Flocking, flex or DTF transfer
Three words for three different things, and one gesture that brings them together: the heat press. Here is what really separates them, and which one holds up best on what you want marked.
What people call “flocking”
In everyday speech, “flocking” (the French “flocage”) covers almost anything pressed onto a garment with a heat press: the name on the back of a jersey, the logo on a work jacket, the design on a tote bag. The word dates from the 2000s, when the technique dominated football clubs.
Technically, it is more precise than that, and it changes what you get.
Flocking, in the strict sense
Very fine textile fibres standing on an adhesive backing, cut to the shape of the design and then pressed. The finish is matt, raised, and recognisable by touch: it is velvet.
One colour per cut. A three-colour logo needs three layers on top of each other, which costs three times as much and makes the piece thicker. Fine details and small text do not come out: the fibre does not go below a few millimetres.
Flex
The same principle, with smooth vinyl instead of fibres (heat-transfer vinyl). Thinner than flocking, glossy or matt depending on the material, and slightly more durable under friction.
Same limit: one colour per cut, and weeding (removing by hand the parts of the vinyl that are not part of the design) becomes impossible on a complex pattern.
The DTF transfer
Your design is printed in full colour on a film, coated with a hot-melt powder, cured, then pressed onto the garment. Nothing is cut: the machine prints what your file contains.
Direct consequence: the number of colours does not change the price. A gradient, a photo, a seven-colour logo cost the same as a line of black text. The result is fine, flexible, and withstands home washing at 40-60 °C over several dozen cycles.
So, which one?
For a name and number on the back of a jersey, for a company logo, for an event design: DTF, without hesitation. It does everything flex and flocking do, in colour, at no extra cost, and without the limits of cutting.
Flocking keeps a single real advantage: its velvet feel, when that effect is what you are after, such as retro lettering or a fashion piece. It is an aesthetic choice, not a technical one.
And for what has to last for years, a work jacket washed every week, a reception polo worn every day, the question is no longer between these three: embroidery wins. Thread stitched into the fabric does not peel off.
The three techniques, side by side
| Flocking | Flex | DTF transfer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Raised velvet | Smooth vinyl | Fine, flexible print |
| Colours | One per cut | One per cut | Full colour, no extra cost |
| Fine details | No | Limited | Yes, up to gradients |
| Names and numbers | Expensive | Expensive | Piece by piece, no set-up fee |
| Washing | 40 °C, cracks over time | 40-60 °C | 40-60 °C, several dozen cycles |
| At Texelio | No | No | Yes |
Frequently asked questions
Do you do flocking?
What you call flocking, a name, a number, a logo pressed with heat, we do as a DTF transfer: same gesture, better result, and every colour at the same price. Velvet flocking in the strict sense, no: it only helps for a textured effect, and we would rather do two techniques properly than four halfway.
Does DTF hold up as well as flocking?
Better, in almost every case. Flocking ends up cracking and losing its fibres in the wash; DTF, properly pressed, lasts several dozen washes at 40-60 °C. For extreme use, such as industrial laundering or daily friction, embroidery is what to aim for, neither of the two.
How much does DTF marking cost?
A fixed price per placement and per piece, whatever the quantity: small format for a chest, a sleeve or a nape, large format for a full back. The price list is published, and the total price is shown while you configure your piece.
Can I put a different first name on each piece?
Yes, that is name-by-name marking, and it is precisely where DTF has the edge: each piece is handled individually, with no set-up fee per player. A full team goes out in the same time as a single piece.
And on a bag, a cap, an apron?
DTF goes onto any flat textile surface that withstands the press. On a cap, embroidery gives a better result: the surface is curved and rigid. Send us the piece and the design, and we will tell you what will hold.
DTF transfer in detail · Embroidery, and when it is the answer · The full price list · Get a project quoted
Other guides: Ordering for Luxembourg: VAT, lead times, transport · Washing custom clothing · Embroidery or printing on workwear · Preparing your logo for embroidery or printing · Eco-friendly caps and clothing: what the claims mean · Marking a bag, a backpack or a cap