DTF Printer for Small Business: Buy One or Buy Transfers?
Should you keep buying DTF transfers or invest in your own printer? A simple break-even worksheet you fill in with your own quote, and an honest list of the maintenance, training and space a printer needs.
In this guide 7 sections
Once your t-shirt orders start to grow, a question follows: should you keep buying ready-made DTF transfers, or invest in a printer of your own? Choosing a DTF printer for small business use is a big step. A printer can lower the cost of each metre you print, but it also brings maintenance, training, space and the risk of paying for a machine that sits idle. This guide gives you a simple break-even method to fill in with your own quote, and an honest list of what a printer really asks of you.
Two ways to get DTF transfers
Option 1: buy printed transfers. You send your artwork, we print it on film, and you press it onto garments with your own heat press. You pay only for what you print.
Option 2: print in-house. You buy a DTF printer with a powder shaker or curing unit, keep film, colour ink, white ink and hot-melt powder in stock, and produce transfers yourself.
Either way you still need a heat press and blanks, so those costs do not change the decision. What changes is the cost of the transfer itself and everything that comes with running a printer.
What buying transfers costs
At the time of writing, Print Right’s DTF printing service prices are as follows (check the DTF printing page for today’s price):
| Size | Print area | Price | Bulk price |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 sheet | 8″ × 11″ | LKR 240 per sheet | LKR 200 from 51 sheets |
| A3 sheet | 11″ × 16″ | LKR 450 per sheet | LKR 400 from 51 sheets |
| 1 m gang sheet, 11″ wide | 11″ × 39″ | LKR 1,200 per metre | LKR 1,000 per metre from 16 m |
| 1 m roll, 22″ wide | 22″ × 39″ | LKR 2,400 per metre | LKR 2,000 per metre from 16 m |
For this comparison, the metre price is the useful one, because a printer also produces film by the metre. Our article on DTF gang sheets shows how to fit more designs onto each metre, which lowers your cost whichever option you choose.
The real advantages of buying transfers are easy to overlook: no machine to maintain, no ink drying in the printhead during a quiet month, no film wasted while you learn, and no money tied up in equipment.
The DTF printers in our range
Our DTF printers come in two film widths:
| Printer | Film width | Closest transfer size to compare with |
|---|---|---|
| PR-Mini 3000 – single head 4 colour with curing oven | 30cm | 11″ gang sheet |
| PR-Pro 4720 – single head 4 colour with powder shaker unit | 30cm | 11″ gang sheet |
| 30cm DTF printer – Epson XP600 dual head with powder shaking curing shaker | 30cm | 11″ gang sheet |
| 60cm DTF printer – Epson XP600 dual head with powder shaking curing shaker | 60cm | 22″ roll |
A 30cm film is roughly 11.8″ wide and 60cm roughly 23.6″, so compare a 30cm machine with the LKR 1,200 (or LKR 1,000 bulk) metre price, and a 60cm machine with the LKR 2,400 (or LKR 2,000 bulk) metre price. Printer and package prices move with the exchange rate, so we quote them on the day. Ask on WhatsApp for today’s quote on the machine and on the consumables it uses.
The break-even method for a DTF printer for small business
You need four numbers. Get the machine and consumables figures from a written quote, and the rest from your own records.
Step 1: your metres per month (M)
Add up the transfer metres you have actually bought over the last three months and divide by three. If you have been ordering A4 or A3 sheets, convert by area: one 11″ metre has the same area as about 2.4 A3 sheets or about 4.9 A4 sheets. Use real history, not hopes.
Step 2: what you pay per metre now (P)
Use LKR 1,200 for 11″ or LKR 2,400 for 22″, or the bulk price if your orders already reach 16 m. This matters: once you qualify for the bulk rate, each metre you print yourself saves less, so the printer has to work harder to pay for itself.
Step 3: your variable cost per metre if you print yourself (V)
From your consumables quote, work out the cost per metre of:
- DTF film (divide the roll price by its length)
- Colour ink and white ink used per metre (ask us how much a typical metre of your kind of design uses)
- Hot-melt powder per metre
- A waste allowance for test prints, nozzle checks, head cleaning and failed prints, which is higher in the first months
Step 4: your fixed cost per month (F)
- Machine repayment: the package price divided by the number of months you want it paid back in
- Electricity for the printer and curing unit (from your own bill)
- A monthly allowance for spare parts such as printheads, dampers and wipers
- Rent or the value of the space, if the room could be used for something else
- Staff time, or the value of your own time spent printing and cleaning
The calculation
Saving per metre = P − V
Break-even metres per month = F ÷ (P − V)
If your usual M is comfortably above the break-even figure, a printer can make sense. If it is below or only just above, keep buying transfers for now.
| Line | What to enter | Your figure |
|---|---|---|
| M | Average metres per month (last 3 months) | ________ |
| P | Price you pay per metre now | LKR ________ |
| V | Film + ink + powder + waste per metre | LKR ________ |
| F | Repayment + power + parts + space + time per month | LKR ________ |
| P − V | Saving per metre | LKR ________ |
| F ÷ (P − V) | Break-even metres per month | ________ m |
How sensitive the answer is
The table below uses illustrative saving values, not quotes, to show why V matters so much. It gives the metres you would need each month to cover every LKR 10,000 of fixed monthly cost.
| Saving per metre (illustrative) | Metres per month to cover each LKR 10,000 of fixed cost |
|---|---|
| LKR 200 | 50 m |
| LKR 400 | 25 m |
| LKR 600 | about 16.7 m |
| LKR 800 | 12.5 m |
So if your fixed monthly cost came to three times LKR 10,000, you would multiply the metre figure by three. Run the numbers at both the standard and bulk transfer price before you decide.
Costs that do not show on a quote
Maintenance and white ink care
White DTF ink contains heavy pigment that settles if it sits still, and printheads can clog if the machine is left unused. Most DTF printers need a daily routine: agitating or circulating the white ink, a nozzle check, and keeping the capping station and wiper clean. Follow our DTF printer guideline closely. If your orders come in bursts with quiet weeks between, the printer still needs looking after during the quiet weeks.
Humidity, heat and power
Film and powder can absorb moisture in humid weather, so store them sealed and keep the working room as stable as you can. A power cut in the middle of a print or cure can waste film, so think about backup power before you start.
Space and ventilation
Plan room for the printer, the shaker or curing unit, a heat press, a cutting table and dry storage for film, ink and powder. Curing hot-melt powder produces fumes and odour, so choose a ventilated room, not a bedroom.
Training and the learning curve
Our machines come with installation, training and spare parts support. Even so, expect test prints, colour adjustments and some waste while you learn. Build that into V for the first few months.
Warranty and downtime
Under our Terms, selected machines carry a 1-year limited warranty and others a 6-month limited warranty, covering factory defects only. Online technical support is available on working days from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM, and repairs at the Print Right service centre can take up to 7 working days. Machinery sales are final. Have a backup plan, such as ordering transfers from our DTF printing service, so customer orders are not delayed while a machine is being repaired.
A sensible path: start with transfers, then decide
- Buy transfers and track every metre, every order and every reprint for at least three months.
- Fill in the worksheet above with a written quote for the printer and consumables.
- Visit the showroom and watch the machine you are considering run a real job.
- Check your space, ventilation and power before you pay.
- Keep buying transfers for overflow and emergencies even after you buy a printer.
Signs you may be ready for your own printer
- Your monthly metres are steady and above your break-even figure, not just in one busy season.
- You can print often enough to keep the white ink moving.
- You have someone who can take responsibility for daily maintenance.
- Waiting for transfers is costing you orders.
You will also need film, ink and powder from our DTF printing consumables range, including DTF white ink, and a press from our flat-bed heat press machines. Our starter packages page shows how we put a custom t-shirt setup together. If you are still at the beginning, read Start a T-Shirt Printing Business in Sri Lanka on a Small Budget, and use How to Price Printed T-Shirts, Mugs and Gifts for Profit to make sure each order covers your costs.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a DTF printer will pay for itself?
Divide your fixed monthly cost by the saving per metre, which is the price you pay for transfers minus your own film, ink, powder and waste cost per metre. If your steady monthly metres are well above that figure, a printer can pay for itself.
Should I choose a 30cm or 60cm DTF printer?
A 30cm printer suits smaller volumes and chest or front prints on an 11 inch width. A 60cm printer fits more designs across each metre but needs more space and more metres each month to justify. Compare each with the matching transfer price.
Can I leave a DTF printer unused for a week?
It is best not to. White ink settles and printheads can clog when a printer sits idle. Follow the DTF printer guideline for daily care, and if your orders are irregular, buying transfers may suit you better.
What is the price of a DTF printer?
Printer and package prices move with the exchange rate, so Print Right quotes them on the day. Send us a WhatsApp message for today’s quote, including the consumables, so you can complete the break-even worksheet.
Do I get training when I buy a DTF printer?
Yes. Our machines come with installation, training and spare parts support, and you can watch a machine run in the showroom before you buy.
Want help filling in the worksheet? Send your monthly metres and the kind of designs you print to us on WhatsApp at 077 762 8679 for a quote on the printer and consumables, or visit the showroom at 382 Galle Road, Colombo 06 to see a DTF printer running. Until then, our DTF printing service can keep your orders moving.
