DTF Printing in Jordan: T-Shirt Printing Methods Compared
How DTF, screen printing, vinyl and sublimation compare for printing t-shirts in Jordan. What each method does best, what it costs, and how to get your file print-ready. Lebseh prints with high quality DTF.
Lebseh Team
There are four ways a t-shirt normally gets printed in Jordan: DTF, screen printing, vinyl and sublimation. They differ in how the ink reaches the fabric, and that decides what each one is good at, how it feels to wear, and how the price behaves as the quantity changes. Lebseh prints with high quality DTF. This page explains why, and what the alternatives do well, so you can judge which one your order actually needs.
What is DTF printing?
DTF stands for direct to film. The design is printed in reverse onto a thin PET film, a powdered adhesive is applied to the wet ink and cured, and the film is then pressed onto the garment under heat and pressure. The ink layer bonds to the fibres and the film peels away. What is left is a full-colour print that flexes with the fabric rather than sitting on it as a stiff patch.
Why we chose DTF
- Unlimited colours at one price. A photograph costs the same to print as a single-colour logo, because DTF lays the whole image down in one pass.
- It works from one piece. There are no screens to prepare per colour, so a single personalised gift is economical to produce.
- Fine Arabic lettering survives. Thin strokes, dots and diacritics reproduce cleanly, which matters a great deal for Arabic type and is where cheaper methods usually fail.
- It stays soft. The cured ink film is thin and flexible, so the print moves with the shirt.
- It lasts through washing. Turn the shirt inside out, wash at 30 degrees, and skip the iron on the print itself.
- It suits cotton. DTF bonds well to the 100% combed cotton we print on, and to blends.
How the four methods compare
- DTF (what we use). Full colour, photographs and gradients, economical from a single piece, soft handfeel, works on cotton and blends. Best for: almost everything, from one custom gift to a few hundred staff shirts.
- Screen printing. Ink pushed through a separate mesh screen for each colour. Extremely durable and very cheap per piece at high volume, but each colour needs its own screen, so setup cost makes small runs and multi-colour artwork expensive. Best for: thousands of shirts carrying a simple one or two colour logo.
- Vinyl (heat transfer / flex). Coloured vinyl is machine-cut into shapes and pressed on. Very strong for names and squad numbers, and the go-to for sports kits, but it is limited to solid colours and cannot reproduce a photograph. Best for: names and numbers on team shirts.
- Sublimation. Dye turns to gas and bonds inside the fibre, giving a print you cannot feel at all. It only works on polyester and only on light fabrics, so it cannot print onto a black cotton tee. Best for: all-over polyester sportswear.
What DTF costs at Lebseh
A one-sided custom t-shirt is 29.90 JOD: 14.90 JOD for the premium combed cotton shirt plus 15.00 JOD for the printed side. Printing the back as well adds another 15.00 JOD, so a two-sided shirt is 44.90 JOD. Delivery inside Jordan is free on orders over 25 JOD, so a single custom tee ships free. Larger quantities bring the price per shirt down, so send us your quantity and we will quote it free.
Getting your file ready
- Resolution: 300 DPI at the size it will print. A screenshot or a photo saved from social media usually prints soft.
- Format: PNG with a transparent background, or a vector file (SVG, AI, PDF), which scales to any size cleanly.
- Print area: up to 297 x 420 mm (A3) per side. Design to that ratio and nothing gets cropped.
- Colour: bright, saturated artwork reproduces best. Very pale tones on a white shirt lose contrast.
- Send what you have: if your file is not print-ready, we will tell you what needs changing and help prepare it.
Caring for a DTF print
- Wait 24 hours after delivery before the first wash so the bond fully sets.
- Turn the shirt inside out before washing.
- Wash at 30 degrees on a gentle cycle.
- Hang to dry, and keep it out of the tumble dryer where you can.
- If you iron, iron the shirt inside out and keep the iron off the print.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DTF printing?
DTF (direct to film) prints your design onto a thin film, coats it with an adhesive powder, and presses it onto the shirt under heat so the ink bonds into the fibres. It produces full-colour prints, including photographs, on cotton and blends, and stays soft and flexible on the garment.
Is DTF better than screen printing?
They are better at different things. DTF wins on colour range, photographs, fine Arabic lettering and small quantities, because there is no per-colour setup. Screen printing wins on cost per piece once you are printing a simple one or two colour design across several thousand shirts. For the quantities most customers in Jordan order, DTF is the more practical method.
How long does a DTF print last?
A well-pressed DTF print lasts the working life of the shirt when it is cared for. Wash it inside out at 30 degrees, hang it to dry, and keep the iron off the print. It is normal to see the print soften slightly over the first few washes, then stay stable.
Does DTF crack or peel?
A correctly cured DTF print flexes with the fabric and stays put. Cracking generally comes from an under-cured press, a print stretched over a seam, or hot tumble drying. We cure every press to spec and check each piece before it ships, and washing inside out at 30 degrees keeps it looking new.
Can you print photographs on a t-shirt?
Yes. Photographs are one of the things DTF handles best, because the whole image prints in a single pass with no colour limit. Send the highest-resolution version of the photo you have, ideally 300 DPI at print size, and we will confirm how it will look before printing.
Can you print Arabic text on a t-shirt?
Yes. Arabic reproduces cleanly in DTF, including thin strokes and diacritics, and our online design tool shapes Arabic right to left as you type. You can also send a file with the text already set in the font you want.
Can you print on black t-shirts?
Yes. DTF lays down a white underbase beneath the colours, so artwork stays bright on black and other dark shirts. This is a practical advantage over sublimation, which only works on light polyester.
How much does DTF printing cost in Jordan?
A one-sided custom t-shirt is 29.90 JOD: 14.90 JOD for the premium combed cotton shirt plus 15.00 JOD for the printed side. Printing the back as well adds another 15.00 JOD, so a two-sided shirt is 44.90 JOD. Delivery inside Jordan is free on orders over 25 JOD, so a single custom tee ships free. Larger quantities bring the price per shirt down, so send us your quantity and we will quote it free.
How long does a DTF order take?
Most orders are printed and delivered within 3 to 7 working days, depending on the quantity. Small orders sit at the short end of that range and large runs at the longer end. Tell us your deadline when you order and we will confirm the date with you before you commit.