The Best DTF Printers for Small Business in 2024

April 10, 2024

Looking to expand your business into DTF printing? You’re in good company!

DTF or direct-to-film printing is a hot topic right now among printing and customization businesses, and for good reason.

With DTF printers, custom designs can be printed onto film and then transferred onto multiple materials and colors to create one-of-a-kind custom apparel, garments, tumblers, and home decor.

But the question is, what’s the best DTF printer for your small business?

Keep reading to discover our 4 picks and how to know which one is right for you. 💡

But before we dive in, we'd like to share one piece of advice about buying these printers.

We recommend choosing printers backed by a reliable, long-standing printer manufacturer (or at least a brand you trust personally).

If there’s anything you should know about DTF printers, it’s that they’re not a one-and-done setup process.

It takes time and effort to get one running smoothly, and you’ll be relying on the manufacturer for troubleshooting more than you expect.

So be sure to buy printers from manufacturers you trust. You want good support for years to come, so you won’t get stuck with a malfunctioning DTF transfer printer you can’t fix.

Now, we’ll get off our soapbox and let you get to it.

Here’s the list 👇

Best DTF Printers for Small Business

Best for Beginners: Epson SureColor F1070
Great for Growing Businesses: Epson SureColor F2270
Lowest Cost: Prestige A4
Plenty of Support: Ricoh Ri 1000

Epson SureColor F1070

Best DTF Transfer Printer for Beginners

The Epson SureColor F1070 is a hybrid DTF/DTG printer designed for beginners and small businesses. (Not to be confused with the SureColor F170 sublimation printer.)

It’s a reliable printer, backed up by a longstanding printer manufacturer. They have a solid warranty and tech support team, so no worries about getting help when you need it.

The F1070 lowers the barrier to entry for those who don’t want a commercial-level machine, but are ready to make more digital prints for things like various textiles and tumblers.

Here’s what we like about this DTF transfer printer:

Supports both direct-to-film (DTF) and DTG printing
Works with Mac OS
Uses high-quality UltraChrome ink which creates high-quality prints with beautiful, vibrant colors
Affordable yet delivers solid performance
Contains an automated maintenance system that wipes the print head and internal parts

Specs

Size: 35” x 28” x 17”
Weight: 152 lbs.
Max Print Size: 10” x 12”
Max DPI: 2400 x 1200 dpi
Film Type: Sheets
Colors: CMYK & white
Ink Price: $0.51 per ml
OS Support: Mac & Windows

Pricing

Expect to pay around $7K total for this printer.

Final Verdict

For small businesses wanting to try out a super reliable entry-level printer, we give the F1070 printer an A+.

Preorder the Epson SureColor F1070 (*shipping in May 2024*)

Epson SureColor F2270

Great for Growing Businesses & Textile Printing

If you’re willing to make a bigger investment in a direct-to-film printer for a larger print size and a more efficient workflow, the Epson SureColor F2270 is a solid choice.

Here’s what you get with this printer:

Supports both direct-to-film (DTF) and DTG printing
Works with Mac OS
Up to 16” x 20” print size with the Large Grip Pad (sold separately)
More efficient cleaning system for less downtime between prints

Specs

Size: 39” x 54” x 20”
Weight: 209 lbs.
Max Print Size: 14” x 16” (Up to 16” x 20” with Large Grip Pad, sold separately)
Max DPI: 1200 x 1200 dpi
Film Type: Sheets
Colors: CMYK & white
Ink Price: $0.51 per ml
OS Support: Mac & Windows

Pricing

This DTF printer retails for just under $19K.

Verdict

If you want to print custom apparel designs larger than 10” x 12” without straying from the Epson brand, we highly recommend the SureColor F2270 printer.

Learn more about the Epson SureColor F2270

Prestige A4

Lowest Cost

We wanted to add something in here for businesses that want the lowest-cost printer available.

This goes against our advice—usually, we recommend choosing DTF printers from an established printer manufacturer so you know they’ll be around for the long term.

This printer gets good reviews, but it’s from a lesser known brand called DTF Station. (Plus, it uses an Epson print head, so it’s kind of like a refurbished Epson printer.)

They don’t have many contact details on the website, so you’ll want to do a little more digging before you go all in with this DTF printer.

Benefits of the Prestige A4:

Affordable
Compact
3 color options (black, pink, and mint)
Uses rolls for more efficient printing (can print multiple designs on one long sheet, called a DTF gang sheet)
Prints up to 9 sq. ft. per hour

Downsides:

Not as established as Epson or Ricoh for support and longevity
Uses Epson parts (so could just buy an Epson printer)
Max width is only 7.87”
Doesn’t include DTG printing

Specs

Size: 23” x 10” x 8.3”
Weight: 22.71 lbs.
Max Print Size: 7.87” width and variable length
Max DPI: 1200 x 1200 dpi
Film Type: Rolls
Colors: CMYK & white
Ink Price: $0.08 per ml
OS Support: Windows

Pricing

This DTF printer is the most affordable on this list with a list price of just $3K.

Verdict

This printer is a great deal and has a ton of positive reviews. Just double check that you’ll get the right support you need from the manufacturer and/or distributor if you choose to buy this printer to print on various textiles.

Learn more about the Prestige A4 DTF Printer

Ricoh Ri 1000

Plenty of Support

To finish up this list, we’ve got a solid DTG printer from long-standing printer manufacturer Ricoh that also works for DTF transfers.

You get the reliability of Ricoh and tons of support if you buy directly from the manufacturer.

Here are some of the main perks of this printer (if you buy from Ricoh):

A dedicated success specialist for your business
Training from the Ricoh DTG University
Lifetime access to tech support 6 days a week
Fast printing—as little as 28 seconds per graphic

And the downside of this printer: Ricoh Ri 1000 is an expensive printer, but the extensive support and training options make it an attractive purchase.

Specs

Size: 18.9” x 52.2” x 33.9”
Weight: 242.5 lbs.
Max Print Size: 12.6” x 18” built in (Up to 16” x 19.6” with the large platen, sold separately)
Max DPI: 1200 x 1200 dpi
Film Type: Sheets
Colors: CMYK & white
Ink Price: $0.29 per ml
OS Support: Windows

Pricing

This printer retails for about $15K.

Verdict

The Ricoh’s Ri 1000 DTF printer has some amazing support options if you buy directly from the manufacturer. Plus, the large print size rivals that of the Epson SureColor F2270, yet for a more affordable price. However, if you’re a Mac user, this one is a no-go.

Learn more about the Ricoh Ri 1000

Best DTF Printers for Small Business: Comparison Table

	Epson SureColor F1070	Epson SureColor F2270	Prestige A4	Ricoh Ri 1000
Manufacturer	Epson	Epson	DTF Station	Ricoh
Max Print Size	10” x 12”	Up to 16” x 20”	7.87” width, virtually unlimited length	Up to 16” x 19.6”
Film Type	Sheets	Sheets	Rolls	Sheets
Supports DTG Printing?	✅	✅		✅
Price	$7K	$19K	$3K	$15K
	Buy Now (Pre-Order)	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More

How to Choose the Right DTF Printer for Your Business

Buying a DTF printer is a big commitment for any direct-to-film printing business.

And finding the right one comes down to a few key factors:

How much you’re willing to spend
The level of support you’ll get from the manufacturer and their reliability
The print size you need
Whether or not you need DTG printing

That said, if we had to highlight one factor, it’d be customer support.

We can’t encourage you enough to find a manufacturer and distributor that you trust to provide you with long-term support so you can get the most out of your DTF printer.

By the way, we are an Epson distributor and carry the Epson SureColor F1070 in our shop.

If you’re interested in this printer, we’d love to help you get started.

The *new* SureColor F1070 DTF/DTG Hybrid Printer - Perfect for beginners and small businesses

Preorder the Epson SureColor F1070 (*expected to ship in May 2024*)

Learn More About DTF Printing

If you’re new to the world of digital direct-to-film printing, we encourage you to check out these other beginner-friendly resources we’ve created:

You'll learn more about the safety precautions when using adhesive powder for direct-to-film printing, the best printers for high-quality prints, and the pros and cons of using different printing methods.

Next, join us in our Official MakerFlo Facebook Community to share notes with thousands of other crafters and business owners on the same journey. We’re all in this together!

And with that, we wish you the best of luck in your new printing endeavor!

Let us know in the comments, which of these DTF printers is your favorite? 💌