Merchandise branding
Heat Transfer & DTF Printing in Nairobi
Full colour artwork printed onto film or cut from vinyl, then heat pressed onto the garment. The method that handles reflector jackets, dark workwear, bags and short runs.
Every job is quoted on its own specification, so there is no fixed price list. The sections below set out exactly what moves the cost, so you can send a brief we can price accurately the first time.
At a glance
Artwork printed or cut, then heat pressed on. Full colour on any garment colour, with no screen set-up.
- Priced by
- Print size, positions, and quantity
- Worth knowing
- Large solid prints can feel heavy on the fabric
- Your own garments
- Welcome. Bring the items and we brand them
What we brand
Where heat transfer printing is the right choice.
- Reflector jackets and hi-vis vests
- Workwear, overalls and safety wear
- Dark and strongly coloured garments
- Short runs and one off pieces
- Full colour and photographic designs
- Names, numbers and individual personalisation
- Bags, caps and mixed garment batches
In production
Heat Transfer & DTF on our floor.
Real jobs, filmed in our workshop. This is the machine your order runs on.
Full colour branding pressed onto hi-vis vests
Heat pressing a full colour transfer onto lime reflector vests. The white in the artwork is printed by the transfer itself, which is why this works on hi-vis where sublimation cannot.
What determines your price
No two heat transfer printing jobs cost the same.
These are the factors that actually move the number on your quote. Knowing them up front means you can adjust the brief to hit a budget, instead of finding out after the fact.
Size of the print
DTF is priced by the area of film your design occupies. A small left chest badge uses a fraction of the film that a full back print does, so size is the main lever on cost.
Number of positions
Each position is a separate press. A chest logo, a back logo and a sleeve detail means the garment goes under the press three times, and each of those presses is priced.
Quantity
There are no screens to make, so there is no large fixed set-up to recover. That is why this method suits small runs. Volume still earns a better rate through faster handling, but the curve is much flatter than screen printing.
DTF or cut vinyl
DTF prints full colour artwork onto film, so the number of colours makes no difference to the price. Cut vinyl is a solid sheet cut to shape, and each additional vinyl colour is a separate cut and a separate press layer, so colour count does matter there.
The garment or substrate
Hi-vis, waterproof coated, heavily textured and technical fabrics all behave differently under heat. Some need a different adhesive, a lower temperature or a test press first. Tell us what the garment is and we will confirm the approach before quoting.
Personalisation
Individual names, numbers or codes mean every piece is a different transfer and a separate press. That adds per unit handling, which is priced differently from a batch of identical garments.
Ink coverage
Dense, solid blocks of colour use more ink and more white underbase than light line work of the same dimensions.
Send us the details and we will price it exactly.
Because the cost depends on the combination above, we quote each job rather than publish a rate card that would be wrong for most orders. Tell us what you need and you will get a firm figure for your specification.
Artwork
What your files need to look like.
Getting this right first time saves a round of back and forth and keeps your job moving. If you are unsure, send what you have and we will check it before anything goes into production.
For DTF, send high resolution artwork at final size
A PNG with a transparent background at 300dpi at the size it will print is ideal. Vector is even better. DTF prints its own white underbase, so full colour artwork works on black, navy and hi-vis alike.
For cut vinyl, send vector only
Vinyl is physically cut, so the design must be solid shapes with clean outlines. Gradients, soft edges and photographic detail cannot be cut. AI, EPS, PDF or SVG.
Tell us the garment colour
It changes nothing about the file for DTF, but it does change how we set the white underbase, and it matters a great deal for how the finished design will read.
Send personalisation as a list
If each piece carries a different name, number or size, send it as a spreadsheet so nothing is mistyped between your list and the press.
Honest fit
What heat transfer printing does well, and where it does not.
We would rather point you at the right method than sell you the wrong one and reprint it later.
Strengths
- Full colour and photographic artwork at no extra colour cost
- Works on dark and strongly coloured garments, including hi-vis
- No screen set-up, so short runs and one offs are affordable
- Handles individual names and numbers easily
- Works across mixed batches of different garments in one order
Limitations
- Large solid prints add noticeable weight and feel on the fabric
- Some coated, waterproof or heavily textured fabrics need testing first
- Less economical than screen printing on very large single design runs
- Cut vinyl is limited to solid colours and simple shapes
Get a quote
Send us these and you will get a firm price.
You do not need all of it to start a conversation. Send what you have and we will tell you what else we need and flag anything that will not work before you commit.
- Your artwork, high resolution or vector
- What garment you are branding, and its colour
- How many pieces
- Which positions, and roughly what size
- Whether any pieces need individual names or numbers
- Whether you are supplying the garments yourself
Compare methods
Not sure this is the right one?
Sublimation
Dye turned to gas and bonded into polyester. Zero feel on the fabric, but it needs a white or light polyester base.
Read moreScreen Printing
Ink pushed through a mesh screen, one screen per colour. Unbeatable on cost once the quantity is high.
Read moreCompare all methods
Side by side on what each one suits, how it is priced, and what to watch for.
Open the guideFAQs
Heat Transfer & DTF questions
Can you brand reflector jackets and hi-vis vests?
Yes, this is the method for it. Reflector vests are usually a strong colour, and designs on them normally include white, which rules out sublimation. A heat applied transfer carries its own white, so full colour logos sit cleanly on lime, orange or navy hi-vis. Send us the vest type first so we can confirm the fabric and its coating take heat well.
What is the difference between DTF and vinyl?
DTF prints your artwork in full colour onto a film, so photographs and multi colour logos cost no more than a single colour one. Vinyl is a solid coloured sheet cut to the shape of your design, so it suits names, numbers and simple one or two colour marks, and each extra colour adds a layer.
Is heat transfer as durable as screen printing?
A well applied transfer lasts a long time through normal washing, but on very large solid areas and heavy industrial laundering, screen printing and embroidery generally have the edge. For workwear that gets washed hard, we will tell you if embroidery is the safer choice.
Can I order just one or two pieces?
Yes. Because there are no screens to prepare, small quantities and single pieces are practical with this method, which is the main reason to choose it over screen printing for a short run.
