What Is DTF++ Printing?
13 Inks, Real Neon, and Prints That Glow
DTF++ is the upgraded version of DTF printing from OneOff Custom Apparel. Instead of the standard four inks, it prints with 13 ink channels, including four fluorescent colours. That means brighter colour, closer brand-colour matches, and real neon that glows under blacklight.
Four colours built your last shirt. Thirteen built this one.
Most printing, including standard DTF, works with four inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Every colour you see is mixed from those four. It’s reliable, but four inks can only stretch so far.
Ask most DTF printers for neon green, and you’ll get lime. Ask for neon yellow, and you’ll get mustard. Four inks simply can’t make neon.
Ours can.
If you’ve seen “DTF++” and wondered what the extra pluses actually buy you, here’s the honest answer.
So, What Is DTF++?
DTF++ is OneOff’s expanded colour system. It prints with 13 ink channels:
- Cyan, magenta, yellow and black (the standard four)
- Red, green and blue
- Orange
- Fluorescent pink, fluorescent green, fluorescent yellow and fluorescent orange
- White, the base layer that keeps colours bright on any shirt colour
That’s more colour than four letters could ever handle.
How Does DTF++ Work?
Same process as standard DTF: we print your design onto film, add the adhesive powder, cure it, and heat press it onto the garment. New to DTF? Our guide to what DTF printing is covers the basics.
The difference is what feeds into the print. Where standard DTF has to build a rich orange or a deep blue by mixing four inks, DTF++ lays that colour down directly from its own ink. And the fluorescent colours aren’t mixed at all. They’re their own inks, which is why they can do what CMYK can’t.
Can DTF print neon colours?
Standard DTF can’t. Neon sits outside what four inks can mix, so it comes out flatter and duller than it looks on your screen.
DTF++ can. It prints four true fluorescent colours: pink, green, yellow, and orange. In daylight, they look loud. Under a blacklight, they glow.
These are some of the prints we tested on.
Does DTF++ glow under blacklight?
Yes. The fluorescent inks glow under UV and blacklight, so DTF++ is made for anything that happens after dark: parties, festivals, matric events, glow runs and club nights.
Like all fluorescent inks, the glow is at its brightest when the shirt is new and softens slightly with washing. It stays noticeable, it just mellows a little. Like the people wearing it.
What are the benefits of DTF++?
- Brighter, richer colour, especially the shades four inks struggle to mix
- Better brand colour matching, useful when a logo has to hit an exact orange, blue or green
- Smooth gradients and detailed artwork, with less banding and less flattening
- Real neon, in four fluorescent colours
- It glows under blacklight
What are the limitations?
Honest list:
- It costs more than standard DTF, because it runs more inks.
- It’s a flat print. Want texture you can feel? That’s 3D DTF.
- It’s overkill for a simple one-colour logo, where standard DTF does the job for less.
- Very small detail still has limits. Keep text at least 4 mm tall and lines at least 1 mm thick, same as standard DTF.
What is DTF++ best for?
Events that happen after dark. Parties, festivals, matric dances, glow runs. If there’s a blacklight, there should be DTF++.
Brands with colours that matter. That exact orange in your logo, the green your designer fought for. DTF++ gets closer than a four-ink mix.
Streetwear and merch drops. Neon and loud colour are what make people stop scrolling.
Sports teams and fun runs. Bright kit people can spot from the other side of the field.
What garments does DTF++ work on?
The same garments as standard DTF: T-shirts, hoodies and polos. The white base layer means your colours stay bright on light and dark shirts alike. The difference is what comes out of the printer, not what goes into it.
How long does DTF++ last?
We won’t put you onto DTF++ if standard DTF already does what your design needs. When we do recommend it, it’s because the extra colour will actually show up in the final print, not just on the invoice.
Got a design with colour that needs to land exactly right?
Let’s see if DTF++ is the fit. Open the Create tool and drop in your design, or send it to us for a quote.
Go on. Make it glow.
DTF or DTF++: which do you need?
Choose standard DTF if your design is a simple logo or everyday artwork and you want the best price.
Choose DTF++ if you need neon, a glow under blacklight, exact brand colours, or artwork with colours that have to pop.
Still not sure? Our print picker will recommend one in two questions.
DTF++ FAQs
Can DTF print neon colours?
Standard DTF can’t, because neon is outside what four inks can mix. DTF++ can, with four fluorescent inks: pink, green, yellow and orange.
Does DTF++ glow under blacklight?
Yes. The fluorescent inks glow under UV and blacklight. The glow softens slightly with washing but stays noticeable.
Is DTF++ worth the extra cost over standard DTF?
If your design needs neon, a glow, exact brand colours or detailed colour work, yes. If it’s a simple one-colour logo, standard DTF does the job for less.
Is standard DTF good enough for logos and branding?
Yes. For most logos and corporate branding, standard DTF is the go-to: consistent, durable and cost-effective.
Can DTF++ be combined with a raised texture?
That’s a different technique, 3D DTF. Ask us about your design if you want both colour and texture.
Will my colours look exactly like my screen?
Closer than with four inks, because DTF++ prints colours like orange, blue and green directly. Screens and fabric will never be 100% identical, so if an exact brand colour matters, send us the colour code before you order.
How long does DTF++ last?
More than 60 washes, if you wash it cold or lukewarm, skip the bleach and tumble dryer, and dry it inside out.
Is there a minimum order for DTF++?
No. Order one shirt or 1,000.
Why choose OneOff?
A DTF++ print lasts more than 60 washes when you look after it, the same as standard DTF.
How to wash it:
- Wash in cold or lukewarm water
- No bleach
- No tumble dryer
- Dry it inside out
- Don’t iron directly on the print
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