✅ How to Create a DTF Spot Color File in Adobe Photoshop

DTF printing requires artwork prepared in a specific way so the RIP software can correctly generate white ink, colors, and transparency. Photoshop doesn’t create true spot channels for DTF the same way Illustrator can, but you can prep a perfect PNG that preserves transparency and produces clean edges for your printer.

🎨 Step 1 — Start With a High-Resolution File

1. Open Photoshop → File > Open → Load your artwork.
2. Recommended canvas resolution: 300 DPI
3. Color Mode: RGB (DTF RIP software will convert it later)

👉 Avoid low-resolution or blurry artwork, as it will show in the final print.

🧽 Step 2 — Remove Backgrounds (Keep Transparency)

Your PNG must have a transparent background so the RIP creates a white ink layer only behind the design.

If your art has a white or colored background:

1. Select the “Remove Background” option in Properties or
2. Use:
3. Quick Selection Tool
4. Select Subject
5. Select → Color Range
6. Hit Delete to remove unwanted areas.

Then:

1. Check transparency by turning off “Background” layer or seeing the gray-white checkerboard.

✔ Clean transparency = clean DTF edges.

🎯 Step 3 — Clean & Refine Edges

Go to:

Select → Select and Mask

1. Smooth: 2–5
2. Feather: 0–0.5 px
3. Contrast: 10–20%
4. Shift edge: -5% to 0%

This ensures crisp print edges and prevents white halos.

🌈 Step 4 — Convert Black Areas to True Black

DTF printers rely on clean color values.

1. Select dark areas
2. Image → Adjustments → Levels
3. Ensure deep blacks = RGB (0,0,0)
4. Avoid muddy gray shadows unless intended.

This ensures rich prints and solid underbases.

🎨 Step 5 — Make Colors Print-Ready

Use:

Image → Adjustments → Vibrance

Image → Adjustments → Hue/Saturation

DTF prints often come out slightly less vibrant, so adding +10 to +20 vibrance is common.

🔳 Step 6 — Prepare the Transparency for the RIP (White Ink Underbase)

Photoshop cannot make spot white channels for DTF, but your goal is:

✔ A PNG with proper transparency

✔ No background

✔ Clean edges

Your RIP software (e.g., CADlink, Acrobat, DigiRIP, Flexi, etc.) will automatically create the spot white underbase from transparency.

💾 Step 7 — Export as a DTF-Ready PNG

Go to:

File → Export → Export As…

Settings:

1. Format: PNG
2. Transparency: Enabled
3. Color Space: Uncheck Convert to sRGB
4. Resolution: 300 DPI (under “Image Size”)

Hit Export.

👉 This PNG is now ready for your DTF RIP.

🖨 What Happens Next (in the RIP software)?

The RIP will:

✔ Auto-generate the white ink underbase

✔ Handle spot color channels

✔ Create print order (color on top, white under)

✔ Halftone or flatten colors if needed

✔ Send to your DTF printer

Photoshop prepares the graphics—your RIP creates the actual “spot color white” channel.