Top 3 Best-Selling DTF Printers for Small Studios in 2025: A Detailed

Written by Procolored - Published on Oct 9, 2025

9 minutes read

Written by Procolored - Published on Oct 9, 2025

Table of Contents

1. Why Do Small Studios Love DTF Printing?

2. How to Choose the Right DTF Printer for Your Studio?

3. Meet the Lineup: Procolored’s 2025 Best-Selling DTF Printers

4. Procolored F13 – Reliable & Beginner-Friendly

5. Procolored F13 Pro – Dual Head Powerhouse

6. Procolored P13 – Smart & Stylish for Home Studios

7. Side-by-Side Comparison Table

8. Conclusion

Title

Thinking of kicking off a small t-shirt or apparel studio in 2025? It’s honestly not just a money grabbing move, it’s about chasing that sense of freedom. You get to design what actually excites you, print those ideas on basically any fabric you want, skip the endless back-and-forth with huge manufacturers, and just… do your thing.

That’s why DTF printing (yeah, Direct To Film) has blown up this year—it gives you the charge to pump out pro-quality prints without even leaving your space. Plus, unlike sublimation printer, which basically force you into poly blends and pale colors—DTF printing machine doesn’t box you in. Cotton, blends, dark fabrics? No problem.

But let’s not kid ourselves: Digital textile printers aren’t all fairy dust and rainbows. Some are clunky, high-maintenance, or just plain slow—If you’re running a small studio, you don’t have infinity hours or cash to waste figuring out which one’s gonna leave you in tears. You want a printer that actually pulls its weight, period.

That’s your cue for Procolored. The past year or so, three of their garment printers have basically saved studios from printer hell:

● First, the F13, your reliable “first business partner” if you’re just getting started.

● Then the F13 Pro, a model with dual printheads for when your orders start flying in.

● And let’s not forget the P13. Slick, modern, and made for home-based creators who want something that both looks and works smart. A little bit show-off, but honestly, who doesn’t want that?

So here’s the plan: In this post, we break down each one, comparing them head to head, and help you figure out which of these models is going to give your creative journey in 2025 the boost it deserves. Let’s get into it.

Why Do Small Studios Love DTF Printing?

If you’re running a small studio, you already know it—time, cash and flexibility are always on your mind, and honestly, it matters more than anything. That’s why DTF printing is the most favorite choice for creators in 2025. Here’re some reasons for that.

● First, you’re limited by fabric anymore…Remember how you had to sweat over fabric types before? Forget it. DTF printers work on all—cotton, polyester, even dark or vibrant colored garments. It doesn’t blink. Your designs stick to pretty much anything, which means you don’t have to turn down wild requests from clients with weird taste in shirts.

● Then there’s the workflow? It’s a breeze. Dump those old-school pretreatments and ridiculous prep rituals in the trash. A3 DTF printer gets you right to the good stuff—just print down your design and press it. More creating, less struggling around with chemicals or cleaning endless tools. So yeah, you actually get to focus on building your business, not cleaning up messes.

● Now, let’s talk about quality. These prints are built to last. None of that “wash it twice and the design fades out” troubles—DTF holds up against repeat laundry abuse. It even goes toe-to-toe with screenprint durability, minus the complicated or heavy equipment that takes over your shop. Colors? Still poppin’ after a month. Your customers notice.

● Size is kinda the cherry on top. An A3 DTF printer is shockingly compact—you could fit one in your closet if you had to, but it brings in profit like it owns the place. Not a giant upfront investment, but the returns make you feel like a genius.

Bottom line: In 2025, DTF printers are the cheat code for small studios. Flexible, solid, affordable—honestly, if you’re not considering it, you might just enjoy stressing yourself out.

How to Choose the Right DTF Printer for Your Studio?

Choosing a DTF printer for your tiny studio is way more than just grabbing the flashiest model and feeling fancy. You actually gotta find a machine that vibes with your workflow—and your wallet. Here’s the stuff that honestly matters:

Budget Vs Payback

Everyone cares how much a garment printer costs, but the real question’s, is this gonna start paying for itself soon, or are you just pouring money into a beeping money pit? Watch those hidden costs: upkeep, ink efficiency and longevity–nobody got time for a printer that taps out after six months.

Speed & Volume

Are you doing a couple tees for your buddies, or are you trying to keep up with orders that just won’t quit? If you need speed, don’t cheap out and end up pulling all-nighters. Get something that can actually handle your pace, unless you secretly enjoy stress migraines.

Print Quality

If your prints come out looking sad—dull colors, blotchy lines—good luck building a name. Small studios survive on word-of-mouth, so you need a printer that makes every design pop. Nobody wants to pay for something that looks like it’s been through the wash too many times already.

Maintenance Headaches

Nothing kills your mood faster than a digital textile printer that always needs “just a quick fix.” Look for features like auto-cleaning or at least something that doesn’t clog up if you so much as look away. You’ve got hustling to do—you shouldn’t be chained to your DTF printing machine with an instruction manual in one hand and a prayer in the other.

Space Matters

Let’s not kid ourselves:most small studios are tight on space.. If the printer needs its own room or a forklift to move, big nope. Compact is life

Ease of Use

Running a small studio shouldn’t feel like decoding NASA controls. The simpler the printer, the faster you can get from design to shirt. The fewer buttons, settings, mystery errors, the better, especially if you’re running solo.

Noise Level

If your “studio” is also where you sleep or binge Netflix, a jet-engine-level printer will drive you insane. Spare yourself the chaos and make sure the printer runs quiet.

Room to Grow

Don’t buy something that’ll be ancient history the second your side hustle blows up. Make sure your choice can grow with you—otherwise you’ll just be right back here shopping next year.

That’s basically it. Don’t fall for the hype—get the DTF printing machine that matches your grind, not someone else’s flex.

Meet the Lineup: Procolored’s 2025 Best-Selling DTF Printers

Every small studio has got its own backstory. Some are side hustlers doodling designs on a laptop from their kitchen table. Others are barely keeping up with orders and need printers that sprint, not stroll.

Procolored totally gets it. Instead of some boring, one-size-fits-all garment printer, they dropped a lineup that’s basically a creator’s dream toolbox—each one actually evolving with you, like your favorite sidekick.

At the heart of their 2025 collection are three proven favorites:

● The F13—a classic starter for newbies who just want to plug in and print, no sweat.

● F13 Pro—it’s got two printheads and goes full beast mode, perfect for places where every second counts (and no one’s got time to babysit a jammed printer).

● The P13—the one that looks hot in your home office plus levels up your prints big time. Brains, beauty, brawn. All the things.

Honestly, none of these are “just printers.” They’re more like partners that tackle all those pains studio owners complain about. Be it workflow traffic jams, print quality woes or Squeezing top-tier performance into a home setup?

And if you thought they were done, nah—2025 brought in the K13 Lite. Fresh out the gate, already stealing attention. It’s small, light on the wallet, and perfect for anyone willing to try DTF printing without diving all the way in. Think of it like an entry-level without the cringe.

Together these DTF printers paint a clear picture: wherever you’re at in your creative hustle, Procolored’s got your back with a machine that actually fits. Not just marketing fluff—real gear for real people.

Procolored F13 – Reliable & Beginner-Friendly

Running a small studio feels a bit challenging—space is tight, money’s even tighter, and somehow you’re still supposed to produce museum-worthy prints with equipment that fits under your arm.

That’s where the Procolored F13 steps in, kinda like a superhero, but for your print hustle. This model’s made for anyone dipping their toes into t-shirt printing who doesn’t want to burn their money on gear.

So what makes it actually work for beginners? They’ve tossed in stuff that just straight up gets rid of beginner nightmares.

● Roller Feeder Upgrade—Ever jammed up a DTF print? Nightmare fuel. The F13’s roller keeps things rolling, which means way less cussing at your DTF printer and way more finished shirts.

● Auto-Cleaning Printhead—Nobody wakes up thinking, “I really hope I spend my afternoon fixing dried-up nozzles.” Leave the F13 on, and it cleans itself every ten hours using just 1ml of ink a day—keeping performance sharp without extra effort.

● White Ink Circulation—DTF white ink is the most notorious of the print world, always getting clogged and throwing tantrums. The F13 keeps it moving, so you’re not scrambling for fixes or replacing parts every five minutes.

● Adjustable Preheating—If you’ve ever tried to print with cold ink, you know it’s like painting with frozen yogurt. This thing preheats the ink, so you actually get prints that don’t look like sad mistakes.

● Film Adsorption & Ink Collection—Nothing’s worse than hitting “print” and watching your DTF film slide around. F13 locks it down and scoops up any stray ink, so you get sharp edges and none of that random smudge issues.

Why Is It Best For Startups?

It's all about balance. Rugged build, bright prints, easy on the wallet and you don’t need a degree in rocket science to use it. You can skip the annoying pretreatment step, and honestly, you’ll spend way less time Googling weird error messages and more time actually selling tees.

Highlight

If you’re hustling custom shirts from your couch or decking out your own micro-studio, the F13 actually lets you say “yes” to more gigs and “nope” to printer drama. Cheap(ish), tough, and, honestly, just solid for kicking off your print empire.

Procolored F13 Pro – Dual Head Powerhouse

If F13 is a friendly starter printer, the F13 Pro is what you upgrade to when business is booming and the orders keep rolling in nonstop. Think of it as the ‘scaling-up’ partner. It is built to handle more at the same time and do it faster, all while maintaining quality.

Here is why studios love it.

● Dual Print Heads. Two heads means double the fire power. Prints finish faster which makes turn around times shrink, resulting in the ability to keep up with bulky orders without hassle.

● Sleek, Modern Design. Look, if you’re charging pro prices, your gear should look the part, right? It feels like a serious upgrade, while also being solid and lightweight.

● Superior Print Quality. You get more detail and smoother gradients. There is also consistent color accuracy, which looks industrial-grade because of the dual heads working together.

● Auto-Cleaning System. F13 Pro is like the F13 in a sense of keeping maintenance low-key. It self-cleans every 10 hours when left on, using minimal ink, so you can focus on production instead of upkeep.

Why It’s Best For Growing Studios:

When you progress from printing a few shirts every week to fulfilling client orders on a regular basis, you do everything to remain fast and reliable. The F13 Pro gives you both. It’s fast enough to keep up with demand and precise enough to impress even those clients who nitpick every little detail

Highlight

The F13 Pro isn’t just a fancy version of the F13.. It’s tailor-made for shops that are blowing up but aren’t ready to gamble on a giant industrial beast. Outgrown your beginner gear? The F13 Pro’s your ticket to big-league printing without the headache.

Procolored P13 – Smart & Stylish for Home Studios

Who says garment printers have to look like those clunky office monsters you want to hide under a table? Not the Procolored P13, that’s for sure. This model is basically the cool thing on your desk—chic wood-grain vibes but still packing all the horsepower you need for a legit t-shirt printing business out of your own living room. No more sacrificing your home office vibe for printer chaos.

Let's explore some features that make Procolored P13 a home artist's best friend.

● Automatic cleaning modes. They will increase an artist's productivity levels like no other.

● The 6-channel printhead. It makes every print a work of art due to the rich colors, smooth blends, and sharp details that it achieves.

● Laser error-checking plus a smart emergency stop. Printer meets ninja reflexes, honestly. It spots issues before disaster strikes.

● Waste ink alarm. No more mysterious ink puddles or “why is this sticky” moments. It’ll tell you before things get gross.

● Giant viewing window. You wanna stare at your masterpiece coming to life? No need to keep popping the hood.

● Less Noise: The Procolored P13 small printer is perfect for home use. It is 50% quieter than its large competitors due to its foam lined cable chains.

● Modular Design: Its modular design has cleaner wiring and allows a safer build.

● Version Option: Finally, it is compatible with both Windows and Mac.

Who’s It For?

Basically, anyone hustling from home who wants a machine that won’t turn their sleek office into a high school tech lab. Creative people, entrepreneurs, or just anyone who’s picky about both looks and performance.

Highlight

The P13 isn’t just another boxy gadget—it actually upgrades your studio’s vibe and keeps up with your wild ideas. Compact. Calm. Chaos-free. A DTF printing machine you actually want to show off.

Side-by-Side Comparison Table

Feature / Model

F13 The Dependable Starter

F13 Pro The Speed Master

P13 The Creative Companion

Printhead

Single printhead

Dual printheads (faster output)

6-channel printhead (richer colors)

Maintenance

Auto-cleaning every 10 hrs + white ink circulation

Auto-cleaning every 10 hrs

3 timer cleaning modes (12/24/36 hrs), waste ink alarm

Print Size

Film Handling

Upgraded roller feeder + adsorption system

Smooth film feed with upgraded design

Laser detection prevents scratches

Ink Management

Preheating function for smooth ink flow

Efficient ink use with dual system

4.5pL ink drops for detail + ink savings

Speed & Efficiency

Reliable speed for small runs

High efficiency with dual heads (cuts job time)

Balanced—quality focus with home studio scale

Design & Build

Compact & practical

Sleek, modern, pro look

Stylish wood-grain finish, home-friendly

Ease of Use

Beginner-friendly, no pretreatment

Straightforward steps, faster learning curve

Windows & Mac versions, easy setup

Price

$2,999 USD

$5,199 USD

$3,999 USD

Best For

New studios/startups needing affordable reliability

Growing studios scaling up to larger orders

Home-based creatives balancing design & production

Conclusion

In the end, selecting a garment printer does not come down to the specs, but rather the printer’s compatibility with the user’s workflow. This explains the reason why Procolored DTF printers dominate the market in 2025—- practical reliability, innovative designs, and the ability to scale with the user.

The F13 serves the role of a launchpad for starters, the F13 Pro serves as the speed boost for expanding studios, and the P13 shows that home-based creators need not compromise on aesthetics for functionality.

But now, with Procolored’s new K13 Lite, the company has once again set the standard by making professional grade digital textile printing smaller, lighter, and even more affordable. This isn’t just about printing shirts, but rather, enabling anyone with a vision and the willingness to work towards its achievement.

Hence, if you are planning to boost your studio, side job, or business in 2025, you do not have to search far and wide. Procolored has the best DTF printer for you, and it is not hidden ‘somewhere’ out there.