What is the DTF color chart?
Free Sample Pack
What you get
One transfer, 1,358 colors, every one labeled
The chart is a regular DTF transfer, 23 inches square, printed with our 9-color RGBO ink set on instant peel film. It arrives powdered and cured like any order. You press it, and from then on you have a physical reference for how our printers reproduce 1,358 colors on fabric, with the hex code printed under each swatch.
- 1,358 swatches across the whole gamut: saturated reds, oranges and greens that CMYK printers cannot hit, skin tones, pastels, neutrals, greys and near-blacks.
- A hex code on every swatch. Type it into Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva, Procreate or Affinity and the color in your file is the color we print.
- Printed the same way as your order. Same film, ink, powder, profile and printers, so the chart predicts the transfer.
- Press it on a 4XL or larger shirt to keep it in one piece, or cut it into panels and press them on scrap fabric in the colors you sell most.
How to use it
Match colors in three steps
Ten minutes with the chart saves a reprint on every job where the client cares about the exact shade.
- Order and pressAdd the chart to your cart; it ships within 24 hours with the rest of your order. Press it like any DTF transfer: 280°F, heavy pressure, 8 to 10 seconds, peel, then a second press under parchment.
- Pick the swatchHold the pressed chart next to the garment, the logo, the team's uniform or the client's brand guide, under the light the shirt will be seen in. Read the hex code under the swatch you want.
- Recolor and orderReplace the color in your design file with that hex code, export your PNG, and order on the gang sheet builder or by size. What you picked is what prints.
Why a printed chart
Why the color on your screen is not the color on the shirt
Every monitor shows color with light; a transfer shows it with ink on film pressed into fabric. The only reference that matches our printers is a swatch that came off our printers.
| Picking from the pressed chart | Picking from a screen | |
|---|---|---|
| Reds, oranges, greens | Shows exactly what our 9-color RGBO set prints, including shades CMYK cannot reach | Looks different on every screen |
| Light | Judge it in daylight, shop light or stadium light, next to the garment | Backlit at whatever brightness the screen is set to |
| Fabric | Press panels on the shirts you sell and see the real result | No way to preview a color on fabric |
| Consistency | Same hex code gives the same result on the next order | Depends on which device the client used |
| Cost of a miss | $2.99 once | A reprint, a day and an unhappy client |
Why Armor Ink
Why buy the chart from the shop that prints your transfers
Printed in Kansas, shipped in 24 hours
Every chart is printed in our own shop in Ellinwood, Kansas and leaves by UPS within 24 hours on business days. Central shipping means two to three days to most of the country.
Premium film, ink and powder
We print on instant peel film with our 9-color RGBO ink set and hot melt powder, on industrial roll-to-roll printers and shakers. The same supplies we sell to other print shops.
Pays for itself on one job
One avoided reprint covers the chart many times over. It counts toward free shipping at $75 and toward the 5% to 25% order discounts.
Family owned, real people answer
Email or call and you reach the people who printed your order. If a print is wrong because of something we did, we reprint and reship it at no cost.
Application
How to press the color chart
The chart is 23 inches square, so use a 4XL or larger shirt and a 16 by 20 press in two passes, or cut the chart into panels. Then press it like any of our transfers.
- Set your press280°F for 100% cotton, 260°F for blends, 240°F for 100% polyester, heavy pressure. Lint-roll the garment, and pre-press for 5 seconds if it is wrinkled or damp.
- Position and pressLay the garment flat, transfer print side down. Press with heavy, even pressure for 8 to 10 seconds (3 to 10 seconds on 100% poly). Heat tape helps on hats and odd shapes.
- PeelInstant or cold, your call. Peel right away or let it cool until you are ready, then peel slowly from one corner. If it does not release easily, let it cool completely and try again.
- Second pressCover the design with parchment paper and press again for 8 to 10 seconds (3 to 10 on poly). This locks in durability, softens the feel and removes shine. Want gloss? Use a Teflon sheet instead.
Did not transfer? More pressure and 5 more seconds, then raise the temperature 10°F at a time. Full tips, troubleshooting and wash care are on our how to press page. New material? Do a test press first.
Color chart questions, answered
Color chart reviews
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