Impressions - May/June 2024 - 42

vendors for various reasons. Doyscher prefers collaborating with
another business to avoid the time commitment of running and
maintaining a DTF machine. " It's a win-win! I place the order and
usually receive it in a few days, " she says.
According to Ellsworth, ordering DTF transfers from STAHLS'
is as straightforward as setting up an account and uploading artwork.
" We offer same-day shipping on transfers with no minimum order
quantity or sheet size requirement, " he explains. This allows decorators
to upload orders as they receive them in the exact quantity
of prints they need.
Mike emphasizes the ease of ordering transfers from Ninja Transfers
Applying DTF to any material will
produce consistent vibrancy. Photo
courtesy of A&P Master Images
as well. " We strive to make our transfers easy to order with speedy
delivery to everybody, regardless of how new they are to using DTF, "
he says. Customers can order each design with transfers by size,
specifying the size and quantity needed for each piece of artwork.
Or they can build a gang sheet with all the required designs. (Ninja
Transfers also offers an online gang sheet builder for those more
familiar with graphic design.)
All orders from Ninja Transfers ship in about 24 hours, with the
option for next-business-day delivery if needed. The company aims
to meet all customer deadlines. " With how easy they are to order
and apply, there's virtually no learning curve to get started pressing
them on like a pro, " Mike says.
When outsourcing any decorating process, it's crucial to research
and choose a reliable vendor. Doyscher warns against selecting
vendors who may not fully understand the science and art behind
DTF. " There are a lot of vendors converting art and creating transfers
for DTF, but don't fully understand the science behind it, " she
advises. Instead, she recommends asking for referrals and samples
to ensure the quality of the transfers.
Outsourcing is a smart option for decorators who want to offer
DTF but don't want the overhead. " They don't need to be tied to
capital investment, print maintenance, and new learnings to stay
relevant, " Ellsworth says. " By relying on transfers, they maintain a lean
model that's extremely agile and always at the edge of innovation. "
Taking the Big Equipment Leap
Tanya Doyscher, owner of The Visual
Identity Vault, employs DTF for webstores,
school club orders, memorial shirts and
other unique, high-value designs. Photo
courtesy of The Visual Identity Vault
2. You fulfill orders of all sizes. DTF transfers are versatile and
can cater to orders ranging from a single logo to thousands of the
same design. They offer flexibility for shops fulfilling small to large
orders. Ellsworth notes that many decorators purchase five and six
figures of DTF transfer designs from his company.
3. Your shop's ideal order size typically ranges around 24
pieces with three or more colors. According to Ellsworth, this
scenario indicates that DTF transfers are the way to go.
4. You fulfill webstores for clients. " DTF enables me to run
webstores and offers small quantities, " Doyscher says. " These versatile
designs can be full color and have faux effects. "
5. You have orders that will work with DTF. " If your shop
has a solid business case for DTF, it's worth considering whether
to outsource transfers or bring printing in-house. " This decision
should be based on your business model and personnel competency, "
Ellsworth says.
Working With a Custom Transfer Vendor
Many decorators opt to outsource their transfer production to
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ImpressionsMagazine.com May/June 2024
A&P Master Images (masteryourimage.com) recently invested in
a large DTF printer, producing $500,000 in orders in 2023. " We
went with the ColDesi DTF 24H4 model so that we could grow
into it, " says CEO Howard Potter, whose company prints apparel,
can koozies, table covers, umbrellas and more. This year, A&P wants
to hit $800,000 in DTF orders.
" DTF makes our workflow easier and less stressful on the entire
team, " Potter says. " It's easier to sell since you no longer have to worry
about setup and charging per color since it's full-color printing out
the gate. You can teach anyone to operate the printer and to heat
press in days vs. months with other processes. "
A&P outsourced its transfers for a couple of months to test product
quality before purchasing its in-house machine. For a shop that
wants to buy a machine, Potter recommends giving your team at
least two to four weeks to get up to speed. " Plan to bring in a tech
person to speed up the setup and training, " he says. " You want to
roll it out slowly to nail the production timing. We rolled it out for
two months to figure things out. "
Potter says DTF has been a game changer for his shop's customers
of all sizes and industries. " Everyone's loving that they're getting
full-color prints for the price of a two-color screen print, " he says.
Owning a DTF Printer
There are two main driving forces for a print shop to get in-house
DTF equipment:
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