Is It Time to Add UV DTF to Your Shop? Here’s How to Know

If you can’t deliver hard goods alongside apparel, your clients will find someone who can. Customers expect to order bundles, shirts, mugs, bottles, and other promo gear,  delivered fast, with no excuses. 

UV DTF (ultraviolet direct-to-film) printing lets you expand into high-demand categories, such as drinkware, packaging, and tech accessories, without incurring huge equipment or setup costs. We break down how UV DTF works, when it makes sense to bring it in-house at your decorating shop, and the profits and possibilities it unlocks if you’re ready to grow.

Why Buyers Expect Bundled Orders Fast

The reality for print shops is that only offering decorated apparel isn’t enough to keep customers coming back. Buyers also want to order promo goods and awards to bundle together or stock in the same print-on-demand (POD) shop. UV DTF transfers can help small and mid-sized shops meet that demand and retain revenue in-house. 

These industry stats back this up:

• 37.5% of decorators cite pressure for shorter lead times, and 35.7% say event-driven or rush programs are increasing. 

• Nearly 24% of suppliers report more demand for small, trial, or low-commitment orders. 

• 54% of apparel decorators already offer POD services (expected to grow about 16%). 

• 66% of decorators have diversified into promo products, with more than 84% of those handling promo printing in-house.

• Apparel accounts for 35% to 40% of the promo market, while drinkware ranks #2, Breaking Down the UV DTF Process

Breaking Down the UV DTF Process

Let’s break down the steps in UV DTF printing transfers, which allow you to adhere full-color transfer designs to hard goods, awards, and more. 

Step 1: Design made in RIP software. You’ll build your design before creating a transfer.

Step 2: Print onto specialized film. You use a UV DTF printer to print the design onto specialized film with UV printing technology. The specialized film acts as a carrier for precise, detailed prints, allowing printers to store or handle designs before transferring them. 

Step 3: Transfer the design from the film to the object using heat or pressure. 

Step 4: Cure the transfer under UV lights, which instantly dries and hardens the ink for durability and vibrant color retention. 

If you outsource UV DTF transfers instead of printing them yourself, you can still apply them in-house: a clean, lint-free surface, the preprinted transfer, a squeegee/roller for firm pressure, and a handheld or benchtop UV lamp for final curing.

New Products You Can Add With UV DTF

UV DTF transfers can create full-color, raised textures, embossing effects, spot varnishes, and eye-catching effects, including metallic and fluorescent elements on a variety of hard goods.

1. Drinkware is one of the most in-demand promo categories because people use it every single day, at home, in the office, and on the go, making it a walking billboard for any brand. These include stainless steel or glass water bottles, travel coffee tumblers, ceramic coffee mugs, and pint glasses for restaurants, breweries, and corporate gifts.

UV DTF makes decorating tumblers and mugs easier because the transfers wrap smoothly around curved surfaces, providing a seamless finish. That means shops can offer full-color designs without the need for expensive pad printing or outsourcing, and end-users receive durable prints that withstand daily use.

2. Promo items like pens, mouse pads, desktop pen holders, synthetic tote bags, phone cases, keychains, wristbands, and awards get used, kept, and create positive feelings about the advertiser.

UV DTF makes it even easier to decorate small promotional items because you can print multiple designs on one film sheet and then apply them in bulk. That keeps costs down and opens up opportunities for add-on sales of items that clients order frequently.

3. Custom packaging is another product category that will help you sell more if you start offering it to clients. That includes plastic, glass, metal, paper and cardboard, wood, flexible, and specialty packaging for all types of uses. 

For example, you can UV DTF print glass bottles for beverages, food products, candles, and cosmetics. Paper, cardboard, and wood packaging for retail packaging, gift boxes, wine boxes, and more are also in demand.

UV DTF makes packaging profitable because you can print detailed, short-run custom labels without needing large press setups. You can also test limited-edition designs or seasonal packaging quickly, and shops keep the revenue in-house instead of sending it out.

4. Tech accessories like phone cases, laptop skins, wireless charging pads, power banks, and USB hubs are easier with UV DTF, since they don’t require the printhead to touch the object (so, no risk of damaging phone cases or chargers!). 

You can upsell these high-margin add-ons with apparel orders. Since nearly everyone carries a phone or laptop, branded tech gear keeps a logo visible every day.

When Shops Outgrow Their Current Capabilities

Many print shops start strong with apparel, but sooner or later, customers begin asking for more: mugs for fundraisers, glassware for breweries, or branded hard goods for corporate gifts. The problem is that direct-to-garment (DTG) printing and screen printing can’t cover those categories, leaving printers with the option of outsourcing or turning down work. 

Here’s a rundown of the scenarios when shops decide to start offering UV DTF.

Problem #1: “We can handle apparel, but customers keep asking for things like mugs, glassware, and hard goods and we don’t have a way to print them.”

How UV DTF helps: UV DTF enables shops to expand beyond apparel into high-demand categories, such as tumblers, mugs, signage, and promotional goods, without requiring the replacement of current equipment. 

The benefit: Since these transfers resist fading, scratching, and weathering, hard goods will withstand wear and tear. 

Problem #2: “We keep outsourcing hard goods orders, which adds cost and slows down turnaround.”

How UV DTF helps: UV DTF prints quickly and requires minimal setup, making it ideal for short runs and on-demand customization, while reducing outsourcing costs. You can print multiple designs on a single film sheet for later application. You don’t need to reset or align each item, since you just cut, peel, and press. It’s a convenient way to handle bulk orders or repeat designs. 

Problem #3: “Clients want bundled merch kits, like a shirt, a mug, and a sticker, but we can’t produce all of it in-house, so we’re leaving money on the table.”

How UV DTF helps: UV DTF opens up new revenue streams by enabling shops to produce a diverse range of products and bundled merchandise kits in-house, thereby boosting margins and reducing time-to-market. You can apply UV DTF transfers to a variety of surfaces, including items with cylindrical or beveled shapes, such as drinkware. 

Problem #4: “We need to deliver detailed logos, gradients, and photo-quality designs that won’t peel and crack.”

How UV DTF helps: UV DTF produces durable, full-color, photo-quality prints with strong adhesion, eliminating the peeling and cracking issues common with HTV and stickers. UV printing also delivers high-definition prints with bright colors and precise details, ensuring your designs stand out to clients.

Problem #5: “We don’t have room for a huge flatbed printer, but we want a way into hard goods and signage.”

How UV DTF helps: A small UV DTF printer is a game-changer for businesses with limited space, as it has a compact footprint and an intuitive user interface.

Problem #6: “Margins are shrinking in apparel-only printing — we need new categories that bring higher profits.”

How UV DTF helps: UV DTF enables you to create high-margin, small-batch products that sell well in promotions, corporate gifts, custom retail, and packaging. You don’t need dies, a long setup, or heat presses, so your costs stay low and your profit per item remains higher.

UV DTF fills that gap by allowing decorators to add drinkware, signage, and promo products in-house without replacing their existing apparel equipment. Instead of turning customers away or relying on outside vendors, print shops can meet more needs under one roof and keep a higher profit margin.

Is Your Shop at the UV DTF Tipping Point?

Many print shops know that outsourcing hard goods eventually becomes more expensive than investing in their own UV DTF setup. The key is knowing when your shop has hit that tipping point. 

Breakeven Overview

• Breakeven point: ~250 hard goods per month

• Cost comparison:

• Outsourced transfers: ~$6 each

• In-house transfers: ~$1 each

Average Outsourcing Costs

These costs add up quickly if you’re consistently fulfilling orders.

Cost Savings Example

• Outsourcing 300 prints/month at $5 each = $1,500/month

• In-house production at $1.50 each = $450/month

• Monthly savings: $1,050

• Annual savings: $12,600
  

That’s money staying in your business instead of going to a vendor.

Profit Comparison (Per Print)

Scaling the Profit

• At 100 graphics/day:

• Extra profit = $185/day

• ~$3,700/month (based on 20 workdays)

What seems like a few dollars per print quickly compounds into thousands in monthly profit.

That’s the real tipping point, when you can save on outsourcing and start generating entirely new revenue streams in-house.Pros and Cons for Alternative Imprinting Methods

UV DTF isn’t the only way to decorate hard goods, but compared with common alternatives, its strengths stand out.

Pad Printing vs. UV DTF

Pad printing offers good accuracy, but it’s limited to printing simple patterns in a small number of colors. It’s ideal for high-volume, one- to two-color applications on small or recessed parts, with precise Pantone color matching. UV DTF is ideal when you need full-color artwork with gradients or variable data, or for fast, short runs on curved hard goods.

Vinyl Decals vs. UV DTF

Vinyl decals are less durable and can crack and peel if they’re outside, exposed to the elements. Vinyl graphics also struggle with fine detail, and they can adhere unevenly to curves and surfaces.

UV DTF transfers are longer-lasting and vibrant, even exposed to the elements. They also stick to more material types with no weeding.

UV Flatbed Printers vs. UV DTF

A UV flatbed is excellent for direct printing on larger, flat panels and plaques at speed with jigs. However, it comes with a higher cost, bigger footprint, and is less friendly to curved, ceramic, or silicone items. Use a UV DTF printer for a compact footprint, increased gang sheet efficiency, and working with curved/small products.

UV DTF isn’t a replacement for a UV flatbed printer. In fact, it’s the perfect complement. Use the Monarch 24 UV Printing System to profit from short-run, curved, and irregular items with rapid changeovers. Add the Monarch FB2436 Vision UV Flatbed System when you need direct print speed and precision on larger flat substrates. Together, these printer setups cover nearly every hard-goods scenario.

The Benefits of Bringing a UV DTF Setup In-House

Here’s what changes the day you bring UV DTF in-house: a broader catalog, higher margins, faster turnarounds, tougher prints, and a real edge over competitors.

1. You Can Offer an Expanded Product Range

When you add UV DTF transfers or a printer setup, you can print directly onto a variety of materials, including tumblers, mugs, bottles, glassware, wood boxes, packaging, electronics, and more. That means every customer who already buys t-shirts could also purchase custom hard goods from you.

2. You Can Enjoy Higher Profit Margins. 

If you outsource hard goods transfers, you pay $3 to $7 per piece and wait days for delivery. Producing in-house cuts the cost of each print to around $1.50 or less, allowing you to mark up finished items for a higher profit. 

Consumables such as film, powder, and UV inks are more cost-effective compared to traditional screen printing setups or printing in-house. Many shops report ROI within six to 12 months once they’re consistently running orders.

3. Your Customers Will Enjoy Faster Turnaround Times

Amazon has conditioned customers to expect even custom orders to arrive quickly, whether it’s 12 mugs for a corporate event or a rush kit for a fundraiser. By eliminating outsourcing, shipping delays, and multi-step setups, UV DTF makes same-day or next-day turnaround a realistic option.

4. Your Customers Will Love the Durability and Quality

Besides getting products fast, your customers want products that last. UV DTF transfers are known for strong adhesion and resistance to cracking, peeling, and fading. Unlike vinyl decals, which weather poorly, these prints withstand daily use and even dishwasher cycles.

5. You’ll Stand Out From Competitor Shops

Many shops can screen print t-shirts, but fewer can also deliver mugs, tech accessories, or short-run packaging. UV DTF allows you to offer bundled kits, trending hard goods, and highly personalized projects that help clients stand out.

The Bottom Line on UV DTF Growth

If you’re ready to expand beyond apparel, the Arcus Monarch 24 UV DTF Printer System is the perfect way to start. This compact UV DTF printer produces vibrant, durable transfers that can be applied to tumblers, mugs, packaging, tech accessories, and more, without the oversized footprint or steep costs associated with traditional flatbed printers. It’s designed for decorators who want to diversify their offerings and bring high-demand hard goods in-house.

And as demand scales, Arcus UV systems give you a clear growth path, with larger-format models and automation options available to help you move into higher volumes, faster workflows, and expanded profit categories.

Ready to get started? Learn more about Arcus UV DTF printers at Arcusprinters.com.