The Best DTF Printer for Home Business: Budgets, Performance, & Featur

The Best DTF Printer for Home Business: Budgets, Performance, & Features

Written by Procolored - Published on Feb 18, 2025

7 minutes read

Written by Procolored - Published on Apr, 28, 2025

No matter why you want to print custom t-shirts, tote bags, or other items at home, you need the best DTF printer available in your budget. Before deciding which to buy for my needs, I considered how many transfers I wanted to create, what my future business plans were, and how much I wanted to invest right away. Making custom clothing and other merch is a great side hustle, but I knew the right printer could take me further.

Price: The Best Budget DTF Printer

Do I want to invest more now or start with a less expensive model and upgrade later on as my brand grows? This question depends on many factors, and they’re personal to everyone who wants to buy a DTF home printer. An entry level option would let me get hands-on experience and print everything I need at the start. However, it may come with some limitations.

Model

Procolored F8

Procolored F13

Procolored F13Pro

Price

$1899

$2999

$5199

Suitable Business Size

200+/week

450+/week

Unit Per Hour

Print Width

8.2” (210mm)

13” (330mm)

The prices are quite different for different print rates and maximum print sizes. Also, I had to factor in the extra expenses of things like stands and optional press ovens. In order to make colorful, high-quality prints, I’d need ink, powder, and transfer film, too. These are ongoing costs that should come out of business profits down the road.

With bigger plans for selling printed products online, it might make sense to pay more upfront for faster printing and larger print sizes. Ultimately, this is up to you. One thing I definitely found is that Procolored’s prices are some of the best around. Some big models range up to $8000 or more. You can’t go wrong with options here if you want higher volumes per hour, integrated features like built-in white ink circulation, which helps keep ink flowing smoothly and prevents clogs, and automation options.

Performance: Best Starter DTF Printer for Quantity

When deciding what printer to buy, I first considered how many prints I wanted to make at home. Quality matters, of course, but all Procolored printers deliver great results. For occasional use, the F8 Panda is an affordable option that delivers about 200 transfer prints per week. The F13 Pro model more than doubles that to 450+, and more per hour, too. Bigger business needs mean choosing the faster, higher performance printer from the start.

Features: Best DTF Printer for Home Use

When weighing the options for DTF printers, I took a look at the features that made them suitable for home use first. I needed something with a small size that would fit on my desk and not take over my whole room. Also, I didn’t want to spend too much money, so that I could get into profit quickly with my new side hustle. This reduces the risk of starting a small business.

Here’s some other features I looked for in a home DTF printer:

✔ User-friendly software (multiple integrations) and interface

✔ Consistent, high-quality prints

✔ Efficient ink and electricity usage

✔ Standard white ink circulation

✔ Fast print speeds for higher volumes

✔ Multiple transfer size options for versatility

As great as the printers are, I knew that something might go wrong in the future or I might have questions about setting things up. Procolored offers remote technical services and has some local US service engineers ready to help. That kind of backup is so important when investing in a home business.

Choosing the best DTF printer for small business isn’t about price or specs alone. I needed to find a machine that suited my intended purposes, budget, and creative vision, not just today, but for future business growth, too. Procolored offers more impressive options for any at-home printing plans. Check out our entire line of direct to film printers and find the one that’s best for you.