How to make a DTF gang sheet: a free, step-by-step guide

A gang sheet is one length of DTF film with lots of designs on it: a dozen left-chest logos, a few full fronts, some sleeve prints, all printed in one go. You pay for the film by length, so the tighter the designs are packed, the cheaper every print is.

Building one by hand in Photoshop or Illustrator means dragging every copy into place, nudging, and doing the maths for the length. A gang sheet builder does that for you. Here's how to do it well.

1. Set up the film

Three settings, and your printer can tell you all of them:

• Film width. The most common is a 22″ roll in the US, and 58 cm or 60 cm elsewhere. 24″, 30″, 13″ and 30 cm rolls are common too.
• Gap between designs. Enough room to cut them apart. 0.1″ (2.5 mm) is a good default; some shops like a little more for easier trimming.
• Margins. Clear space along the edges of the film, often ¼″ (6 mm). Without it, designs at the edge can be clipped or print badly where the film is held.

Most printers also have a maximum sheet length they'll take as one file, such as 60″, 120″ or 200″. Longer jobs go on more than one sheet.

2. Size every design at its real print size

This is the step that matters most. Each design needs its final printed size: 3.5–4″ for a left chest, 10–12″ for an adult front, 12–14″ for a back.

Watch out for the one mistake that wastes the most film: two 11″ designs don't fit side by side on a 22″ sheet once you leave a gap and margins. 11 + 11 is already 22, with nothing left for the edges. Make them 10.5″ and two fit across. On a 22″ × 60″ sheet that's the difference between 5 adult fronts and 9.

3. Check every file before it goes on the sheet

A gang sheet is only as good as its worst file. One design with a hidden background or a haze of invisible pixels prints as a box on the film, and on a gang sheet it ruins that print and wastes the film around it.

Before ganging, check each design for:

• A solid background: a white or coloured box that will print.
• Hidden pixels: nearly invisible pixels that print as a white haze.
• Soft edges: half-transparent edges that print a pale outline on dark shirts.
• Empty space: transparent padding around the artwork. It takes up room on the sheet and prints nothing.
• Resolution at the print size: at least 150 DPI, ideally 300. See how many pixels you need.

4. Pack it

Put in how many copies of each design you need and let the builder place them: biggest first, as tight as the gap allows, turning designs 90° when that saves film. Check the result: the length, and how much of the film is covered.

5. Export: PDF or PNG?

• PDF is best for printing. Each design keeps its own full resolution and its transparency, and most RIPs (Acrorip, Cadlink, Flexi, DTF Station) open it directly.
• PNG at 300 DPI works if your workflow needs an image, but a long sheet makes a very big file: a 22″ × 60″ sheet is 6,600 × 18,000 pixels.

Do it in a minute with the free builder

Our free DTF gang sheet builder does all five steps in your browser:

1. Choose your film: 22″, 24″, 30″, 13″, 58 cm, 60 cm, 30 cm or any width, with your gap and margins.
2. Drop in your designs, as many as you like. Put the size in the file name, like front_10.5x12in.png, and it's read automatically.
3. Every design is checked as it comes in, with its DPI at the print size. Click Fix all to remove backgrounds, hidden pixels and empty space.
4. Set quantities. The sheet packs itself as you go and shows the film length and how much is used.
5. Download the PDF, or a PNG at 300 or 150 DPI.

It's free, with no account, no export limit and no watermark, and your files never leave your device.

Questions

What size is a DTF gang sheet?

The width is your printer's film, usually 22″ (or 58–60 cm), and the length is whatever the job needs, up to your printer's maximum. Common sizes sold by printers are 22″ × 24″, 22″ × 60″, 22″ × 120″ and 22″ × 240″.

How much space should I leave between designs?

About 0.1″ (2.5 mm) is enough to cut most designs apart. Leave more if you cut by hand or your designs have fine edges.

Can I put different designs on one gang sheet?

Yes, that's the point. Mix sizes and designs freely; the builder fits small ones into the gaps around big ones.

Should my designs be 300 DPI?

At their print size, 300 DPI is ideal and 150 DPI is the lowest you should go. A design that's too small for its print size won't get sharper on a gang sheet, so check before you pack. The free DTF DPI calculator works it out.

Does the builder upload my files?

No. Everything, from checking and fixing to packing and exporting, happens in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers.