DIGITAL TEXTILE & DIRECT-TO-FILM (DTF)

DTF Halftone Dot Frequency & Ink Saturation Calculator

Compute halftone dot frequency (LPI), white ink underbase choke ($0.08 - 0.25\,\text{mm}$), TPU adhesive powder weight, and heat press temperature & dwell.

1. Print & Fabric Inputs

Target Garment Substrate

Halftone Dot Frequency (LPI)

White Underbase Choke (Pixels @ 300 DPI)

Standard: 1.5 to 2.5 pixels (0.12 - 0.20 mm).

Print Surface Area (m²)

A3 Sheet = ~0.12 m²; A4 Sheet = ~0.06 m².

2. Prepress & Press Output

White Choke Width

0.00 mm

Adhesive Powder Req.

0.0 g

Heat Press Temp

155°C (310°F)

Press Dwell Timing

12 – 15 sec

3. DTF Layer Stackup Visualizer

DTF Prepress & Vector Notes

1. White Ink Underbase Choking: To prevent the opaque white ink layer from peeking out past the outer boundary of color graphics (white halo defect), the white layer mask must be eroded inward by $1.5 - 2.5\,\text{pixels}$ ($0.12 - 0.20\,\text{mm}$).

2. Halftone Micro-Dot Gradients: Solid color blocks on DTF film can feel stiff ("bulletproof shield"). Converting smooth gradient fades to mathematical vector halftone dots ($55\,\text{LPI}$) dramatically increases breathability and soft-hand feel on dark garments.