Frequently Asked Questions About DTG

Direct to garment printers are a huge investment, which is why its so important to understand what youre getting in for when you finally purchase one. People have a lot of questions when it comes to DTG printing and there can be a lot of misinformation.Its time to clear up some of the confusion by discussing a few questions that were asked frequently.

How much does it cost to print?The first thing that most people want to know is how much it costs to print each t-shirt. This number is dependent on a few factors.

Obviously, the machine that youre using and the size of the print affects the cost. However, the most influential factor will be whether or not youre using white ink.For designs on light garments that dont require white ink, youre looking at a cost of less than 20p for a large print.

However, white ink designs can bump up your cost to around 1 or over. The reason for this huge jump is that, while all inks cost the same to buy, when you print with white ink youre essentially printing a full layer, thick under-base so you end up putting down more white.The good news is that there are methods to reduce this cost.

All machines from DTG Digital Europe come with One Pass Fast, which prints colour and white together in one pass rather than printing them separately and therefore reduces the amount of ink thats used. While the print might not be as powerful, it is still up to industry standards and offers a great alternative if you want faster and less costly prints.Ive heard bad things about white inkWhite ink can be problematic but thankfully most machine manufacturers have included measures to make it easier for you.

White ink includes titanium dioxide, so if you leave it sitting still for too long then it will separate from its binder. This will cause your ink to get progressively thicker and it could end up clogging your pipes, causing problems with themachine. To prevent this, most machines come with some form of white ink management system such as a pressurised system or a method to keep the ink moving regularly.

However, this means that your machine shouldnt be turned off overnight. Instead, you will want to leave your machine on standby and ensure that your ink is moved around by the white ink management system every 12 hours.If youre thinking about purchasing a DTG printer then we would definitely advise that you talk to your supplier about the machines white ink management system.

Privately sold machines are cheaper, should I just buy one of those?Its true, you can pick up privately sold DTG printers for much less but think about what youll miss out on. First, you wont have any warranty or technical support on the machine.

This means that if something goes wrong, youre stuck trying to solve the issue alone. The problem could be something as simple as a small mistake that youre making but you wouldnt know. By purchasing the machine from a reliable supplier, you know that youll have the support you need to help you fix the issue and theyll get you printing again ASAP.

Also, consider the fact that new users probably wont receive the training thats required. While it could be tempting to just learn as you print, mistakes could end up costing you a lot of money. Using your DTG printer incorrectly, such as having the print heads too close to a pre-treated garment, could lead to a machine that doesnt work properly and a bill that needs paying to fix it.

Being able to rely on your supplier to have your back could be a lot better in the long run than that initial price reduction.Any other advice?DTG printers can definitely be a worthwhile investment, just be sure to do your research first to ensure that its the right fit for you and your business.

Direct to garment printers need to be used regularly so if you expect yours to be sat still and unused for long periods of time then it may be advisable to look into alternative print methods.Finally, listen to your supplier when they tell you what maintenance your machine will need. It may seem excessive to have daily, weekly and monthly maintenance routines, but your machine will work much better in the long run if you stick to them.

Giving up a small portion of your time is definitely much more preferable than a faulty machine.If youre interested in getting started with DTG or just looking for something new, check out our great range of DTG printers or give us a call on 01623 863343.Find out more about us at published at yourembroideryservices.

wordpress. com on October 30, 2018.