We’re Bringing DTF Direct To Film In House This October in Phoenix
Big news from Designed In Ink. Starting in October 2025, our Phoenix shop is running DTF, also known as Direct To Film, right here in house. That means faster turn times, sharper color, and tighter quality control from the first shirt to the last. It also means local decorators can count on us for clean, consistent gang sheets without the shipping roulette.
Why we’re excited about Direct To Film
Our team has been testing, calibrating, and dialing in every part of the DTF process for months. Direct To Film lets us reproduce fine lines, tiny type, soft gradients, and photo level color with a smooth hand feel. Because the artwork is printed to film then transferred by heat press, it bonds beautifully to cotton, cotton blend, and many performance fabrics. Think left chest logos that stay crisp, sleeve hits that pop, and full color fronts that look as bold on wash twenty as they did on day one.
For Phoenix customers, bringing DTF in house means you can approve a sample, tweak a color, or change a placement without waiting on a third party. We control the variables, so you get reliable results and timelines.
How DTF works in our Phoenix shop
Step one, we print your design to premium film with an opaque white underbase for true color.
Step two, we apply adhesive powder and set it for a smooth, even bond.
Step three, we heat press the transfer to your garment at settings matched to your fabric and finish.
Step four, we peel, post press, and run each item through a strict quality check.
This approach gives Direct To Film its signature durability and flexibility. It also gives us the ability to stock extra transfers for painless reorders when your team needs more.
When DTF is the smart choice
Choose DTF when your artwork uses lots of color, includes gradients or tiny details, or needs to hit multiple fabric types in a single order. It shines on short and medium runs where designs change often. It is fantastic for neck labels, hat logos, sleeve and pocket prints, and other placements that benefit from precision. If you have been on the fence between screen printing and heat transfer for a specific project, DTF often lands right in the sweet spot for quality, speed, and value.
Why we recommend it
Direct To Film is versatile, consistent, and built for modern artwork. You get vivid color without separate setup for each ink color. You get a soft hand that moves with the fabric. You get strong wash performance without cracking. And you get repeatable results, which matters when your brand color needs to match across tees, hoodies, and performance polos.
Because we run DTF in house in Phoenix, we can fine tune press temperature, pressure, and time for each fabric. That level of control is what turns a good print into a great one.
Gang sheets for other decorators
If you run a shop and need a reliable Phoenix source for gang sheets, we are ready for you. Send your sheet at actual size with a transparent background, include any cut lines you prefer, and tell us your target press ranges. We will print, cure, and deliver transfers that release cleanly and press beautifully. Many decorators keep a stack on hand so they can knock out small jobs on demand without tying up their own printers.
Not sure how to lay out a sheet for Direct To Film You can send the art and we will help build an efficient layout that saves film and time while keeping your designs perfectly sized.
A few real world examples
A brewery launch party needs fifty tees with a neon gradient logo and ten staff polos with a small left chest mark. DTF covers both, delivers identical color, and keeps the hand soft so staff will actually wear the garments.
A school in Phoenix wants name labels inside uniforms plus sleeve numbers on practice gear. Direct To Film gives you tiny, readable text and sharp numbers that stand up to weekly washes.
A local brand wants to test five new graphics at the same time without a huge setup bill. DTF makes quick runs easy, and reorders are a breeze once the winning design takes off.
Care and longevity
Treat your DTF print like any premium decoration. Wash the garment inside out, keep the water cool, skip bleach, and either tumble dry low or hang dry. Avoid ironing the print area. Follow those basics and your Direct To Film graphics will keep their color and stretch.
Ready to print with DTF in Phoenix
We are proud to add DTF to our in house lineup this October. Whether you need a small run of branded tees, a complex full color design across mixed fabrics, or bulk gang sheets for your own shop, Designed In Ink has you covered in Phoenix. Send your artwork, your garment details, and your timeline. We will confirm pricing, scheduling, and the Direct To Film settings that will make your project look its best.
If you want to stop by the shop for a look and feel test, we are happy to press a sample so you can see exactly why we are all in on DTF. Let’s make something you are excited to wear.