II. Disadvantages of Digital Pet film | Thermal Transfer Pet film

1. Print

+ Digital pet film are not immune to infection.

      For fabrics that have not been treated with color fasteners, especially 2-component fabrics such as TC, VTC, it can lead to color contamination on the printed image. Because the color in the fabric is not rinsed and fixed before finishing, even washing or using can cause these fabrics to release color significantly. Therefore, customers need to pay attention to fabrics that are likely to bleed a lot, and should use materials with good anti-stain properties such as anti-stain decals.

    In addition, for fabric materials that have been thoroughly rinsed, or have level 4/5 color retention, you can use digital PET film printed with American ink and good glue to have good resistance to contamination. This type of ink has high whiteness, good coating, so blocking the background color of this material is quite effective. Currently, Ao Dong Luc is using this material for products of fashion shops, uniforms and other fabric products.

    There are some outside production units that use black glue to limit contamination for prints on colored fabrics. However, black glue is not really resistant to contamination, on the other hand, it also makes the glue particles stick to the edge of the printed blank and lose the aesthetics when printing on light-colored fabrics. To limit this, Ao Dong Luc has set up a factory to produce black silicon particles with high purity, which helps to resist contamination well at level 4/5, along with a background reduction printing mode that maximizes the membrane’s capacity to 130% of the flow, helping the print achieve maximum reduction with both ink and background glue, achieving outstanding efficiency.

+ With details that are too small, durability will not be guaranteed.

    Many customers do not pay attention to the small details of the product, because when they view it on the screen, they have enlarged it many times larger than the actual size they need to print. And when printing, many printers use silicon powder or glue that is too large in size, through the beater, these glue particles are no longer on the printing blank, so the durability of the details in those locations will be worse.

     On the other hand, with details that are too small, they can easily fall between the fabric gaps, which greatly reduces the adhesion of the printed details on the fabric. Ao Dong Luc’s recommendation for prints to achieve good durability is that the details must be larger than 1.5mm. With details smaller than 0.4mm, you should wrap the border with at least 0.3mm outline of the same color as the fabric background to ensure the best adhesion of the printed image on that printing position.

+ Customers may be viewing the wrong color on their phone or computer

     As you know, most of the computer and phone screens we often use have the RGB or sRGB color system, which is a color system created by luminous objects. Or to put it more simply, it relies on the regulation of light to create color, which is completely different from the way colors are displayed on prints. Because all digital prints use the CMYK color system and display colors using conventional colors, they absorb light. So the color spectrum will be different, the color range and color parameters will also be different. Besides, on each screen, although the same color system and even the same brand and type of screen, there will be more or less deviation when displaying. 

    To get the closest to the colors, we should switch the screen to the CMYK simulation system, convert the print file to CMYK to see the most accurate color before printing. For prints that need to ensure color, print a test first , heat transfer onto the fabric, and let the customer approve to ensure that it is the color that best meets their requirements. In addition, with monochrome colors, you can also use Pantone colors to compare and correct the print file.

+ Some units do not have good techniques which can lead to some problems such as:

    The print is slanted because the beam adjustment parameters are not aligned correctly. The ink is faded and bleeds due to excess color that has not been aligned properly. The print is blown out due to unreasonable ink distribution, some colors are too dark, overloading the absorption capacity of the PET film . In addition, many small printers do not know how to export files, so they cannot make full use of the sharpness and color distribution of the machine. In addition, to reduce costs, many printers also use poor quality materials, leading to excess glue around the print, large glue particles when applied, some are there and some are not, reducing the life of the print.

2. Digital pet film printing size

     Currently, the market has 2 main lines of machines: 60cm pet film printers and 32cm pet printers. With 60cm pet printers, the best available printing width is 56cm and similarly with 32cm pet printers, the available width will be 30cm. With a length of 100m per roll. This is also one of the limitations to be able to print on materials that are smaller than the machine’s capacity. With large prints, larger than the printing size, it is still not possible to do with this technology. However, it still meets the majority of basic products from t-shirts, hats, socks, skirts, …. and other fashion products.

3. Competitive barriers

     Digital heat transfer printing is a technology that is still quite new up to now. Machinery, equipment, raw materials are all imported from China, synchronization in the production process is still a skill-based factor. Therefore, to ensure good, consistent and stable quality, customers should choose units that have invested for a long time, have operating experience, and good file processing skills.

    In addition, this technology has not received much encouragement from major printing machinery manufacturers in the world such as Epson, Brother, Ricoh, Roland, Mimaki, …. Perhaps because of the health safety factor for operators due to dust, on the other hand, this technology currently uses 2 to 3 software to be able to arrange and print. This can lead to incorrect consequences in details, printing colors and other factors. Therefore, you need to put your trust in units with clear processes from exporting print files to ripping and printing.

     Note: Most of these disadvantages can be solved by units with good technology and proper investment in both software and hardware of the machine. This digital PET film printing technology is still quite new, updates are always a good sign to improve all problems. However, there are still many small printing units that do not have the technology and experience to operate effectively. This can affect product quality and customer reviews. So you should choose units with proper investment, many years of production with a lot of experience to ensure the best quality.

III. Digital Pet film Production Process | Thermal Transfer Pet film

     To ensure the best product quality, in addition to the necessary raw materials that meet durability standards, manufacturers need a clear process to help operating technicians as well as customers better understand the finished product. At Ao Dong Luc, we always consider technology as a guiding factor to help all activities become easier, simpler and more accurate. After being arranged in the appropriate printing size, the print files will be recorded with the print order number and unit price as well as specific printing standards so that customers can easily grasp the cost of each product unit, color details, and print parameters. After the customer has agreed, the design staff will upload the print file to the storage and production management software to coordinate the production schedule for other departments to know. In the production room, printing technicians will plan by grasping progress information on the software and before printing, they will notify the pressing department to prepare for cutting and pressing, and prepare the fabric as well as the heat transfer press machine.

     Here we use 3 large format industrial digital pet film printers to meet various customer standards, helping them to approach their quality and cost goals. However, all machines, equipment and people must comply with production regulations, including a systematic implementation process and roadmap. In order to avoid risks and unexpected incidents. However, regarding production management software, the software developed by the Dev team at Ao Dong Luc on color technology, we will not mention it here. Because that is a competitive advantage and a clear difference in quality, we hope you understand. Below, we will list the basic steps of the digital pet film printing blank production process .

• • Step 1: Open the computer, printer and dryer to carefully check the pet film , ink and powder before printing. Adjust the temperature, suction, printing position, pet strip and other details. Then clean and test enough white and color ink jets.
  • Step 2: Print, check color, details and roll PET filmthrough the coating drying system. Continue to calibrate the parameters on the coating machine to ensure consistency throughout the printing process.
  • Step 3: After printing, we have the printed blank and will proceed to cut it into sheets containing the necessary printed image.
  • Step 4: Prepare to calibrate the parameters on the press, prepare the fabric for heat transfer pressing. See parameters and pressing method here .
  • Step 5: After pressing, check and compare the original designs carefully and hand over to the customer.

     At Ao Dong Luc, what makes us always confident with customers is the difference. We always pay attention to improving product quality, updating both software and hardware to help machines and equipment always produce synchronously, optimizing details to help customers have a more durable, more beautiful and better cost product. In addition, the technical team at Ao Dong Luc has developed software to help regulate colors and automatically align details to make prints more vibrant, small details always match and help the glue layer adhere to the surface of the printed blank more evenly than other prints on the market. From there, helping the prints achieve maximum durability, smoothness and good elasticity.

IV. Production Cost of Digital Pet film | Thermal Transfer Pet film

The cost of producing pet/dtf film will depend on the raw materials, machinery and equipment and workers in charge of production. To clarify the cost of producing thermal transfer pet or digital pet. We will go into each part to make it easier to understand:

     Cost of raw materials: Normally in Vietnam, distributors provide raw materials from cheap to mid-range (can be printed), but for high-quality printing film and effects, there will be limited and there are almost no units providing high-quality materials in the Vietnamese market . So it is very easy for the image to explode, crack, fade, peel, …. and these raw materials have a very low ink capacity so they cannot print 100% of the ink, usually in the market they will print from 20 to 50% so the cost of market goods, especially market goods, is very low. For example: instead of printing well, a 100m roll of PET film will cost 4 to 5 liters of ink with good quality goods, but with market goods it only costs less than 1 liter. So in terms of cost according to raw materials, there are many things worth mentioning, the truth is that good goods and cheap goods are 15 to 20 times different in material costs including PET film, ink and glue powder . That is also the reason why at Ao Dong Luc we have to import raw materials directly from the manufacturer, import according to European printing film and ink standards, all raw materials are imported officially with clear import bills of origin and quality assurance. However, the cost is very optimal because although the raw materials are expensive, we are a direct importer, you guys follow us on Facebook, Zalo and you will see that every month we import from 4 to 5 tons of materials and this quantity is even more than some other material selling units. So with Ao Dong Luc we are completely confident about the quality, cost and technique. The workshop brothers also clearly understand this, because all of our raw materials are the best and most expensive (you can easily verify this). Back to the issue of cost, in addition to the printing mode of the blank manufacturer, it is also related to damage due to cheap raw materials, the consequences will be damaged print heads, clogged ink, … many things, so the maintenance cost will also be high. Therefore, you have to calculate the formula: PET film + printing ink + coating glue powder + maintenance and maintenance costs . In which, the less ink, the less glue and the cheaper the cost, but if you choose cheap ink, the maintenance cost is very high (for example, instead of 500 rolls of good ink, you have to replace 1 head, cheap ink only has 20 rolls and the print head has to be replaced). So the problem that Ao Dong Luc poses to customers is to always use the best and most optimal raw materials according to the price that customers want, can meet the cheapest price of 45,000 VND/m to 185,000 VND/m and commit to much better quality than other prints on the market.

     Depreciation costs and machinery and equipment: with machinery and equipment, it will be a long story between old buyers, new buyers, old technology, new technology. But in reality, most of us in Vietnam are blinded by distributors, they can easily promote cheap machine brands in China and exaggerate them in Vietnam, so the costs are also very diverse. With more than 10 years of experience, we are the first unit to apply this pet film printing technology in the Vietnamese market, owning more than 10 machines and belonging to the 4 leading brands in the world such as fedar, oric, mimaki, roland, … then we affirm with our strength. The number of machines, technology and techniques are leading, besides, our technicians are so knowledgeable that they can assemble, upgrade, repair and update new things (even the factory does not have them yet) to optimize their work. So when it comes to Ao Dong Luc, most of the big factories in China know us thanks to our color mixing and dot regulation technology. And we go into every detail to help them improve their machines. Back to the issue of cost between old machines, which are only about 1/2 of new machines, and old technology machines, which are only 2/3 of the latest version. People can easily calculate, but the latest machines will have less maintenance costs, operate more smoothly and have less damage than old machines. In particular, the new generation i3200 printhead is also much better with the 4720, 5113, xp600, tx800 types.

     Operating labor costs: this is also a large expense for us to estimate and calculate. For example, if we print 10m per day and hire workers for 300,000 VND/day, then each meter of printing costs 30,000 VND in labor costs. That is the easiest way to calculate labor costs for basic manufacturers. As for companies like Ao Dong Luc printing pet film , there will be printing technicians who are only responsible for printing and viewing the machine, design staff including processing color checking files, arranging orders and supporting color alignment for customers, and machine maintenance staff . However, when reaching a certain level, small factories should also refer to this model, our daily pet film printing volume reaches 400 to 1200m and we process 200 to 300 printing files per day, optimizing quality directly for customers. However, from a cost perspective, you can easily see the effectiveness of this approach: each person has a job, the staff will be very professional and operate within their workload so there will be no confusion and no work according to the skill system, everything has a process and follows quality. Of course, many people will think that this will inflate the cost, but in fact it is not, because we print in large quantities, so in fact each meter of printing only costs 5 to 10 thousand VND for labor.

     Each unit will have a different cost level. We are an import-export unit, and we are also a unit that directly imports raw materials from the factory for production, so the cost from raw materials to machinery, equipment, and operating labor is very good. Ao Dong Luc is one of the first units to invest in this pet film printing technology in Vietnam. And we clearly understand each period of change in raw material prices in general as well as printing costs in particular. However, the competitive principle of the market is a prerequisite to filter out and help manufacturers with real capacity to affirm their strengths. We are always confident to be a leading unit, improving both hardware and software technology, to ensure the best quality at a reasonable cost. Customers can refer to the price list of printing blanks here or see the cost of digital pet film printing at Ao Dong Luc below.

PRICE LIST OF DIGITAL PET FILM PRINTING BLANKET | THERMAL TRANSFER PET FILM | DTF PAPER

(In addition to the default printing standards below, you can provide files, quantities and requirements for price, size, ~ quality. Our software has integrated features for measuring ink flow and adjusting points to balance cost/quality in the most reasonable way . Price list applies from July 10, 2025 )

DIGITAL PET FILM PRINTING | STANDARD PET FILM HEAT TRANSFER ON DEMAND

✔️ Super Cheap Pet Film Printing 38k – 45k – 50k -60k -… ✔️ Anti-Infection Pet Film Printing ✔️ Neck Tag Pet Film Printing ✔️ High Quality Pet Film Labels ✔️ Express Pet Film Printing Get It Right Away ✔️ Luminous Heat Transfer Pet Film ✔️ Reflective Pet Film✔️ Fabric Background Transfer Pet Trame

     We are ready to meet all customer requirements, as long as the order output is sufficient according to the minimum raw material level and the customer has carefully balanced the budget – clearly estimated costs before implementation. For specific instructions and more detailed advice on the product, please contact Hotline 039.735.8789 Currently, the price list for digital pet film thermal transfer printing above, applied to raw materials from coating glue powder, pet film, printing mode, … are all the best materials on the market today. With American raw ink for good background white concentration, elastic silicone glue x3 comfortable size, super beautiful pet film for sharp printing details, along with exclusive color mixing technology researched and developed by engineers at Ao Dong Luc for over 7 years. Helps to increase the color tone of the image by 30%, adjust the dots to make the print sharp, prevent the details from overflowing and balance the color to distribute the ink particles evenly and intelligently and effectively. In addition, this mode also helps the print to be smoother and reduces costs by 35% compared to conventional printing methods.

>> See more costs of other printing blanks here.

     We are always proud to be the first unit in the southern market of Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Vietnam in general to invest in digital thermal transfer pet film printing technology in early 2020. For better cost incentives, or customers with stable output, machine packages according to required raw materials, the cost can also be much better balanced. However, adjusting raw materials can affect product quality. If the cost of pet film production is really a key factor deciding for large orders, please contact us immediately for support on the best solution.

V. Frequently Asked Questions About Digital Pet Film | Thermal Transfer Pet | DTF

• How long does the print last?

     Depending on the raw materials and techniques used by each manufacturer, the durability will be different. In addition, the heat transfer factor is also very important, which can affect more than 40% of the product’s durability. With printed blanks at Ao Dong Luc, the durability can be up to more than 2 years under standard conditions of use because we use the finest, super-elastic, super-durable silicon powder  , so very small details or the edges of the printed image will also adhere to the fabric easily, the glue layer can penetrate the fabric to create maximum durability for the printed image. However, with small printing units in the market, the technique is still limited, the durability can only be a few washes, because they do not have enough technique to help the glue layer cover evenly on the printed blank, regulate the amount of ink, humidity to help the glue layer adhere firmly to the fabric eye. In addition, many market units also use cheap white ink mixed with water, which will seriously affect the durability of the printed image.

     Many people think that most printing methods are simple, just have a machine and print! But in reality, it is not like that, German, Japanese, American technologies have achieved high automation and safety, easy to operate for users. As for digital pet/heat transfer pet film , it is a fairly new method, developed in China, with great competition from many different manufacturers. So uneven quality is understandable, and even many printers have invested in equipment for a long time but still do not know how to use it.

• What is the most correct and durable way to heat transfer digital PET Film ?

     Each type of fabric has a different ideal pressing parameter. Depending on the fabric composition, surface material, fiber size and weaving style. However, to learn more, please read more in the article on instructions for heat transfer pressing of printed PET blanks .

• How long does it take?

     The time to print blanks at Ao Dong Luc will be 1 to 3 working days and can be faster. If customers want to support pressing or cutting into individual pieces, it will depend on each fabric material and the characteristics of the product. For example, finished products will take longer to print than semi-finished products, cotton fabric that is easy to curl through heat will take longer to press than poly fabric. In addition, at other units, they only have 1 machine to perform, so the time may be longer, or machine problems will affect the delivery schedule. At Ao Dong Luc, we have 3 large-format industrial digital pet film printers that are always ready to serve customers. With a production capacity of more than 500m per day for all 3 machines, a team of experienced technicians with digital systems in general and pet film in particular, besides, we also have a heat transfer pressing room system that always creates the best conditions to support customers.

• What are the best print file parameters?

     The best print file should be in vector format, remove the design software’s icc profile constraints and let the printing software completely coordinate the colors. Convert the print file to CMYK format with a resolution of Dpi> 600. Arrange the standard size in 56x100cm to ensure that the print image is not scratched by the pet film strip on both sides of the machine. In addition, customers must note that small details should be bordered with a minimum border of 0.3mm. Transparent details should be converted to a solid background color, because if left transparent, the machine will understand that it is reducing the amount of colored ink and reducing white ink to reveal the background color, and that is most likely not what the customer wants.

• How will the price or cost be calculated? and how much specifically?

     The cost will be calculated based on the specific size and quantity as well as more detailed requirements on fabric materials, location, …. and other parameters if the customer needs a complete printing package. In addition, if the customer needs to print the blank for pressing, the cost of the printed blank can be viewed here .

• Notes on print files, prints, and details when the product is finished?

     You should switch the display to the CMYK simulated color system, and convert the print file to CMYK format to see the exact color. If after the first pressing, you see water stains or what many people call sweat, then use a wet cotton towel to wipe it off and then press again, it will be normal because there is a lot of moisture in the air and fabric, when pressing, it will not be released in time and will condense on the printed blank. For fabrics that have not yet held the color, customers using dark colors such as blue, burgundy, black, purple, dark blue, etc. should be warned about the possibility of color contamination if they still want to continue printing or should switch to another method. With materials such as cotton, cotton blends, polyester, and poly blends, the durability may vary. Because durability is related to many factors, if the fabric has too much starch or a lot of hair, the print will only stick to the outside of the fabric, and after many washes, it will easily peel off because it does not adhere to the base of the fabric.

• How to see the correct color before printing?

     To see the correct color before printing, you should switch the screen to the CMYK display simulation system and convert the print file to the CMYK color system. Then we will compare the color on the pressed print, avoid comparing the color on the printed blank, because when the printed blank is pressed, some color tones will change.

     After you have your first prints, filter the colors to adjust the color to your liking and save them in order for better adjustment next time.

• What kind of raw materials should be chosen?

     Customers should choose American Pet film because it will be more durable, has better resistance to infection and elasticity. If cost is the deciding factor, customers can use Chinese Pet film . Most printing units in the market use Chinese raw materials because of low cost and quick return on investment. As for Ao Dong Luc, we provide printing blanks for a variety of customers, with many machines, so we have all the necessary printing standards for customers to choose from.

• I have the machine, but it often fails, how to fix it?

     You can see more common errors in this article.

• What are the advantages of digital pet film printing technology in Austria Dynamic?

     Ao Dong Luc with many years of experience in the profession. Not only digital pet film but also other technologies such as silk screen printing, heat transfer, decal, dtg, …. our technicians understand very well. Even with the ability of Ao Dong Luc’s technical team, they can repair machines, maintain and program specialized operating software. We believe that there are not many units in the market that can do that. In addition, we do not only print, Ao Dong Luc also sews and embroiders , we have a very good foundation in product synchronization.

     With the strength of applying technology to production to help improve efficiency in quality, cost and uniformity on each product. Ao Dong Luc is always confident to be a pioneer and leader in the field of production and printing on fabric materials. We own many exclusive technologies on products, especially in the printing industry, including luminescence and color mixing. These two technologies help to elevate the color of the image to a new level, improve the sharpness, and distribute the color clearly and effectively.