--- title: "Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More Announces Partnership with Axiom America for Direct-to-Film (DTF) Printers" url: https://burnaze.com/article/6c0be5d9-6cc9-4e13-b61b-61ce5c6218af source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20230919_big_frog_custom_tshirts__more_announces_partnership_with_axiom_america_for_.html category: "Specialty retail" industry: "Retail" segment: "Specialty retail" published: 2023-09-19T12:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T22:32:48.052Z image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1524749292158-7540c2494485?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop --- # Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More Announces Partnership with Axiom America for Direct-to-Film (DTF) Printers **TL;DR:** Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More has partnered with Axiom America to introduce Direct-to-Film (DTF) printers to nearly 100 Big Frog locations. The partnership enables Big Frog to add a full gamut of apparel printing in-house and bring the latest in garment printing technology to its customers. *originally published in Franchising.com on 2023-09-19. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20230919_big_frog_custom_tshirts__more_announces_partnership_with_axiom_america_for_.html).* ## Story DUNEDIN, Fla. - Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More and Axiom America have formed a partnership to introduce Axiom’s state-of-the-art Arcus Direct-to-Film (DTF) printers to nearly 100 Big Frog shops. This agreement enables Big Frog to add a full gamut of apparel printing in-house and bring the latest in garment printing technology to its customers. Big Frog is a pioneer of direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, giving the stores the ability to complete many custom garment orders while customers wait. The addition of DTF printing gives consumers another choice in eco-conscious apparel decorating techniques. Stores can produce more orders without having to outsource to screen printers, saving time and money, and offering greater convenience. &The DTF process involves printing onto a film and applying the film to apparel items, producing bright, full-color, high-resolution images. It’s a more efficient, environmentally friendly, water-based technique that eliminates the harsh chemicals used in traditional screen printing. There is a 14-inch machine ideal for smaller shops, with a footprint of 3 feet by 6 feet. A larger, 24-inch machine has more capacity and a 4 foot by 9 foot footprint. Big Frog Co-Founder, President, and CEO Tina Bacon-DeFrece, Ph.D. is pleased with the partnership. “We continually seek to expand our printing capabilities and offer more deco options to our customers,” said Bacon-DeFrece. “DTF printing also creates less of an environmental impact, which aligns well with Big Frog’s commitment to ‘green’ production processes.” Axiom's Managing Partners and brothers, Brian Belk and Brad Belk, are equally enthusiastic. Said Brian Belk, “We are excited to partner with Big Frog. The collaboration we experienced during beta testing demonstrates this move is a great fit for both companies.” “I’m proud to say this is our first national exclusive relationship with a respected, established brand,” added Brad Belk. “We look forward to working with Big Frog in the years to come.” Big Frog Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Ron DeFrece, Vice President of Operations Paul Bowes, and the team at Big Frog’s headquarters tested the printers extensively. Next, they unveiled the new technology to franchise owners at Frog-A-Thon, the brand’s nationwide conference. Finally, a pilot group of franchise owners tested the printers in their stores. “Our store owners put the DTF machines through their paces in just about every real-world situation imaginable,” said DeFrece. “Axiom came out on top, both technically and in terms of their customer service.” Bowes agreed, stating, “Brian and his team could not be more responsive, professional, and enjoyable to work with. The DTF machines have been well received by our franchisees.” The partnership establishes Big Frog as an authorized dealer for Axiom America’s DTF technology and expands Axiom’s national footprint Axiom America has been providing quality products and comprehensive manufacturing solutions for textile decoration since 2004. Based in High Point, N.C., Axiom has three regional offices and shipping centers spanning the United States. They combine best-in-class products with unparalleled manufacturing consulting and technical support for emerging and established businesses. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Dunedin, Florida, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More, Inc. has over 75 stores across the United States and Canada. Stores are independently owned and operated. They specialize in Direct-to-Garment (DTG) and Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing and offer a wide range of other custom apparel decorating services. They offer free design help, no minimums, no art/setup fees, and fast turnaround. Find a Big Frog store: BIGFROG. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - franchise expansion (topic) - Retail (sector) - partnership (topic) - Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More (company) - Tina Bacon-DeFrece (person) - Ron DeFrece (person) - Axiom America (company) - Brian Belk (person) - Brad Belk (person) - Paul Bowes (person) - dtf printing (topic) --- Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20230919_big_frog_custom_tshirts__more_announces_partnership_with_axiom_america_for_.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/6c0be5d9-6cc9-4e13-b61b-61ce5c6218af).