Speed, quality & consistency: Breaking down the top DTF customer priorities

Direct-to-film (DTF) printing is quickly becoming part of the everyday workflow for many decorated apparel shops. What started as a way to handle smaller runs and full-color designs has turned into a go-to solution for quicker production and on-demand orders. As more businesses adopt the technology, competition is growing, and so are customer expectations.

According to the 2025 DTF State of the Industry Survey presented by Keypoint Intelligence and sponsored by Roland DGA, customers consistently prioritize three key factors when placing orders: fast turnaround times, high print quality, and consistent results. Quick turnaround ranked among the top priorities for 66% of respondents, while 64% cited print quality as a major concern. Meeting these expectations often requires adjustments to production strategy and workflow management.

Speed starts with production control

At Hometown Graphics in Garrett, Indiana, owner Cassie Evans added DTF printing in-house to expand the shop’s ability to handle smaller orders and online store programs. The business opened in 2019 and employs six staff members. Other services include screen printing, embroidery, and laser engraving, along with banners, signage, and promotional products sourced through outside suppliers.

Bringing DTF in house has had a significant impact on the shop’s turnaround times, especially for customers utilizing online stores or placing smaller orders on a regular basis. “In the past, smaller runs and on-demand items often required either outsourcing transfers or waiting until we had enough volume to justify a screen print run. That created delays and limited flexibility for customers who needed quick fulfillment,” Evans said. “It has also allowed us to better support team stores, school programs, and company apparel programs that rely on smaller batch orders coming in throughout the week. Instead of holding orders until a batch builds up, we can print exactly what’s needed when it’s needed.”

Printing transfers internally also gives the shop greater control over its production schedule. “We’re now able to move from order to production almost immediately,” Evans stated. “Orders can be processed, printed, and fulfilled within a much shorter window because we’re not waiting on outside suppliers or minimum order quantities.”

Survey data reflects similar operational changes. Among transfer providers, 92% report offering turnaround times of one to three days. 65% say they always meet their promised delivery timelines, while 35% report meeting them most of the time.

Quality still drives customer satisfaction

Even with faster turnaround expectations, DTF-printed garments still need to meet high-quality standards. The 2025 DTF State of the Industry Survey shows that 95% of respondents rate the overall print quality of their DTF transfers as good or excellent.

Maintaining that level of output requires careful control of production variables. Color management remains the most common challenge, cited by 64% of respondents. Image sharpness issues were reported by 29%, while 16% reported problems with ink bleeding.

Evans says the quality and longevity of the shirt matter most to her customers. “They want prints that look sharp, feel good on the garment, and hold up after repeated washes,” she explained. “If the print doesn’t meet those expectations, a fast turnaround doesn’t matter much.”

Why consistency matters

Apparel orders often require repeatability across multiple items and production runs, making consistency a critical part of meeting customer expectations. “When someone orders apparel, especially for a team, company, or event, they want to know that every item will look the same and meet the quality they expect,” Evans said.

Those expectations become even more important when customers place repeat orders. “If they come back to reorder a design six months later, they expect the print to match what they received the first time,” Evans said. “That consistency builds trust and is a big factor in long-term customer relationships.”

Operational challenges can make consistency difficult to maintain. The survey found that 57% of respondents struggle with maintaining color consistency during production. Equipment maintenance is another obstacle, reported by 63% of operators. Routine upkeep also plays an important role in maintaining performance. According to the survey, 77% of DTF operators perform printer maintenance daily.

Hometown Graphics relies heavily on detailed record-keeping to ensure repeat orders match previous production. “One of the most important steps we take is maintaining organized digital records for every job,” she said. “We keep the original artwork files, production notes, sizing, placement details, and garment specifications on file so that when a customer reorders, we’re able to reproduce the job exactly as it was produced the first time.”

Standardized procedures reduce the risk of variation between orders. “Our team follows consistent procedures for artwork preparation, print settings, and placement,” Evans said. “By using the same workflow and equipment settings for repeat jobs, we minimize variables that could affect the final result.”

Evans said the shop also reinforces its quality standards internally. A large decal in the team lounge reads, “We don’t do average, we do AWESOME,” a reminder to staff that every order should exceed customer expectations.

Material selection also contributes to consistent outcomes. “Another key factor is using the same materials whenever possible, including garment brands, transfer films, inks, and adhesives,” she continued.

Quality checks are the final step before the order is shipped or picked up by a customer. “Every order is checked before it leaves the shop to ensure the print quality, placement, and overall presentation meet our standards,” Evans stated.

Reliability strengthens customer relationships

At Hometown Graphics, trust plays a major role in whether clients return. “Reliability and customer service are two of the biggest factors in building long-term relationships with our customers,” she said. “In our industry, customers aren’t just buying apparel. They’re often working against deadlines for events, team seasons, employee programs, or fundraisers.”

Meeting those timelines requires the right processes behind the scenes. “For us, reliability comes from having strong systems in place,” Evans explained. “Clear communication, organized job tracking with Printavo and Inksoft, and consistent production processes allow us to meet expectations and avoid surprises.”

Even when production issues arise, internal checks help prevent mistakes from reaching customers. “Don’t get me wrong, we have uh-ohs here and there, but honestly, our customers rarely even know something went wrong with their order. With our quality control processes, things are caught and fixed before ever going out the door to our customers,” Evans remarked.

How DTF is changing customer expectations

The 2025 DTF State of the Industry Survey shows that 29% of businesses say more than 75% of their production orders now involve DTF. Evans said having DTF in-house has quickly changed how customers approach smaller and on-demand orders.

“Since we started offering DTF, customer expectations around speed and flexibility have definitely increased, but in a positive way,” Evans stated. “Once customers experience how quickly smaller orders or individual items can be produced, they naturally begin to expect that same level of responsiveness going forward.”

Evans said some print shops run into problems when they try to meet those expectations without structured production systems in place. “In my experience, the biggest mistake shops make when trying to speed up turnaround is skipping or rushing the systems that ensure consistency,” she explained. “When production gets busy, it can be tempting to push jobs through quickly without following the same processes for artwork preparation, print setup, and quality checks. That’s usually when mistakes happen.”

Instead, she said shops need to focus on building the right systems, saying “Fast turnaround should come from efficient workflows and preparation, not from cutting corners.”

Delivering when it matters most

Hometown Graphics has gained a lot of attention in its community because of its ability to support championship teams with very tight timelines. “For sports like football and wrestling, tournaments and championships happen weekly, which means we often have about a one-week window to design artwork, launch an online store, close the store, and produce all of the apparel before the next championship event.”

Delivering during those moments strengthens relationships and often leads to repeat orders and word-of-mouth referrals. “Moments like that are incredibly important to teams and their supporters, and being able to deliver in that short window builds a lot of trust with the community,” Evans said.

As the technology continues to mature, DTF shops that balance speed with strong quality control will be best positioned to meet customer expectations.