Keeping it Clear, Always.

To say direct to film has taken over the print world might be an overstatement, but we would be remiss to not acknowledge it has taken the community by storm. Over the last few years, we have seen such an emergence in DTF printing and there has been no shortage of printers, inks, powders, and supplies coming from all over the world. While here at All American Print Supply all of our products are tested and certified for safety before being brought to market (for manufacturing staff and customers of all ages), direct to film, like any printing method, comes with its own set of safety requirements and recommendations. When it comes to dtf printing, there will be a degree of steam or vapor that is produced in the process - not stuff you want billowing into your work space. That’s where purification comes in.

The steam and vapor produced during direct to film production is perfectly normal. The ink used is water based and once printed the wet ink is applied with hot melting powder. After that, the powder is then dried to the wet print under high heat - it is during this stage that the some of the water may turn to a gaseous state and become visible. Not what we want. Depending on what manner of transfer preparation your air purification can vary as far as how things are set up.

For those who are preparing their direct to film with the use of a separate oven, nine times out of ten we will be needing a separate air purifier. These vacuum powered devices will run on their own power connection and do not pull much electricity. These often times will have a hose attachment to allow flexibility in workplace arrangement to configure your different devices. A good purifier will be outfitted with consumable internal charcoal and HEPA filters to maintain a level of purity in the air as well as a clear, non foggy work space.

An exception to this would be the Phoenix Air curing oven from DTF Station. This oven is very convenient, as it has a built in purifier with separate charcoal and HEPA filters that are easily accessible. This not only eliminates the need for a separate device, but also can speed up production by having everything in one appliance with one less plug to be occupied for electrical. This is similar to the filtration you will see built into larger roll to roll direct to film set ups.