UV DTF – Transfer Films, Devices and Accessories for Printing
UV DTF is a modern transfer printing process with which you produce custom transfers and stickers, even for items that are too bulky or too large for the UV printer. The self-adhesive designs can be applied to almost all solid materials, from glass and ceramics to wood and metal to plastic and natural stone. This makes UV DTF ideal for promotional items, merchandise, photo gifts, personalization and on-demand production. At Print Equipment you'll find the matching range: UV DTF film as sheets and rolls, the hot laminator and the necessary accessories.
What is UV DTF?
UV DTF stands for UV Direct to Film, a transfer printing process with UV-curing ink. Your design is printed onto a special A film as the carrier material and then joined with a B film as the laminate. This creates self-adhesive UV DTF stickers with high scratch and UV resistance. The big advantage of the process is that, unlike with direct UV printing, you don't have to place the item in the printer. You simply apply the finished transfer by hand, even on curved, large or bulky objects.
UV DTF transfer: How the process works step by step
With a UV DTF transfer, a finished, self-adhesive sticker is created first, which you then apply to the desired item. This is how the transfer works step by step:
- Print the design with UV ink onto the A film (carrier material)
- Join the A and B film (laminate) with the UV DTF hot laminator at approx. 35 to 40°C
- Cut the UV DTF transfer out of the sheet and apply it to the target item
- Peel off the A film so that the design adheres permanently and scratch-resistantly to the surface
UV DTF stickers: Applications and fields of use
UV DTF stickers are particularly versatile and adhere permanently to hard surfaces. Because the designs can be applied afterwards, they open up applications for you that would be difficult to realize with direct UV printing. Typical fields of use are:
- Personalization of glass, ceramics, wood, metal, plastic and natural stone
- Promotional items and merchandise
- One-offs and small series without a minimum quantity, ideal for on-demand production
- Long-lasting results thanks to high scratch and UV resistance
UV DTF printing: The right UV DTF printing system at a glance
For UV DTF printing you need a UV flatbed direct printer with UV-curing ink. At Print Equipment you get a special UV DTF printing system with three print heads, designed for consistent quality and an efficient workflow. Which system fits depends on format and throughput:
- Film sheets (A3/A4): compatible with common UV flatbed direct printing systems
- Film rolls (30 cm width): for special UV DTF printers and higher throughput
UV DTF film: A film and B film for every application
This way, depending on design size and production volume, you choose the matching format. You get the film as sheets and rolls:
- Film sheets: A4 (UV-ET-FOIL-S-A4-A) and A3 (UV-ET-FOIL-S-A3-A), 100 sheets each
- 30 cm film rolls: 100 linear m × 30 cm, A film (UV-ET-FOIL-30-A) and B film (UV-ET-FOIL-30-B)
- 60 cm film rolls: 100 linear m × 60 cm, A film (UV-ET-FOIL-60-A) and B film (UV-ET-FOIL-60-B)
UV DTF hot laminator: Joining A and B film professionally
With the UV DTF hot laminator (UV-ET-A-LAM) you join A and B film professionally and evenly. Directly after laminating, the transfer is ready to use, no further work step is necessary. The most important technical data:
- Media widths up to 315 mm, processing temperature approx. 35 to 40°C
- Power consumption 600 W, temperature control 0 to 50°C
- Weight 12 kg
What to look out for when buying UV DTF products
Before you buy UV DTF products, it's worth looking at a few basic points. This is what you should look out for:
- Compatibility of the film with the UV printing system used (film sheets or film rolls)
- Matching film size for the planned designs and production volumes
- Complete setup: UV printing systems or UV DTF roll systems plus UV DTF film
Buy UV DTF products at Print Equipment
At Print Equipment you'll find the complete UV DTF range: film as sheets and rolls, the hot laminator and the matching UV inks. In the UV Printing category you also get the matching UV direct printing systems and UV DTF printing systems. The range is aimed at beginners as well as professionals with regular production. Do you have questions about UV DTF printing or need support in choosing the right products?