DTF (Direct to Film) printing technology is rapidly becoming a mainstream choice in the garment and textile industry, and one of its key components is the choice of hot melt adhesive powder.

The right DTF Hot Melt Powder not only ensures the quality of the print but also extends the product’s lifespan. So, what exactly is DTF powder, and how do you choose the most suitable type? This article will provide detailed answers.

What is DTF Hot Melt Powder?

DTF powder is also known as TPU Hot melt powder. The chemical composition of TPU is polyurethane, and the material itself is made from environmentally friendly hot melt adhesive particles, which are soft, elastic, water-resistant, and can be used to bond fabrics, PU leather, paper, rubber, metal, and plastic.

TPU powder has a temperature resistance range between 120°C and 160°C. Since the inception of DTF printing, its role has been to firmly bond the printed image from the transfer film to the fabric or other materials through heat.

DTF powder plays a crucial role throughout the printing process, affecting the final image’s adhesion, color performance, softness, and durability.

What Types of Hot Melt Adhesive Powder?

In the market, hot melt adhesive powders are categorized based on their composition and performance. Below are the most common types, each offering unique advantages for specific applications.

TPU Hot Melt Adhesive Powder

Features: Soft and elastic, suitable for high-stretch fabrics such as sportswear and swimwear.

Application: Ideal for fabrics that require high elasticity, such as sportswear, T-shirts, and swimwear. TPU hot melt adhesive powder is the preferred choice for many high-stretch fabrics due to its excellent flexibility and elasticity.

EVA Hot Melt Adhesive Powder

Features: Relatively hard texture with strong adhesion, suitable for regular cotton and synthetic fabrics.

Application: Widely used for various common fabrics like cotton and polyester. EVA hot melt adhesive powder is favored in scenarios requiring higher hardness, thanks to its strong adhesion.

PES Hot Melt Adhesive Powder

Features: Good wash resistance and moderate softness, suitable for various fabrics.

Application: Suitable for T-shirts, sportswear, and cotton fabrics, offering good wash resistance. PES hot melt adhesive powder is commonly used in clothing that needs frequent washing, such as sportswear and T-shirts.

PA Hot Melt Adhesive Powder

Features: High bonding strength and wash resistance, suitable for products requiring high durability.

Application: Often used for high-end fabrics like nylon and polyester. PA hot melt adhesive powder is favored for high-end garments and industrial fabrics due to its strong adhesion and wash resistance.

Why is TPU Powder the Best Choice for DTF Transfer?

In DTF transfer printing, hot melt adhesive powder is an indispensable material. Depending on the composition and properties, hot melt adhesive powders include PA, PES, EVA, and TPU varieties.

For white ink transfer printing, medium-temperature TPU hot melt adhesive powder is the most suitable. But why is TPU hot melt adhesive powder the best choice?

Adhesion Strength

The importance of adhesion strength cannot be overstated, as it is the cornerstone of product quality and customer retention. In transfer printing, the adhesive must bond well with materials like fabrics, polyester, or nylon.

TPU hot melt adhesive powder provides excellent adhesion to these materials, ensuring long-term use without delamination. In contrast, EVA powder, while effective on some materials, generally offers weaker adhesion to textiles and is therefore not recommended for this application.

Wash Resistance

Another critical requirement for transfer printing is wash resistance. Since transfer prints are often applied to T-shirts and similar garments that require frequent washing, wash resistance is key to maintaining product quality.

TPU and PES powders excel in this area, whereas EVA and PA powders are unsuitable due to their tendency to delaminate after washing, which compromises product quality.

Flexibility and Softness

The feel of the fabric after transfer printing is also an important factor. Although transfer printing usually makes the fabric feel slightly stiffer, customers still prefer the end product to be as soft as possible.

Compared to PES powder, medium- and high-temperature TPU dtf transfer powder are softer and more elastic, thus minimizing the impact on the fabric’s hand feel.

Low-Temperature Operation

Using low-temperature DTF hot melt powder can increase production efficiency and reduce costs. Medium- and low-temperature TPU powder allow operators to use lower temperatures when applying powder with a powder shaker.

This not only saves energy but also speeds up production. Additionally, low-temperature operation prevents materials from being damaged by heat, which is particularly important when applying transfers to heat-sensitive materials like leather.

In summary, considering adhesion strength, wash resistance, flexibility, softness, and low-temperature operation, medium-temperature TPU is the only hot melt adhesive powder that currently meets all these requirements.

What Types of TPU DTF Transfer Powder Are There?

TPU DTF hot melt adhesive powder has a common model known as 6120. This model is an elastic TPU rubber body, commonly referred to as 6120. If there are other models, they might not be entirely composed of TPU, which could result in differences in elasticity and film-forming properties.

Currently, five types of TPU hot melt adhesive powders are used in the market, divided into two main categories: white powder and black powder.

White DTF Transfer Powder

White DTF Transfer Powder is available in fine, medium, and coarse grades, categorized by particle size:

• Fine Powder (particle size 0~70 microns): The powder is very fine, similar to flour used for dumplings. Its advantage lies in its suitability for small letters, offering a better hand feel, although the adhesion strength is somewhat weaker. In high humidity conditions, fine powder is less likely to shake off cleanly.
• Medium Powder (particle size 70~170 microns): It has a noticeable granular texture, unlike the fineness of fine powder. Currently, over 85% of customers use medium powder. Compared to fine powder, medium powder shakes off more cleanly and has a better hand feel, making it suitable for various climates.
• Coarse Powder (particle size 180~240 microns): Resembles white sugar in particle size. It shakes off cleanly and is recommended for applications where a more three-dimensional or thicker design is desired. However, it tends to be used in larger quantities since the weight of the particles at a given adhesion point is slightly higher than that of medium powder.

Black DTF Transfer Powder

The primary function of black powder is to prevent sublimation in polyester fabrics. Sublimation occurs when disperse dye molecules in polyester fabric migrate to the surface under certain temperatures, causing color contamination on the printed image. Black powder effectively prevents this issue.

• Medium Powder: Grey in color, similar to activated charcoal, primarily used in polyester fabric transfer printing.
• Coarse Powder: Larger particles, commonly used in luggage and sportswear. There is little difference in elasticity between black and white powders.

When selecting these powders, customers can choose based on their equipment, design patterns, and specific needs.

How to Choose the Right TPU DTF Transfer Powder?

Choosing the right TPU DTF Transfer powder should be based on several factors:

• Fabric Type: Select the appropriate TPU powder based on the fabric’s elasticity and heat resistance.
• Application Scenario: Consider the final product’s application, such as sportswear, T-shirts, or swimwear.
• Cost-Performance Balance: Choose a product that offers the best value for performance requirements.

Differences Between DTF Hot Melt Powder

Different TPU DTF powders vary in adhesion, softness, wash resistance, and operating temperature. Selection criteria include:

• Adhesion: Choose high- or low-adhesion powder depending on the fabric’s bonding requirements.
• Softness: Select powder with moderate softness to ensure the final product’s hand feel.
• Wash Resistance: Consider whether the product needs to be washed frequently and choose powder with strong wash resistance.
• Operating Temperature: Choose a suitable operating temperature range based on process requirements.

Standards for Judging Quality TPU DTF Transfer Powder

1. Environmentally Friendly Raw Materials

High-quality TPU DTF powder should pass SGS’s RoHS2.0 certification, ensuring no excess substances and being non-irritating to the skin. It is widely used in children’s products and meets the export standards of countries like the USA, Europe, and Japan.

2. Manufactured with Advanced Equipment

High-quality TPU DTF powder should be produced using advanced melt-blown machinery, ensuring better uniformity and easier peel strength testing. The manufacturing equipment should support wide-format production with a daily output of up to one ton.

3. Made from 100% Plastic Granules

High-quality TPU DTF hot melt powder should be made from 100% plastic granules without added talc, diluents, or second-grade materials, ensuring stable performance and guaranteed quality.

FAQ Of DTF Transfer Powder

1. Can TPU DTF powder be used on all types of fabrics?

TPU DTF powder is suitable for most fabrics, but the appropriate product should be selected based on the specific fabric type.

2. How should DTF powder be stored?

It is recommended to store DTF powder in a cool, dry environment to prevent moisture from affecting its performance.And for opened packages of powder, desiccants should be placed inside, and the package should be sealed promptly. Powder collected from the drying box should be dried for a while under certain conditions before being sealed and stored, as the used powder may have come into contact with the ink layer and become moist.

3.What is the shelf life of DTF powder?

Generally, the shelf life of DTF powder is 1-2 years, depending on storage conditions.

4. How many types of DTF powder?

DTF powder can also be classified according to melting point temperatures:

• Low temperature: 95°C melting point, baking at 90°C, heat pressing at 110°C;
• Medium temperature: 120°C melting point, baking at 110°C, heat pressing at 145°C;
• High temperature: 135°C melting point, baking at 115°C, heat pressing at 155°C.

5. What’s the advantage of high temperature DTF powder?

Since the elasticity of DTF powder increases with higher temperatures, it is more suitable for applications on high-elasticity fabrics. This helps to prevent the design from cracking.And it also have the good washing performance.

6. Do the fine DTF powder better?

The finer the powder, the softer the hand feel of the design. This makes it more suitable for application on intricate designs.

7.What is your daily production capacity for DTF powder?

Our production line can package 2 tons of powder per day. Our worker will keep the full capacity to meet your fast delivery time.

8.How to eliminate static electricity from DTF powder?

  Methods to eliminate static electricity from DTF powder include:

     1. Using anti-static devices, such as static eliminators.

     2. Adding anti-static agents to reduce powder static.

3. Controlling humidity to prevent static buildup.

9. How to deal with DTF powder getting damp？

Methods to deal with damp DTF powder include:

     1. Placing the damp powder in an oven for low-temperature drying.

     2. Replacing severely damp powder to avoid affecting print quality.

     3. Keeping storage dry and using moisture-proof packaging.

10.How is the granularity of DTF powder indicated?

The granularity of DTF powder is usually indicated by mesh size or microns. Higher mesh numbers mean finer powder; smaller micron values mean finer powder. Choose based on printing needs.

11.How to distinguish the quality of DTF powder?

Methods to distinguish the quality of DTF powder include:

     1. Observing the uniformity and fineness of the powder; high-quality powder is uniform and fine.

     2. Testing adhesion; high-quality powder has strong adhesion.

     3. Checking heat resistance; high-quality powder does not easily degrade at high temperatures.

12.What is the anti-sublimation principle for black dtf powder?

The anti-sublimation treatment for black powder involves adding anti-sublimation agents to prevent color bleeding and diffusion, maintaining design clarity and color consistency.

Summary

This article has been written according to your detailed instructions, including a comprehensive explanation of DTF powder, its types, selection criteria, and frequently asked questions. If you need further modifications or have any additional requests, please feel free to let me know!