MajorDTF
Prep a file

Automations

Every DTF job starts the same way: a logo that's too small, on a white background, or both. These free n8n workflow templates wire the MajorDTF API into your shop so the cleanup happens automatically — drop artwork in, get a print-ready 300 DPI transparent PNG out. You need an n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted) and an API key from your account → API keys. Each successful prep costs 1 credit; failed calls are never billed.

The 2-minute starter — any shop, any stack

Exposes a webhook: POST an image URL to it, get the finished print file back. Works with anything that can make an HTTP request — a form, a Slack command, a hot-folder watcher, your order system.

Download starter template ↓
  1. In n8n: Workflows → Import from file and pick the downloaded JSON.
  2. Create a Bearer Auth credential containing your mdtf_live_... key and assign it to the MajorDTF - Prep Artwork node.
  3. Activate the workflow, then test it:
curl -X POST https://your-n8n.example.com/webhook/dtf-prep \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"image_url":"https://example.com/customer-logo.png","width_in":11,"garment_color":"#1a1a1a"}' \
  --output print-ready.png

garment_color is optional — pass the shirt hex to knock that colour out and blend halftones against it. width_in defaults to 11. The response is the PNG itself; swap the last node for a Google Drive, Dropbox, or S3 upload if you'd rather store files than return them.

Full Printavo pipeline — what we run ourselves

The complete hands-off pipeline running daily in a real print shop. It polls Printavo for invoices in a "Ready for DTF Processing" status, preps every imprint's artwork, uploads finished files to a per-invoice Google Drive folder, attaches them back to the invoice as production files, and advances the invoice status. Any failure flags the invoice with an error status and emails you — no silent failures, and a Postgres lock prevents double-processing.

Download Printavo template ↓
  1. Import the JSON — a sticky note inside walks you through every step below.
  2. MajorDTF credential — Bearer Auth with your key → assign to MajorDTF - Prep Artwork.
  3. Printavo credential — Custom Auth sending your Printavo API email + token headers → assign to the Printavo HTTP nodes.
  4. Status IDs — create three Printavo statuses (e.g. Ready for DTF Processing, DTF Files Processed, DTF Error) and replace the three REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_..._STATUS_ID placeholders.
  5. Google Drive — assign your Drive OAuth credential and set your parent folder ID.
  6. Failure email — assign an SMTP credential and your address.
  7. Run it manually against one test invoice before activating the schedule.

Day to day, your workflow becomes: drag the invoice to Ready for DTF Processing and walk away. Files appear on the invoice and in Drive a minute later. Not on Printavo? The pattern — poll your shop system, prep, store, attach, advance status — ports directly to shopVOX, DecoNetwork, or Shopify.

Or: have AI build a custom version for you

Our own production automation wasn't built by hand — it was built by an AI coding agent talking to n8n's MCP server. If your stack doesn't match a template, describe your shop and let the agent build around your tools.

1. Connect your agent to your n8n

n8n ships an official MCP server. Generate an access token on your instance, then (Claude Code shown — any MCP-capable agent works):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://YOUR-N8N-INSTANCE/mcp-server/http",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_N8N_MCP_TOKEN" }
    }
  }
}

2. Paste this prompt and fill in the brackets

Build me an n8n workflow that automates DTF print-file preparation using the
MajorDTF API, deployed to my connected n8n instance via the n8n MCP server.

MY SHOP:
- Order management: [Printavo / shopVOX / DecoNetwork / Shopify / spreadsheet / none]
- Artwork arrives via: [order attachments / email / a Google Drive folder / web form]
- Finished files should go to: [Google Drive / Dropbox / S3 / attached back to the order]
- Trigger: [poll my order system every N minutes / webhook / watch a folder]

THE MAJORDTF API (1 credit per successful call, billed on success only):
- POST https://worker.majordtf.com/v1/prep
  Auth: "Authorization: Bearer mdtf_live_..." (I'll add the key as an n8n
  Bearer Auth credential myself — never hardcode it).
  Body: { "image_url": "<public url>", "print_width_in": 11,
          "garment_colors": ["#1a1a1a"],
          "thickness_protection": false }
  Returns: { "file_url": "<signed 24h url>", "width": ..., "height": ... }
  The file_url is a 300 DPI transparent PNG, print-ready. Download it promptly
  (24h expiry) and store it — don't pass the signed URL around as permanent.
- Also available: POST /v1/vectorize (raster → SVG), POST /v1/recolor
  (colour swap / tint), POST /v1/gangsheet. Docs: majordtf.com/docs/api

REQUIREMENTS:
- Follow the n8n MCP server's build procedure: get_sdk_reference first, then
  get_workflow_best_practices, search_nodes, get_node_types, validate as you go.
- Use n8n credentials for every secret. No keys in Code nodes.
- Handle failures explicitly: if a prep call fails, flag the order / notify me
  rather than failing silently.
- Add a sticky note in the workflow documenting every setup step I need to do.
- Create the workflow INACTIVE and tell me how to test it with one order
  before I activate it.

3. Test, then activate

The agent creates the workflow inactive. Run it once on a test order, check the output PNG (300 DPI? background gone? right print width?), then activate.

Full field reference for every endpoint: API docs. Calling from an agent instead of n8n? See the MCP docs. Built a version for another platform? We'd love to feature it — get in touch.