We print two miles from Trade and Tryon. One stop on the LYNX Blue Line from Uptown to East/West Boulevard puts you a short walk from our door.
That matters more here than in most neighbourhoods, because Uptown work runs on deadlines. A conference lands at the Convention Center and someone needs 200 staff shirts by Thursday. A restaurant opens on Tryon and the front-of-house uniforms have not arrived. An agency lands a client activation and the merch brief comes in on a Monday for a Saturday event.
DTFNC prints direct-to-film transfers with no minimum order. Anything in before 12:00 PM ET, Monday to Friday, prints and ships within 24 hours — or you collect it yourself the same week.
Built for How Uptown Actually Works
Deadline Work, Handled
Order by noon ET and it prints that business day. If you are closer to the wire than that, collect in person rather than waiting on a courier. Two miles beats two days of transit every time.
One Shirt or Two Thousand
No minimums. A five-person startup on Church Street can order five transfers. A convention organizer can order for a full exhibitor floor. Same pricing structure, same turnaround, no volume gate.
Gang Sheets for Multi-Design Jobs
Uptown jobs are rarely one design. A hotel needs front desk, housekeeping, and valet variants. A brewery needs staff, event, and retail versions. Our Auto Gang Builder fits all of them onto a single sheet, so you pay for film area instead of per-design setup.
UV-DTF for Everything That Is Not Fabric
Tumblers, glassware, laptop lids, signage, giveaway drinkware. Uptown corporate and event work leans heavily on hard-surface branding, and UV-DTF handles it — same ordering flow as our apparel transfers.
Tax-Exempt Accounts
Nonprofits, arts organizations, and educational groups Uptown can purchase tax-exempt. Submit your certificate once and it applies to future orders.
What We Print
| Service |
Uptown Use Case |
| DTF — Auto-Build Gang |
Multi-variant staff uniforms on one sheet |
| DTF — Build Your Gang |
You control the layout and sizing |
| DTF — Upload Gang Sheet |
Agencies sending print-ready files |
| DTF — Transfers by Size |
Single-design runs, priced by finished size |
| UV-DTF Stickers |
Tumblers, glass, laptops, hard-surface giveaways |
| Custom Apparel |
Full printed garments, not just transfers |
| Design Library |
Ready-to-press seasonal and themed artwork |
Every DTF transfer prints full-colour with a white underbase. Works on black, navy, heather, and anything else. No weeding, no layering, no pre-treatment.
Who We Print For Uptown
Conferences and conventions — Charlotte Convention Center and Spectrum Center events ordering staff shirts, volunteer apparel, exhibitor merch, and attendee giveaways.
Corporate teams — The banking, energy, and professional services offices across the Uptown wards ordering team apparel, onboarding kits, offsite merch, and client gifts.
Restaurants, bars and breweries — Front-of-house uniforms, kitchen tees, and retail merch for venues along Tryon, College, and through the EpiCentre area.
Hotels and hospitality — Department-specific staff apparel where one gang sheet covers every role.
Sports and game day — Bars, tailgate groups, supporter clubs, and small brands producing original fan apparel around Bank of America Stadium, Truist Field, and Spectrum Center. See the FAQ below on team logos — this one has rules.
Arts and nonprofits — Levine Center for the Arts organizations, Discovery Place, galleries, and community groups ordering volunteer and event apparel.
Agencies and event producers — Brand activations, pop-ups, and street teams working on client turnarounds.
Print shops and resellers — Uptown-based operations who press but do not print, and want a supplier close enough to collect from.
Pickup Two Miles From Trade and Tryon
2326 Distribution St, Charlotte, NC 28203 Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET +1 980 384 3166 · support@dtfnc.com
Working to a Deadline
Order before 12:00 PM ET — prints and ships that business day, Monday to Friday.
After the cutoff — prints the next business day. If the timing is tight, call us at +1 980 384 3166 before you place the order rather than after.
Same-week collection — choose local pickup instead of shipping and remove the courier from your timeline entirely.
Ordering ahead of a big event? Order a free sample pack first and press a test garment. Finding out your press settings are off on the morning of the event is not a good day.
Pressing Your Transfers
| Fabric |
Temperature |
Time |
| Cotton — first press |
300–310°F |
8–10 seconds |
| Cotton — second press |
300–310°F |
3–5 seconds |
| Polyester blends |
~300°F |
7–9 seconds |
| 100% polyester |
250–285°F |
3–8 seconds |
Pressure: Firm and even. Uneven pressure is the most common cause of adhesion failure.
Peeling: Cold peel is what we recommend — let it cool fully, then lift the film, rubbing with a cloth if it resists. Instant peel works if you prefer: lift in one motion straight off the press.
Two things to watch:
- Do not press the colour ribbon along the edge of the transfer roll. It will not come off the garment.
- Keep pockets, seams, buttons, and zippers out of the press area.
Full guidance on our Heat Press Instructions page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast can I get transfers in Uptown? Order before 12:00 PM ET Monday to Friday and we print and ship within 24 hours. Choose local pickup and you can collect from Distribution Street, two miles from Trade and Tryon.
Can I print Panthers, Hornets, Knights or Charlotte FC logos? No — not without written permission from the rights holder. Professional team names, logos, and marks are trademarked, and that applies to fan merch, bar merch, and event giveaways alike. What you can print is original artwork: your own designs referencing the city, the sport generally, or your own brand. If you are unsure whether a design clears, send it over before you order.
Do you handle large event orders? Yes. There is no upper limit, and gang sheets keep multi-design jobs efficient. For anything substantial, submit a Custom Apparel Inquiry so we can quote and schedule it properly rather than running it through standard checkout.
Is there a minimum order? No. Five transfers or five thousand.
What file format should I send? PNG with a transparent background at 300 DPI or higher. Vector files are fine too. Logos pulled from a website or social media will print soft — ask your client or designer for the source file.
Will DTF work on dark shirts? Yes. Every transfer prints with a white underbase, so colours hold on black, navy, and dark garments.
Can I brand tumblers and glassware, not just apparel? Yes — that is UV-DTF. Same ordering process, built for hard surfaces.
Do you do tax-exempt orders? Yes, for qualifying nonprofits, schools, and arts organizations. Submit your certificate through our Tax Exempt page.
Can I see quality before committing? Order a free sample pack and press it yourself.
Do you print the garments too, or only transfers? Both. Submit a Custom Apparel Inquiry for finished printed garments.
H2: Uptown Areas We Serve
First Ward · Second Ward · Third Ward · Fourth Ward · Trade & Tryon · Convention Center district · Spectrum Center · Bank of America Stadium · Truist Field · Romare Bearden Park · Levine Center for the Arts · Camp North End · NoDa · South End · Zip codes 28202, 28203, 28204, 28206
Call to Action
On a Deadline?
Upload your artwork before noon and we print today. Collect it from Distribution Street or have it shipped free over $100.
Call +1 980 384 3166 or email support@dtfnc.com, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET. If your timing is tight, call before you order — we will tell you honestly whether it is achievable.
