DTF Printers: Every Size, Printhead and Configuration
26 machine classes explained by width, printhead and setup — so you buy the one that matches your weekly volume, not the one with the best photo.
By print width
A5 through 24 inch. Width decides what you can sell.
A3 DTF Printer
The A3 is the workhorse size for a custom apparel shop. 13 inches covers a full adult t-shirt back, so you are not limited to left-chest logos.
13 inch / 33 cm
A4 DTF Printer
The A4 prints up to 8.3 inches wide — enough for left-chest logos, kids sizes and tote bags, but not a full adult back.
8.3 inch / 21 cm
A2 DTF Printer
A2 sits between the A3 shop machine and the 24 inch production unit. 17 inches covers oversized prints and two-up layouts on one sheet.
16.5–17 inch / 42 cm
A1 DTF Printer
A1 is the production size. 24 inches wide runs a full gang sheet, so you print 6–12 designs per pass instead of one.
24 inch / 60 cm
A5 DTF Printer
A5 is the smallest practical DTF size. It covers tags, socks, sleeve prints and small logos — not garments.
5.8 inch / 15 cm
60 cm DTF Printer
A 60 cm machine is the same width as A1 but built for roll film: continuous runs, no sheet reloading, gang sheets by default.
60 cm / 24 inch
30 cm DTF Printer
30 cm (about 11.8 inch) is the entry roll size. It fits a standard 13 inch design with a small margin and costs less than a 60 cm unit.
30 cm / 12 inch
24 Inch DTF Printer
24 inch is the industry standard production width. Every film supplier stocks it, every RIP profile assumes it, and gang sheets are designed around it.
24 inch / 61 cm
13 Inch DTF Printer
13 inch is the same as A3 width. It is the size most shops start with because it covers a full adult back without buying production equipment.
13 inch / 33 cm
By printhead
XP600, i3200, i1600, 1390, L1800, L805 — cost and speed trade-offs.
XP600 DTF Printer
The Epson XP600 is the most common DTF printhead. It is cheap to replace, widely supported, and good enough for 15–30 shirts a day.
i3200 DTF Printer
The Epson i3200 is the production DTF head. It prints roughly twice the speed of an XP600 and holds up better under daily use.
i1600 DTF Printer
The i1600 sits between XP600 and i3200: more speed than the budget head, lower replacement cost than the production head.
1390 DTF Printer
The Epson 1390 (and its L1800 sibling) is the most repaired, most documented DTF platform. Parts are everywhere and every technician knows it.
L1800 DTF Printer
The L1800 is a six-color A3 printer widely converted to DTF. It gives smoother gradients than a four-color head but needs careful white ink management.
L805 DTF Printer
The L805 is the classic A4 conversion. Cheap, compact, and the lowest-cost way to start printing DTF at 8.3 inches wide.
4720 DTF Printer
The 4720 head appears in wider machines where a single pass has to cover more width. It is less common than XP600 or i3200 in small shops.
By configuration
Shaker, oven, all-in-one, dual head, roll-to-roll, powderless.
DTF Printer with Shaker & Oven
A printer alone does not make a transfer. You need powder, a shaker to distribute it, and an oven to cure it. Buying all three together is the only way to print on day one.
DTF Printer with Shaker
A shaker distributes hot-melt powder evenly across the wet print. Doing it by hand works for a few shirts; a shaker is what makes 30 a day possible.
DTF Printer with Oven
The oven melts the powder into the ink so the transfer survives washing. Without a proper cure the print looks fine and cracks on the third wash.
All-in-One DTF Printer
An all-in-one stacks the printer, shaker and oven into a single frame. It saves bench space and setup time, at the cost of being harder to service.
Dual Head DTF Printer
A dual-head machine prints the same width in roughly half the passes. It is the standard upgrade once one head cannot keep up with the press.
Roll-to-Roll DTF Printer
Roll-to-roll feeds film from a spool instead of sheets. You print a long gang sheet, cut it, and never reload paper mid-run.
Desktop DTF Printer
Desktop units are A4 or A3 machines sized to sit on a standard desk. They are how most home businesses start without renting space.
Mini DTF Printer
Mini units are A4 or smaller, built for tags, socks, sleeves and small logos. They are a testing tool, not a production machine.
Powderless DTF Printer
Powderless systems use an adhesive film instead of hot-melt powder. You skip the shaker and the mess, but pay more per print.
DTF Printer Starter Kit
A real starter kit is printer, film, powder, ink, RIP software and a heat press. Anything missing means you cannot ship a finished shirt on day one.
Printing on a specific material?
Settings and failure fixes for 45 substrates →
Comparing two machine types?
A3 vs A4, roll vs sheet, Epson vs Ricoh →
Browse current stock
38 machine classes, all SKUs →