Auto Nesting for DTF Gang Sheets
Kixxl’s auto nesting automatically arranges DTF designs on a gang sheet so your customers waste less film and you print more transfers per sheet. It also supports a Rolling Canvas and Transfers by size.
Kixxl’s auto nesting automatically arranges DTF designs on a gang sheet so your customers waste less film and you print more transfers per sheet. Customers upload their artwork, Kixxl auto-builds and nests it into the tightest layout it can find, and the finished sheet goes straight into your Shopify order. It also supports a rolling canvas for length-based sheets and transfers by size for customers who only need individual designs in set dimensions.
Auto-build and Auto Nesting: How They Work Together
Auto nesting is the automatic arrangement of designs on a sheet so they fit together with as little empty space as possible. Auto-build is the feature that applies nesting for the customer: instead of dragging every design into place by hand, they upload artwork, set quantities, and the builder lays out the sheet for them.
For a DTF shop, Both Matters for two Reasons
First Customers who are new to gang sheets don’t have to learn layout, and secondly you receive print-ready sheets with consistent spacing rather than layouts that waste film.
How Auto-build works in Kixxl?
1. Upload designs
The customer adds their artwork to the builder. (upload formats include PDF, PNG, EPS, SVG, AI and JPG)
2. Set sizes and quantities
The customer chooses how many copies of each design they want and at what size.
3. Auto-build
Kixxl arranges every design on the sheet automatically.
4. Review and adjust
The customer can check the layout and make manual changes such as delete, rotate, flip, edit design etc)
5. Add to cart
The finished gang sheet is added to the Shopify cart and sent to you as a print-ready file.
Sheet Utilization: Why It matters?
Sheet utilization is the share of a gang sheet that is covered by printed designs rather than empty film. Higher utilization means more transfers from the same amount of film, a lower film cost per transfer, and fewer sheets to print for the same orders.
Tight nesting is the main way to raise utilization. Because Kixxl nests designs automatically, customers don’t have to guess at a layout, and your sheets are less likely to carry avoidable gaps.
Rolling Canvas: Build Gang Sheets That Expand With Your Designs
A rolling canvas is a gang sheet that extends in length as the customer adds designs, instead of starting from a fixed sheet size. The customer builds along a roll-width canvas and the sheet grows to fit what they have added.
How a Rolling canvas differs from a fixed-size sheet?
Factor | Fixed-size sheet | Rolling canvas |
|---|---|---|
Sheet length | Chosen before building | Grows as designs are added |
Best for | Customers who know their sheet size | Customers with a variable number of designs |
Pricing | priced per sheet size or Per design | priced by per sq.inch Or flat rate |
Wasted film | Empty space if the sheet is oversized | Less, because the length matches the content |
Rolling Canvas Is Best for:
- Print shops that print from a roll and want orders to match the film they actually use.
- Customers who don’t know how big a sheet they need and would otherwise over-buy a fixed size.
- Mixed orders with many different designs and quantities.
- Kixxl’s Rolling canvas supports upto 360 inches length. once customers reached this length, an additional roll will be added automatically.
DTF Transfer by size: make better use of every transfer sheet
Customers simply upload their image, and the Kixxl builder automatically creates the gang sheet and calculates the price based on the image’s size specifically in square inches. Kixxl’s Transfer by size is perfect for customers who only need a few transfers of one design. It also lets you sell ready-to-press transfers alongside custom gang sheets from the same store.
Flexible Pricing and Artwork Settings
Kixxl gives DTF print shops control over how they sell and prepare custom-size transfers. Set maximum image dimensions, configure size-based pricing, and apply quantity discounts or minimum order values where needed.
Pricing types
- Flat (Per image): Adds a fixed amount per image.
- Percentage: Adds a percentage (e.g., 5%) of the image price.
- Per sq inch: Calculates height × width, then applies the rate and adds it to the image price
How Does Transfer by Size Work?
Kixxl simplifies the process of ordering custom-size DTF transfers:
- Upload your artwork: Customers upload their designs directly through the product page using the configured upload button or upload field.|
- Set the print dimensions: Depending on the shop’s configuration, customers can use predefined sizing options based on the image’s longer side, width, or height.
- Calculate the price: Kixxl calculates the price according to the uploaded image’s area in square inches. Shops can configure flat-rate pricing per square inch or tiered pricing based on image size.
- Prepare the gang sheet: Kixxl automatically generates the gang sheet for the uploaded artwork, helping reduce manual preparation.
- Review and process the order: Shop owners can configure settings such as artwork processing fees, individual pre-cut charges, quantity-based discounts, and rush-order pricing to suit their workflow.
Benefits for Print Shops
With Kixxl’s Transfer by Size, DTF businesses can offer a more flexible ordering experience while automating gang sheet generation and maintaining control over pricing and artwork preparation.
Give customers more flexibility: Let buyers order artwork at their required dimensions instead of restricting them to preset sizes.
Automate price calculation: Calculate pricing from the uploaded image’s area using your configured pricing model.
Reduce manual preparation: Generate gang sheets automatically from customer-uploaded artwork.
Customize your workflow: Configure image limits, artwork processing charges, pre-cut pricing, and other product settings to match your business.
Support different order requirements: Use configurable sizing and quantity-based discounts to accommodate different customer needs.
Kixxl | Transfer by size vs. Fixed gang sheets
Feature | DTF Transfers by size | DTF Gang sheet |
|---|---|---|
Customer orders | Individual transfers in a set size | A full sheet filled with many designs |
Best for | Single designs, small quantities, standard sizes | Many designs, mixed sizes, bulk orders |
Effort | Pick size, upload, choose quantity | Upload and arrange (or auto-build) |
Add auto-nesting to your DTF Print Store
Auto nesting, a Rolling Canvas and Transfers by size , all in one platform.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is auto nesting in a gang sheet builder?
Auto nesting automatically arranges designs on a gang sheet so they fit together with minimal empty space. In Kixxl, it runs as part of auto-build, so customers upload artwork and get a tightly arranged, print-ready sheet without placing each design by hand.
What is the difference between auto-build and auto-nesting?
Nesting is the arrangement logic that packs designs together. Auto-build is the customer-facing feature that uses nesting to create the full sheet automatically from uploaded designs.
What is a rolling gang sheet canvas?
A rolling canvas is a gang sheet that grows in length as designs are added, instead of having a fixed size. It helps customers avoid buying more sheets than they need.
Can customers order DTF transfers by size?
Yes. With transfers by size, a customer picks a dimension such as 4 x 4 in, uploads a design and chooses a quantity, without building a full gang sheet.
Does auto nesting improve sheet utilization?
Yes. Tighter nesting leaves less empty film which increases the sheet utilization and saves cost.
Can I adjust my gang sheet after automatic nesting?
yes, you can still make changes and edit after auto-nesting. you can edit, crop, rotate, flip, delete or duplicate the design.
