DTF (direct-to-film) printing puts full-color, photo-real art on apparel with no screens and no color limits — pressed onto the garment on site in seconds. It's the fast, flexible companion to screen printing, and it shines when your Chicago event needs detail, gradients, or per-guest personalization.
Our DTF station fits the same footprint as a press and runs beautifully at McCormick Place trade shows and conventions & expos. Because there's no screen to burn, we can switch designs instantly — add a guest's name, a date, a department, or a one-off graphic without slowing the line.
When DTF is the right call in Chicago
- Detailed or full-color art — photos, gradients, fine linework, and multi-color logos with no per-color setup.
- Personalization on demand — names, numbers, and custom one-offs pressed while the guest waits.
- Mixed garments — tees, hoodies, totes, and hard-to-screen fabrics all take a transfer cleanly.
- Tight timelines — instant design swaps make DTF ideal for a packed McCormick Place schedule.
Not sure which method fits your event? Our screen printing vs. DTF guide breaks down the trade-offs, and most Chicago events run both in one station for the best of each.
DTF on a Chicago show floor
DTF earns its keep at Chicago's multi-day conventions, where the schedule changes by the hour. On the McCormick Place floor — across the West, South, and North buildings — exhibitors at shows like the National Restaurant Association Show or PACK EXPO often want a different graphic for each day, or a department-specific design for the team working the booth. Because there's no screen to burn, we swap art instantly and keep the line moving through the afternoon rush. The same flexibility plays well at Fulton Market brand nights, where a one-off design for an evening launch can be ready before the doors open. For River North corporate dinners and sponsor lounges, DTF handles the photo-real logos and gradient brand marks that a quick-turn screen setup can't, and it presses cleanly onto the premium retail-fit garments those rooms expect. Whether you're filling a 50-foot island at McCormick Place or a single station at a Streeterville hotel reception, the DTF footprint stays the same and the personalization scales to the crowd.