Heat transfers for shirts are printed designs on film that a heat press bonds to a blank shirt. Marie Gems sells them as ready-to-press DTF transfers, from $2.00 at 4" to $4.00 at 12", with no minimum and no gang sheet. In early September I added 48 new designs for dads, tradespeople, first responders, nurses and farm families.
I run Marie Gems, a DTF transfer shop in Wichita, Kansas, with more than 500 orders shipped. I print every transfer myself, in house, on my own printer, film, ink, powder and heat press, so the new designs below came off the same equipment as the rest of the shop.
What are heat transfers for shirts?
A heat transfer for a shirt is a design printed on a carrier, then pressed onto fabric with heat and pressure so you never print on the shirt itself. Several kinds exist, and mine are DTF transfers. DTF stands for direct-to-film. A DTF transfer is a printed design created on specialized film and applied to compatible fabric using heat and pressure, so you can make finished apparel without owning a DTF printer.
Each of my transfers ships as one individual transfer, printed with a built-in white base so the design stays crisp on both light and dark fabric. If you are weighing DTF against other methods, my post on DTF vs. sublimation vs. vinyl compares them side by side.
How much do heat transfers for shirts cost at Marie Gems?
One transfer costs $2.00 at 4" and $4.00 at 12", and buying 5, 10 or 20 of the same design and size lowers the price per transfer. The same ladder applies to every single design, including all 48 new ones.
| Size | 1 transfer | 5 transfers | 10 transfers | 20 transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4" | $2.00 | $9.00 | $17.00 | $32.00 |
| 6" | $2.50 | $11.25 | $21.25 | $40.00 |
| 8" | $3.00 | $13.50 | $25.50 | $48.00 |
| 10" | $3.50 | $15.75 | $29.75 | $56.00 |
| 12" | $4.00 | $18.00 | $34.00 | $64.00 |
My DTF transfer size guide lists 10" as popular for adult shirt-front designs and 12" as the full-size option for larger adult designs. The size you order is the longest side of the design, and the artwork keeps its own proportions.
Which new heat transfers did Marie Gems add in September?
I added 48 designs on September 8, sorted here by who they are for. The counts come from the tags on the listings, and they add to 49 because Dad's Toolbox carries both a dad tag and a dad humor tag.
| Group | Designs | A few of them |
|---|---|---|
| Dad | 19 | Grill Master, Football Sunday Dad, Dog Dad Club, Trucker Dad, New Dad |
| Dad humor | 6 | Dad Mode Activated, Dad's Throne, World's Okayest Dad, Yard Work Is My Cardio |
| Skilled trades | 12 | Plumber Pride, Certified Electrician, Roofer's Pride, Welder Wife, Union Strong |
| First responders | 8 | Fire Dept, Blue Line Family, Called to Serve, First Voice First Response |
| Nurse | 2 | Nurse Squad, Night Shift Crew |
| Farm | 2 | Farmer's Wife, Raised on the Farm Raising the Next Crop |
The listings say who each one is for. Plumber Pride is a gear-and-wrench badge with a ribbon banner, made for plumbers and pipefitters. Fire Dept centers a Maltese cross fire badge for firefighters and fire department families. Blue Line Family is a script-lettered police badge for families who support law enforcement. My earlier post on the Trucker Dad transfer tells the story behind that one. The Dad DTF Transfers collection holds 31 products if you want to browse the dad designs together.
Can I make matching crew shirts with these transfers?
Yes, and the quantity tiers do the math for you. Nurse Squad is described as made for nursing teams and healthcare coworkers who want a matching design, and the tiers apply to any single design in one size.
- Six shirts at 12": one 5-transfer tier at $18.00 plus one single at $4.00 is $22.00, against $24.00 for six singles.
- Ten shirts at 10": the 10-transfer tier is $29.75, against $35.00 for ten singles.
- Twenty shirts at 8": the 20-transfer tier is $48.00, against $60.00 for twenty singles.
For a full walkthrough of a group order, see my step-by-step guide to making custom school shirts with DTF transfers. The same steps work for a crew.
What do I need to press a heat transfer onto a shirt?
You need a compatible blank and a heat press. The recommended starting application is 320°F for 15 seconds with firm, even pressure, then let the film cool and cold peel it. My DTF pressing guide has the settings on one page, and how to apply a DTF transfer at home walks through each step. My listings recommend washing the finished shirt inside out on a cold, gentle cycle and skipping high dryer heat, and the wash and care guide covers the rest.
What if I want a finished shirt instead of a transfer?
A transfer is not a finished shirt, so you would need to press it yourself. If you would rather skip the press, the made-to-order Custom Personalized T Shirt starts at $24.99, and the Custom Orders collection has the rest of the made-to-order pieces. If Christmas is what you are shopping for, my post on the new Christmas raccoon transfers covers that side of the shop, and you can upload your own artwork if none of the designs is quite right.