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DTF on polyester: stopping dye migration and scorch marks

Polyester is dyed with sublimation dyes that turn back into gas around 160 °C. Press a DTF transfer at the usual 160 °C and that gas moves into your white ink. The logo looks perfect when it leaves the press and turns pink, blue or grey by the next morning.

5 min lesing · Oppdatert 2026-09-21
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  1. Press at 140–150 °C, 10–12 s, light pressure
  2. Use a low-temperature powder and a film rated for polyester
  3. Increase white density to 100 % and add a second press with parchment

Lower the heat

Every 10 °C below 160 halves the migration. 140–150 °C for 10–12 s bonds a low-melt powder perfectly and keeps most dyes asleep. Do not compensate with more time; time is exposure.

Powder and film

  • Low-temperature TPU powder (melts ≈ 100–110 °C) lets you press cooler.
  • Some films are sold as “anti-migration” — they add a thin barrier layer. Worth it for red, black and neon polyester.
  • Cure the powder fully in the oven so you are only re-melting it in the press, not curing it.

The white layer is your blocker

A dense white underbase is what stops dye reaching the colour layer. On polyester set white density to 100 % even on light shirts, keep highlight white at 10 % and never use “less white under dark colours”.

Scorch marks and shine

  • The rectangle around the design is heat-pressed polyester: the fibres flattened and went glossy. Lower the temperature, use light pressure and a Teflon sheet, and press with a piece of parchment larger than the platen.
  • For sportswear with a textured weave, a pressing pillow under the garment keeps pressure even so no edge gets a shiny frame.

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