How to Make UV DTF stickers with the EufyMake E1 UV Printer

UV DTF Stickers are quickly gaining popularity and the price of doing UV sticker printing at home is rapidly dropping - thanks to the EufyMake E1!

eufymake,EufyMake E1,UV DTF printer,uv dtf stickers,UV printer,

In this tutorial I'm going to walk you through your very first UV DTF sticker on the EufyMake E1 from start to finish. We're talking design setup in EufyMake Studio, choosing the right sticker profile, printing, laminating, and applying it to a tumbler.

I'll also show you the software quirks you need to know about, the error message you can safely ignore, and why the built-in sticker profile works better than creating your own.

I have a full video walking through every single step if you want to watch along.

What you need to make UV DTF stickers with the EufyMake E1

Before you start, make sure you have these supplies and equipment:

EufyMake E1 UV Printer

EufyMake Laminator

EufyMake UV DTF Film Sheets

First Coffee Then More Coffee Design or other design from So Fontsy

Check your printer status before you start

This is one of the most important things I can tell you before you dive in. When you open EufyMake Studio, go to the Device Settings screen first and check your printer status before you do anything else.

If you haven't printed in a few days, your machine may be in moisturizing mode. If you skip this check and go straight to designing, you may end up waiting 10-15 minutes before you can print your sticker. It's a good idea to always check first so if you need to inject ink, it can run in the background while you get your design ready.

If your software says "device is busy" when you try to take a snapshot that means the printer has gone into full maintenance mode and you need to do an ink injection before you can print. I have a full video on how to get out of maintenance mode on the EufyMake E1 if you need that.

Set up the mini flatbed with UV DTF sticker film

Before you do anything else in the software, set up your flatbed with the UV DTF film.

For individual stickers, if possible, use the mini flatbed - not the standard flatbed. The mini flatbed takes significantly less time to run the snapshot than the full size one, which adds up fast when you're making multiple stickers.

This is one of two tricks I always use to save time on every EufyMake E1 print. Place your UV DTF sticker film on the mini flatbed and attach it to the machine. Be sure to quickly peel away the protective film on UV DTF film.

Run the snapshot while you set up your design

Go back into EufyMake Studio and from the design area, click "snapshot." This is the camera alignment process that lets the software see exactly what's on your platform bed. Start this running before you upload your design - it runs in the background while you work which will also save you time.

Upload and size your design

Click upload and select your design file.

PNG files work great for stickers.

Your file may come in huge - don't panic just resize it. I'm using this adorable sloth file to print as a UV DTF sticker.

One quirk to know about: the software shows dimensions for height and width, but they don't update correctly when you rotate your design 90 degrees.

Here's the second time-saving trick - rotate your design to landscape orientation rather than portrait. The print head travels back and forth across the full width of the bed on every single pass. A landscape design means fewer passes, which means less print time.

Best print profile for UV DTF stickers

When your design is selected, the ink mode options will appear in the right panel. You'll see a profile called "sticker" in the list. I suggest using this one.

I tested making my own custom sticker profiles and had issues with edges peeling and the sticker not transferring cleanly. The built-in sticker profile has something in it - I think it's an extra layer of gloss or it extends the gloss slightly over the edge of the color layers - that makes the sticker peel and transfer much more reliably. Stick with the default.

If you print with this profile and the white ink is not printing - it's not time to print more white layers, it's time to confirm your white ink is working correctly by doing a test print. Check out my post on how to tell if your EufyMake E1 white ink is actually printing if you need help with that.

Ignore this error message and print

When you click print you're going to get an error message.

My suggestion is to just acknowledge it by clicking "Ignore and Print." It's related to the UV DTF sticker material itself and I've printed many stickers after seeing it with zero issues. If you click "view elements" it literally shows you nothing useful and you'll be back to where you started.

Once you click ignore the software will confirm the printing process is beginning.

Head over to the UV printer and press the start button when it chimes. Your print time will show in the software before it starts and then the printing will begin. White ink will be laid down first, then CMYK, then gloss.

Laminating UV stickers

When the print finishes, carefully remove the sticker film from the bed.

The surface of the UV DTF film will be sticky, but the sticker itself will be cured. But it's not ready yet, you need to laminate it so you can then peel the sticker off the film. The adhesive on the film will then be exposed and is how the sticker will stick to the surface.

Power on the EufyMake laminator and press the heating button. The bottom light will blink orange while it heats up. Once it turns green it's ready to go.

Align your sticker on the left side of the laminator opening and let it feed through.

If it stops feeding automatically just press the play button to pull it through, then hit stop when it comes out the back.

Don't be alarmed when the laminate looks wrinkled as it comes out - that's just the heat. Use the built in cross cutter to cut it from the roll.

Apply the UV DTF sticker to your tumbler

Using scissors or the paper cutter that was included with the laminator, cut down closer to your sticker. You don't need a lot of extra laminate around the edges of your sticker - less laminate actually makes application easier.

The laminate is now acting as a transfer material. You can peel it back and the sticker will come with it exposing the adhesive side of the sticker.

To apply the UV DTF sticker to a tumbler, hold both sides of the laminate film letting the middle drop down. Holding it in a U shape.

Place the center down first, then rock and roll out to each side. Press firmly all the way across. Use a burnishing tool to firmly rub across the entire surface of your sticker.

Now peel. The key to a clean peel on UV DTF is to pull back at a tight angle. You almost need to fold the laminate back on itself. Peel slowly and firmly. You'll see even the tiniest detail elements staying behind on the tumbler. That's exactly what you want.

Why UV DTF stickers beat vinyl for detailed designs

If you're working with intricate designs like the coffee sloth design I used here, there is NO way you'd be weeding and cutting and then layering all of those tiny details with vinyl.

UV DTF handles it all automatically with no cutting, no weeding, no transfer tape fussing. Plus you get that beautiful raised texture that vinyl just can't do.

Ready to print UV DTF stickers? Shop EufyMake E1

👉 EufyMake E1 UV Printer

👉 EufyMake E1 Deluxe Bundle

👉 EufyMake Laminator

👉 EufyMake UV DTF Film Sheets

👉 EufyMake Deluxe Material Kit

👉 EufyMake Extra Ink Set

👉 First Coffee Then More Coffee design - So Fontsy

Want same-day support for your EufyMake E1? I offer personalized one-on-one help and same day support through Silhouette U - use code YOUTUBE for 50% off your first payment.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!

No comments

Thanks for leaving a comment! We get several hundred comments a day. While we appreciate every single one of them it's nearly impossible to respond back to all of them, all the time. So... if you could help me by treating these comments like a forum where readers help readers.

In addition, don't forget to look for specific answers by using the Search Box on the blog. If you're still not having any luck, feel free to email me with your question.