FTS vs DTF: real differences and which to choose

FTS (Film To Screen) is the technique that blends traditional screen printing with the digital flow of DTF: plastisol screen-printing inks transferred from a film. On paper it promises the screen-print hand with the convenience of a transfer; in practice, the choice against DTF comes down to run length, number of colours and budget. Here is the honest comparison.

What is FTS and how does it differ from DTF?

In FTS the design is flat screen-printed onto a silicone-coated film — one screen per colour, plastisol inks — and coated with adhesive. The customer receives a transfer applied with a press, just like a DTF. The difference is upstream: FTS carries the fixed costs of screen printing (screens, per-colour setup), while DTF is 100 % digital straight from the file.

That difference at the source explains everything: FTS only makes economic sense on medium or large runs of a single design with few flat colours; DTF prints any design from 1 unit, with gradients, photographs and unlimited colours, with no setup cost.

Feel and finish: where FTS is strong

The FTS finish is that of classic screen printing: plastisol ink with body, very dense flat colours and that slightly rubbery hand many brands associate with a 'shop-bought garment'. For corporate logos of 1-3 inks in long runs, it looks great.

Modern DTF has closed the gap: on 100 µm film the hand is thin and flexible, and on multicolour or detailed designs DTF is simply in another league — FTS cannot reproduce a gradient or a photograph without pricing every colour as another screen.

Durability and stretch

Well applied, both exceed 50 washes. The plastisol in FTS is very abrasion-resistant but stiffer: on stretchy fabrics (sportswear, fine knits) it can crack sooner. The polyamide in DTF gives more stretch and behaves better on garments that flex.

On dark fabrics both use a white base; on water-repellent technical fabrics, neither escapes a prior test. A technical tie with a caveat: for stretchy sportswear, DTF.

Price: where the break-even point sits

FTS charges for screens and setup: ordering 10 transfers of a 3-ink logo can cost more per unit than 100, because the setup is spread out. DTF costs the same per metre whether you print 1 design or 40 different ones: at 7 €/m + VAT on a 60 cm roll, the cost per logo depends only on how much space it takes.

An honest rule of thumb: below ~100-200 units of the SAME design, or with more than 3 colours, or with several different designs, DTF almost always wins. Long runs of a simple 1-2 ink logo: get an FTS or direct screen-printing quote and compare.

DTF: from 1 unit, unlimited colours, several designs on the same gang sheet.
FTS: a setup cost per colour, worthwhile only by repeating one simple design a lot.
With photos, gradients or fine detail, FTS doesn't even compete.

So, which one do I order?

If you are a workshop or brand with varied orders — sample sizes, short restocks, designs that change — DTF is the tool: order today before 12:00 and it dispatches the same day, with no minimums or screens.

If you have ONE stable corporate logo, in 1-2 flat inks, and you'll print hundreds of identical garments a year, get an FTS quote and compare it with our price per metre: the numbers decide on their own.

Related guides

Key data

FTS: Plastisol screen print transferred from film
DTF: Digital print + polyamide, from 1 unit
Colours: FTS: per screen · DTF: unlimited
Gradients and photos: Only DTF reproduces them well
FTS break-even point: ~100-200 units of the same simple design
DTF at DTF.pro: 7 €/m + VAT · same-day dispatch