How to Halftone Affinity Designs for DTF
A practical guide for halftoning Affinity artwork for DTF printing
STEP 1 — Set Up Affinity Correctly (This Determines Print Quality)
DTF quality starts with document setup. Affinity gives you true control over size and resolution — use it.
Create your document at final print size
In Affinity Designer or Affinity Photo:
File → New
Choose your final size in inches and set DPI to 300
Common examples:
Shirt front: 15" × 18" @ 300 DPI
15" wide print: 15" wide @ 300 DPI (height as needed)
If you already designed at a smaller size: upscale early (before effects), not at export.
Use quality source images
Use high-res artwork (avoid screenshots)
If you scale a bitmap up and it looks soft in Affinity, it will print soft.
STEP 2 — Export from Affinity (DTF-safe export)
Best export settings for DTF
File → Export
Choose PNG
Settings:
Area: Whole Document (or Selection Only if you need)
Resample: Bicubic (or “Nearest Neighbor” only for pixel art)
DPI: 300
Transparency: ON (if needed)
Do not export JPG for DTF. JPG compression creates artifacts that become ugly dots.
✅ Result: a clean, high-resolution PNG ready for halftoning
STEP 3 — Open the Affinity Export in Photopea (Free Photoshop Clone)
Open the exported PNG in Photopea
If the file already has transparency, continue
If not: remove the background first (Magic Cut / selection tools) until you see the checkerboard transparency
STEP 4 — Create a Halftone Source Layer
Duplicate your artwork layer
Rename the duplicate HALFTONE SOURCE
Duplicate that layer into a new document
This isolates tonal processing and mirrors the standard Photoshop workflow.
STEP 5 — Convert to Grayscale + Levels (Contrast Control)
In the halftone document:
Convert to Grayscale
Apply Levels to increase contrast
Goal:
Strong blacks
Clean highlights
No muddy mid-tones
This directly controls dot clarity and prevents that “foggy/hazy” DTF look.
STEP 6 — Convert to True Halftone Dots (Bitmap Method)
Convert the image to Bitmap using Halftone Screen:
Frequency: 20–35
20–25 = bold / gritty
30–35 = smoother
Angle: 45°
Shape: Round
This creates real black/white dots (no semi-transparent pixels).
STEP 7 — Apply the Halftone as a Mask
Select All + Copy the halftone dots
Return to the original document
Add a Layer Mask to the artwork layer
Click the mask thumbnail + Paste
Invert if needed
White prints. Black does not.
STEP 8 — Final Export for DTF
Background must be transparent
Export as PNG
Do not resize/resample after halftoning
Your file is now RIP-ready with clean halftones and no transparency issues.
A Better, Faster Option (Strongly Recommended)
The Affinity + Photopea method works — but it’s manual, slow, and easy to mess up. One missed setting (Levels, Bitmap, masking, resampling) can cause haze, soft edges, or inconsistent dots that waste transfers and shirts.
If you want the same outcome with far less effort, use DTPrep.com instead.
Why DTPrep is the smarter choice
Built specifically for DTF / DTG
Interactive halftone preview (dial in dots visually)
Eliminates common DTF issues like white haze
No bitmap conversions, no mask-pasting, no guesswork
Works right in your browser and accepts Affinity exports instantly
Better results. Fewer steps. More consistent prints.
If you’re halftoning regularly, DTPrep saves real time and prevents costly reprints.
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