When you need T-shirts printed with your company logo, event artwork or your own design, you probably don't want a lesson in printing technology.
You want to know a few simple things.
Will my design look good? Will the T-shirts be good quality? How long will they last? How much work do I have to do to get them ordered? And can you deliver them to me?
That's exactly how we look at custom T-shirt printing at Print in the UK.
We're based in Nottingham and produce customised clothing for businesses, trades, organisations, events and individuals, with finished orders delivered throughout mainland UK.
One of the methods we regularly use for T-shirt printing is DTF – Direct to Film printing. It's particularly good for colourful and detailed designs, but whether it's the right choice depends on your artwork, garment and what you're trying to achieve.
This case study takes you through a typical printed T-shirt order from a customer's point of view – from sending us a logo to receiving finished, ready-to-wear T-shirts.
Table of Contents
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DTF T-Shirt Printing in Nottingham – What Is It?
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Looking for Custom T-Shirt Printing? Here's What DTF Actually Means
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The Customer Brief: Professional Branded T-Shirts Without the Hassle
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Why We Recommended DTF Printing for Their T-Shirts
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You Don't Need to Be a Graphic Designer to Order Printed T-Shirts
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Choosing the Right T-Shirt for Your Business, Team or Event
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Left Chest, Full Front or Back Print? Getting the Position Right
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How We Turn Your Artwork into Finished Printed T-Shirts
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What Does a Good DTF Print Look and Feel Like?
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How Long Do DTF Printed T-Shirts Last?
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DTF Printing vs Embroidery – Which Is Better for Your Workwear?
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Can We Print the Back and Embroider the Front?
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The Finished Order – From a Logo File to T-Shirts Ready to Wear
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Custom Printed T-Shirts for Businesses, Trades, Events and Organisations
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T-Shirt Printing in Nottingham – Without Having to Come and Collect
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Not in Nottingham? We Deliver Custom Printed T-Shirts Across Mainland UK
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How Does UK Delivery Work?
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How to Order Custom Printed T-Shirts from Print in the UK
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Frequently Asked Questions About Custom T-Shirt Printing
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Need T-Shirts Printed in Nottingham or Delivered Across Mainland UK?
1. DTF T-Shirt Printing in Nottingham – What Is It?
If you've been looking online for custom T-shirt printing in Nottingham, there's a good chance you've already come across the term DTF.
You may also have absolutely no idea what it means.
That's fine. You don't need to.
DTF stands for Direct to Film. In simple terms, your design is professionally printed onto a specialist film and then transferred onto the garment using controlled heat and pressure.
What matters to you as the person wearing or ordering the T-shirts is the result.
DTF allows us to reproduce detailed, colourful artwork on clothing with clean edges and excellent definition. It can work particularly well for business logos, larger graphics, back prints, promotional designs and artwork containing several colours.
And you're buying the finished T-shirts from us, not DTF transfer sheets that you then have to figure out how to apply yourself.
You send us what you want. We take care of the production.
2. Looking for Custom T-Shirt Printing? Here's What DTF Actually Means
There are several ways to customise clothing, and there isn't one method that's automatically best for every job.
Sometimes embroidery is perfect.
Sometimes DTF printing makes much more sense.
For example, imagine you have a business logo containing several colours, small details and perhaps some text underneath. You want that artwork across the back of your work T-shirts.
Trying to reproduce every detail with embroidery may not give you the appearance you have in mind. A good DTF print can retain those details while giving you a clean, colourful finish.
That's why, when someone contacts us asking for logo printing on T-shirts, we don't expect them to tell us which printing technology they need.
Tell us what you're trying to achieve.
We'll look at the artwork, garment, position and quantity and advise from there.
3. The Customer Brief: Professional Branded T-Shirts Without the Hassle
For this type of project, the customer's requirement is straightforward:
“I need some T-shirts with my company logo on them.”
That's often where it starts.
They may need different sizes for members of staff. They may want a smaller company logo on the front and something much more visible across the back.
Perhaps they're replacing old workwear. Perhaps they've taken on new staff. Maybe they're launching a business, attending an event or simply want their team to look more professional when they're out working.
The customer doesn't necessarily have print-ready artwork or know exactly how large their logo should be.
And they shouldn't have to.
Our job is to take that initial request and turn it into finished clothing that represents the business properly.
4. Why We Recommended DTF Printing for Their T-Shirts
For a detailed, multi-coloured design, DTF can be an excellent choice.
The customer wants their logo to look recognisable.
If their branding contains several colours, small details or a more complicated graphic, we want to retain as much of that character as possible when moving the design from a screen onto fabric.
DTF printing also gives us flexibility with positioning and print size.
A small front logo can create a smart, understated appearance, while a larger back print gives the business much greater visibility.
For trades and service businesses in particular, that larger back area can be extremely useful. Your T-shirt isn't just clothing at that point – it's displaying your company while you're working.
5. You Don't Need to Be a Graphic Designer to Order Printed T-Shirts
One concern we hear regularly is:
“I have my logo, but I don't know if the file is good enough.”
Send it to us.
We would much rather look at what you have than have you spend hours trying to understand DPI, pixels, transparent backgrounds and print file formats.
Before printing, we check the artwork and consider things such as resolution, unwanted backgrounds, fine details, edges, colours and how the design will work at the requested size.
Where raster artwork is being prepared for production, we generally work towards 300 DPI and appropriate print-ready colour settings.
But that's our side of the job.
From your side, if you have the best-quality version of your logo or design available, send it over and we can take it from there.
If there's a problem that could noticeably affect the finished T-shirt, we'd rather identify it before production than blindly print it.
6. Choosing the Right T-Shirt for Your Business, Team or Event
The print is only half of a good printed T-shirt.
The actual garment matters too.
Think about how your T-shirts will be used.
Are they everyday workwear?
Are staff wearing them indoors or outdoors?
Are they promotional T-shirts for an event?
Are you selling them as merchandise?
Do you want something lightweight, or a more substantial T-shirt that feels heavier?
Colour matters as well.
A beautiful black logo isn't going to have much impact on a black T-shirt unless the artwork is adapted appropriately. Similarly, changing the garment colour can completely alter the appearance of the branding.
Our standard T-shirts are 100% cotton, approximately 180gsm, with sizes available from XS through to 6XL, making them a solid option for many business, workwear and promotional applications.
If you need something different, we can discuss the options with you.
7. Left Chest, Full Front or Back Print? Getting the Position Right
You don't need to arrive with measurements worked out.
Tell us where you'd like your branding and we'll help determine an appropriate size.
Popular options include:
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Left or right chest logo
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Full front design
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Large back print
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Smaller back-neck print
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Sleeve printing
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Front and back combinations
For DTF, a typical smaller print area might be around 120 × 120 mm, while a larger design can be approximately 260 × 350 mm, depending on the artwork and garment.
But we don't simply make every design as large as physically possible.
Proportion matters.
A logo should look intentional on the garment rather than appearing lost in the middle of the T-shirt or unnecessarily dominating it.
8. How We Turn Your Artwork into Finished Printed T-Shirts
Once the garment, sizes, design and positions are agreed, we can move into production.
Your artwork is prepared for printing and produced as a DTF transfer. That transfer is then carefully positioned onto the garment and applied using the correct combination of heat, pressure and time.
It sounds simple when described in one sentence.
In reality, the quality of the finished result depends on getting those details right.
Positioning needs to remain consistent from garment to garment. The transfer needs to be properly applied. The garment itself needs to remain clean and undamaged throughout production.
Once produced, the clothing is checked before being packed for dispatch.
That's the part customers don't necessarily see – but it's one of the most important parts of the service they're paying for.
9. What Does a Good DTF Print Look and Feel Like?
A well-produced DTF print should look sharp and intentional.
Fine elements should remain clearly defined where the original artwork allows it. Colours should appear strong, edges should be clean and the design should be properly bonded to the garment.
DTF sits on the surface of the fabric, so it doesn't feel exactly like embroidery or a design printed directly into the fibres.
Larger solid areas will naturally feel more noticeable than small logos or designs with plenty of open space.
This is another reason artwork preparation matters.
Sometimes a small change to a design can make the finished T-shirt look and feel much better without changing the identity of the customer's branding.
10. How Long Do DTF Printed T-Shirts Last?
This is understandably one of the most common questions when buying custom printed clothing.
A properly produced and applied DTF print is designed to withstand normal wear and washing, but how you look after the garment will affect its lifespan.
We recommend following the supplied garment care instructions and treating customised clothing sensibly.
Avoid unnecessarily harsh washing conditions and excessive heat.
Turning printed garments inside out before washing is also a simple habit that can help protect the decorated surface from unnecessary friction.
The same principle applies to most customised clothing: look after it and you'll get more from it.
11. DTF Printing vs Embroidery – Which Is Better for Your Workwear?
This isn't really a competition.
They're different finishes, and we offer both because different jobs call for different solutions.
Embroidery can look fantastic on polo shirts, jackets, fleeces, sweatshirts and workwear where you want that classic stitched appearance.
DTF printing is often better suited to larger designs, detailed graphics, colourful artwork and certain types of T-shirt branding.
Sometimes the answer is both.
For example:
Embroidered logo on the left chest.
Large printed company design across the back.
That can give you a smart appearance from the front while keeping your branding highly visible from behind.
We'll help you choose based on what you're actually ordering rather than pushing one customisation method onto every garment.
12. Can We Print the Back and Embroider the Front?
Yes.
This is actually a very useful combination for branded workwear.
You might choose a small embroidered company logo on the chest and then use DTF printing for a larger design on the back containing your logo, services, website or other business information.
You can also use different customisation methods across different garments within your workwear order where appropriate.
The important thing is creating a finished set of clothing that works for your business.
13. The Finished Order – From a Logo File to T-Shirts Ready to Wear
At the beginning, the customer had a logo and needed branded T-shirts.
At the end, they had finished clothing ready for their team to wear.
That's the transformation we're interested in.
The customer didn't need to source blank T-shirts from one company, buy DTF transfers from another, find a heat press or work out how to apply everything themselves.
The garments, customisation and production were handled as one order.
Once everything had been produced and quality checked, the T-shirts were packed and prepared for delivery.
Simple.
14. Custom Printed T-Shirts for Businesses, Trades, Events and Organisations
DTF T-shirt printing can work for far more than one type of customer.
At Print in the UK, we produce customised clothing for businesses and organisations including builders, plumbers, electricians, construction companies, window cleaners, cleaning companies, tradespeople, hospitality businesses, charities, schools, clubs and events.
We can also produce promotional clothing and customised garments for independent businesses and brands.
You don't need hundreds of employees to justify having professional branded clothing.
If you're a two-person trade business visiting customers every day, the way you present yourself matters just as much.
Your workwear is often one of the first things a customer notices.
15. T-Shirt Printing in Nottingham – Without Having to Come and Collect
We're based in Nottingham, and we're proud to serve businesses throughout Nottingham and the surrounding areas.
But there's an important point:
You don't have to come to us to order from us.
If you're looking for T-shirt printing in Nottingham, we can handle the process remotely and deliver your finished garments directly to you.
Send us your artwork and requirements. We can discuss the garment, sizes, quantities, print positions and any other details needed for the job.
Once your order has been produced and checked, it can be packed and delivered to your address.
Collection is available, but it isn't a requirement.
16. Not in Nottingham? We Deliver Custom Printed T-Shirts Across Mainland UK
The name Print in the UK is there for a reason.
We're based in Nottingham, but our customers don't need to be.
We provide custom printed T-shirts and branded clothing with delivery across mainland UK, allowing businesses to order their clothing without needing a local printer on their doorstep.
Whether you're in Derby, Leicester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, London or elsewhere across mainland Britain, your order can be produced by us in Nottingham and delivered directly to you.
This is particularly useful for businesses with multiple locations or customers who simply prefer to organise their workwear online or over the phone.
Distance doesn't need to make ordering complicated.
Send us your requirements. We produce the clothing. We deliver the finished order to you.
17. How Does UK Delivery Work?
Ordering printed T-shirts for delivery is straightforward.
First, tell us what you need and send us your artwork.
We'll establish the garments, quantities, sizes, customisation positions and other requirements before the order goes into production.
Once payment and the order details are confirmed, production normally takes approximately 7–10 working days.
When production is complete, we quality-check the garments, pack the order and dispatch it. Delivery normally takes approximately 2–3 working days after production.
Turnaround can vary depending on the size and complexity of the order, garment availability and the service required, so if you have a specific deadline, tell us before ordering.
We'd much rather know that your event is on a particular Friday before production begins than discover it afterwards.
18. How to Order Custom Printed T-Shirts from Print in the UK
You don't need to prepare a technical printing specification.
Start with the basics.
Tell us:
What do you need?
T-shirts, polos, hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets or a mixture?
How many do you need?
And what sizes?
What would you like printed?
Send us your logo or artwork.
Where would you like it?
Front, back, chest, sleeve – or tell us what you're trying to achieve and we'll help.
When do you need it?
If there's a deadline, let us know from the beginning.
That's enough to get the conversation started.
We'll deal with the production details from there.
19. Frequently Asked Questions About Custom T-Shirt Printing
Do you deliver printed T-shirts across the UK?
Yes. We're based in Nottingham and deliver finished customised clothing throughout mainland UK. You don't need to visit or collect your order.
Can you print my company logo onto T-shirts?
Yes. Send us the best-quality version of your logo that you have and we'll check it before production.
Can you print onto black T-shirts?
Yes. DTF works particularly well across a wide range of garment colours, including dark garments.
Can I order different T-shirt sizes?
Yes. Your order can include different garment sizes, which is particularly useful when ordering clothing for a team.
Can you print both the front and back?
Yes. We can customise multiple positions depending on your design and requirements, including front, back and sleeves.
Can I have embroidery and DTF printing on the same garment?
Yes, where suitable. A popular combination is an embroidered chest logo with a larger DTF print on the back.
Is DTF suitable for colourful logos?
Yes. One of the advantages of DTF printing is its ability to reproduce detailed, multi-colour artwork.
Is DTF only suitable for business workwear?
Not at all. DTF can be used for business clothing, events, promotional T-shirts, charities, clubs, organisations, merchandise and many other applications.
How long does a custom T-shirt order take?
Our standard production time is normally around 7–10 working days, followed by approximately 2–3 working days for delivery. This can vary depending on the order, so always tell us if you're working towards a particular date.
Do I have to collect from Nottingham?
No. Collection is available, but we're set up to supply customers throughout mainland UK. Your finished printed clothing can be delivered directly to you.
What if I don't know whether I need DTF or embroidery?
You don't need to decide before contacting us.
Show us the artwork and tell us what garments you're interested in. We can advise which customisation method is better suited to what you're trying to achieve.
20. Need T-Shirts Printed in Nottingham or Delivered Across Mainland UK?
If you've reached this point because you're trying to find someone to print your T-shirts, here's the important bit:
You don't need to know everything about printing before asking for a quote.
You don't need to know whether your artwork should be DTF printed or embroidered.
You don't need to know the exact dimensions your chest logo should be.
And you certainly don't need to understand heat presses, transfer films or print production.
That's our job.
Tell us what you're trying to create and we'll help you work out the rest.
Whether you're a Nottingham business looking for a reliable local printing company or you're elsewhere in mainland UK and simply want professionally customised clothing delivered to your door, we'd be happy to help.
Print in the UK Ltd
Custom T-Shirt Printing | DTF Printing | Embroidery | Branded Workwear
Based in Nottingham – delivering across mainland UK
Send us your artwork, tell us what you need, and let's get your T-shirts sorted.