Most DTF suppliers sell two different films and make you choose when you order. We don’t. Every sheet we print handles both, so this isn’t a purchasing decision — it’s just a technique choice you make at the press.
Here’s how to decide in the moment.
Lift the film the second the press opens, while everything’s still hot.
You press, you peel, you move to the next shirt. On a run of fifty, hot peeling is the difference between finishing before lunch and finishing after.
Finish: Slightly glossier straight off the press. A post-press under parchment evens that out.
Technique: One smooth continuous motion. Starting, stopping, and restarting mid-peel is what lifts ink — not the heat.
Let the transfer cool completely, then peel.
Finish: Matte, with a bit more texture and dimension in the hand.
When it helps: You’re doing one shirt at a time and there’s no reason to rush. You got pulled away mid-job. You’re working with an unfamiliar blank and want the extra forgiveness. Or you just prefer the look.
Nothing stops you from hot peeling forty shirts and cold peeling the six you’re photographing for your shop listing. It’s the same sheet.
Post-press. 5–10 seconds under parchment paper after you peel, regardless of which method you used. It improves wash durability and settles the finish. It’s the most-skipped step and the most common cause of edges lifting later.