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Answered by Chris Breazeale, owner of Buckets of Ink, Tempe AZ
Yes, you can absolutely press DTF transfers on polyester. Some SanMar polyester garments press and peel very quickly: about 280°F on an air (pneumatic) heat press, for 3 seconds at most and as little as 1 second on some fabrics. Polyester heats up much faster than cotton.
There are plenty of tricks of the trade. One is used on nylon bags such as Liberty Bags: cover the transfer sitting on the bag with a polyester sheet and press through it. That helps avoid leaving a press mark or scorching the nylon. On an air (pneumatic) press, run nylon at about 260°F for up to 15 seconds.
Leather is simple. Some companies press DTF transfers on leather footballs in as little as ¼ of a second with a hydraulic heat press, and peel instantly. I've seen it many times. Others put transfers on baseball gloves with a regular air (pneumatic) heat press at about 280°F for 3 to 5 seconds, peeling warm.
Related: What fabrics can you DTF print on · DTF heat press settings · How to press DTF transfers
