Automatic Halftone Knockout and Background Removal

for Full-Color DTF & DTG Printing

for Photoshop, Affinity, or any web browser

Set Up Your Graphic Prints Like a Pro

Live-editing on the fly: View and adjust your knockout & halftone transparency instantly with no need to "convert to bitmap" to see the results.

How it works:

1. Copy & paste your image into the template.
2. Set your background color to match your image.
3. Halftones & Knockout will automatically be applied.
4. Adjust halftones and settings to refine your graphic.
5. Export your image as a Transparent PNG; ready for printing!

Now in your browser: DTF-TONES Web

No Photoshop. No Affinity. No install. DTF-TONES Web runs on Mac, Windows, Chromebook, or iPad in Chrome, Safari, Edge, or Firefox. Your image is processed on your own device and never uploaded.

Everything the templates do, plus:

• Prints up to 24 inches wide at 300 DPI (templates are fixed at 14 x 19 inches)
• Seven halftone patterns: round, ellipse, square, diamond, line, wavy lines, and wavy dots
• Any screen angle from 0 to 360 degrees, with presets at 0, 15, 22.5, 45, and 75
• Frequency from 15 to 65 LPI
• Automatic background sensing: pick the knockout color with one click, or let the tool find it
• Restore ink color in the fade: dark gradients keep their color instead of dropping to the shirt
• Eraser with adjustable size, undo, and keyboard shortcuts
• Preview on any shirt color, zoom to 400%, and export a transparent PNG

Try it free before you buy. The free trial runs at full size with round dots only, and a DTF-TONES watermark is knocked out of the export. Open DTF-TONES Web

Photoshop Tutorial

Affinity Tutorial

Details you will love:

• File output is print-ready for DTF (Direct to Film) and DTG (Direct to Garment)
• Use with any full-color art.
• Instant transparent knockout & halftones on any image with a solid black, white, or color background.
• No semi-transparent pixels.
• Print color only where you need it - for the softest prints possible.
• Turn flat photos, images, or art scans into printable graphics.
• Image size up to 14" x 19" @ 300 DPI in the templates, up to 24" wide in DTF-TONES Web
• Templates: 25, 35, or 45 LPI round dots @ 22.5°. Web: 15 to 65 LPI, seven dot shapes, any angle
• DTF-TONES is a regular Photoshop or Affinity file. No plugins or actions to install!

What you get:

• for PHOTOSHOP or AFFINITY: the DTF-TONES template (4200 x 5700 pixels), Quick Start Guide PDF instructions and tutorial videos.
• for WEB BROWSER: lifetime access to DTF-TONES Web on your thevectorlab.com account, plus a Quick Start Guide PDF. Sign in on any device.

DTF-TONES doesn't just make halftones - it decides where the transparency goes based on the knockout color you pick. The knockout color is the color that disappears from your print. Choose black, and the dark areas turn to open halftone dots - perfect for printing on black shirts, where the shirt itself becomes your shadows. Choose white, and the highlights knock out instead. Pick another color, and those tones drop away, letting the garment color do the work.

Software Compatibility

DTF-TONES works in:

• Photoshop CS5, CS6, CC, and current versions (year 2010 to present) for Desktop Mac and Windows. (not compatible with Elements)
• Affinity (Version 2, 3, or newer) for Desktop Mac and Windows. (Affinity is now free software!)
• Web browser (DTF-TONES Web): Chrome, Safari, Edge, or Firefox on Mac, Windows, Chromebook, or iPad. No software required. Works alongside Corel Draw, Illustrator, Procreate, or any other program that can save a PNG or JPG.

The Photoshop and Affinity templates are not compatible with PS Elements, Illustrator, Corel, Inkscape, Gimp, Flexi, Procreate or other software. Use DTF-TONES Web with those.