Full-color art, gradients and anything personalized go to DTF. A bold logo in one to three colors that lands on hundreds of shirts goes on the press. At plenty of Front Range events the answer is both, run from one station.
DTF transfers
- Good at: topo maps, photo art, gradient mountain scenes, small type, and a name or date that changes per guest.
- How it works: transfers are printed on film in La Habra before the gear ships, then heat-pressed in front of the guest. No screens, so swapping art mid-shift is free.
- Downside: it's pressed, not pulled. The print sits thinner and there's less theater at the table.
Screen printing
- Good at: one clean logo, bold shapes, and a long run of the same design.
- How it works: one screen per color, with plastisol ink pulled by hand and flash-cured while the line watches.
- Downside: screens are burned before the event and travel with the freight, so new art on show day isn't possible.
Our rule of thumb: count the versions of the art you need. One version on lots of shirts means screen printing. Many versions, or any photo-style art, means DTF. Not sure? Attach the art to a quote request and we'll pick.
How it plays out in Denver
A conference booth at Colorado Convention Center with one logo on tee after tee is press work. An outdoor-brand night where the art is a full-color trail map, or a can release with busy label art, is DTF. RiNo brewery anniversaries often do both: the anniversary design on the press and a DTF table for the label art beside it.