keep it at a maximum of 2 years only. This way, by the time that you need to invest in new technology to keep up and stay relevant among your competitors, you will have made your money back, or even get another machine and scale even bigger.
| Shirt Sales Per Month | ROI of $16,000 of Owning a Printer |
|---|---|
| 50 | 121 |
| 100 | 61 |
| 150 | 40 |
| 200 | 30 |
| 250 | 24 |
| 300 | 20 |
| 350 | 17 |
| 400 | 15 |
| 450 | 13 |
| 500 | 12 |
250 shirts per month to achieve your ROI within a timeframe of 24 months is highly logical and achievable. Throw in bundle deals and higher priced goods, you will get your ROI in a much shorter period of time.
Can I Grow My Existing Shop With DTF?
Yes, yes, double yes!
Regardless of how you choose to produce your transfer films, your existing print shop can grow big with DTF printing.
If you have decided to get your own printer, you get to:
- Expand your business model and begin selling DTF transfers to print start-ups who are not ready for their own printers.
- Offer same day printing and stand out from your peers. DTF PRO MAXi could print up to 100 transfer films per hour. You get to increase production, twice as fast!
- Provide wholesale prices. Since its more cost saving to you, you could pass on the savings to your customers.
- Markup on low cost items and generate more revenue.
- Manage inventory better as you only print on demand.
- Create more promotions and discounts as you are in control of transfer film expenses.
- Combine physical products with services. For example, your print shop could offer a design service as part of a bundle with printed t-shirts, hoodies, and hats.
- Offer a range of bundles to cater to different needs and budgets. As your production costs are low, you get to pass on the savings to your customers when needed.
- Design bundle deals that cater to the specific needs of your target market. Since your printer is at your expense of time and labor, you get to create packages that can tailor to your customers.
Outsourcing gangsheets are obviously much more expensive, but there are still benefits to it that could be taken into consideration to step up your print shop’s game.
- Dip your toes into the DTF market before you purchase your own machinery. Find out the demand from your customers and estimate production volume.
- No upfront payment is needed and it is perfect for print shops that are just starting business.
- Makes sense when you are producing prints for higher value goods such as sweaters and hoodie jackets, and not low cost goods like a basic T-shirt.
As mentioned above, 1 transfer film with the size of 1.42 square feet costs $7.97. For this amount, you get to print multiple designs on one sheet, which then gets to be printed on various products, not limited to T-shirts only.
The best part of DTF printing is that it does not limit your services to garment, alone. You have the privilege to expand your print services to promotional products, hard items, hats, shoes, bags, whatever you can think of!
Apart from selling T-shirts that gets you a small profit of $2.59/shirt, you could sell it as a deal or as a package with other items so that all your time, resources and effort will not feel like so much hard work.
For any business, especially new ones, low profit is better than nothing at all.
So that’s the rundown! DTF printing is not just a trend but a strategic investment for the future of your printing business. By embracing the power of DTF printing, your shop can unlock new possibilities, improve operational efficiency, and offer more products to customers at better prices.
As the industry continues to evolve, staying ahead with innovative technologies like DTF will be key to thriving in the competitive landscape of print services. In simpler terms, if you plan to scale and make more money, stop wondering, shop for your DTF printer and start scaling now.
All the best! 💙
