Eco Friendly Printing - Direct to Film
Direct to Film is our newest in-house printing method, a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional vinyl transfer prints. Suitable for use on an extensive range of fabrics, the process uses water based inks to achieve a consistently vibrant & durable print with excellent stretch qualities, making DTF a fantastic choice for sportswear. Requiring no 'weeding' of transfers, DTF printing not only minimises waste but is more suitable for complex designs too.
Our Machines - 'Resolute'
For our DTF Printing we chose machines from a company called Resolute. Being in the industry for over 40 years, Resolute are the largest UK based supplier of DTF printers & consumables & have led the way for many years in textile decoration. We know their experience & support helps us offer a quality finish that is hard to match. Moreover, Resolute are, like us, committed to contributing to more sustainable industry practices.
Cleaner Process
In a similar way to Direct to Garment printing, Direct to Film is a waterless process, however, unlike DTG, no pre-treatment is required. It is a very clean & odourless process, with little waste. The only waste produced is from the carrier film, however, work is underway to produce a carrier film made from recyclable materials. In comparison to traditional vinyl transfer prints, DTF has no application film & requires no weeding. The 'waste' adhesive powder can simply be re-used in the machine, further reducing waste. Once the transfers are printed, they are simply applied using a heat press to firmly adhere them to the garment!
Printing the Transfers
Essentially like a large, inkjet printer, the DTF machine prints the coloured images on to the carrier film before adding a layer of white ink to ensure vibrancy of colour. The film then passes through an adhesive hopper which shakes the adhesive powder evenly over the back of the transfers. After this, an integrated drying unit dries the transfers &, just like that, we have a sheet of smart looking transfers ready to apply to our customers chosen garments.
Choosing Direct to Film
- You prefer a more vibrant, crisp look to your designs where the colours ‘pop’
- You want to do smaller quantity runs of fairly technical/colourful designs
- You have a variety of fabrics & garment styles
- You are looking for slightly 'different' positioning of your logos
Banana Moon are B Corp & ISO 14001 certified
Banana Moon guarantees that our production is
- By a supported and empowered team, treated with respect and kindness, built on an award winning company culture
- All in-house and regularly audited to ensure we hit standards in quality and sustainability
- Constantly attaining the highest standard in sustainability and net zero targets
- Serving the interests of not only our shareholders, but our team, our suppliers, the environment, our community and most importantly, our customers.
- Creating products which can be used as a force for good
