If you are going to buy a DTF printer and want to know more about DTF printing, you are going to the right place.
I will list 5 hidden costs that people always ignore and later i will write a comprehensive post of DTF printing hidden costs, i hope this post could help you to get the bsst machine.
Ink consume and printheads
When we start to produce DTF printers several years ago, there are a lot videos on youtube that teach people to convert their own printer to DTF and to find out why people like these converted desktop DTF printer. We bought a Epson L1800 and convert it to a DTF printer but ends up in pain. Tons of errors when printing I.e. stops halfway through, rip error codes, window write codes, ink pad counter, etc. It print well at first, the printer functional well and print looks fine, but things get weired in the second week, our well trained engineer tired of solving those constantly uncountable tricky problems and clean the heads again and again to keep the heads work normall. Cleaning heads consume inks and if you dot it constantly, you will soon find out the waste ink tank is fully contained with wast inks. we have to change the L1390 printheads and change it again every month before we finally finish the tests.
For those guys with electronic repir and digital printer expertise may deal with these converted desktp DTFprinters, if you have regular printing work and don’t spend too much time on the printers, a high quality heat press and DTF printer with powder shaker could save you alot time.
The design
The design you made could make a giant different during the shirts DTF printing work. If you don’t own a DTF printer yet and get your transfers from companies with commercial DTF printers, it’s neccessary to outsourcing your design to different suppliers. Different suppliers have different print qualities and levels of customer service, so if you’re new to graphic design and do not know if your graphics will print well, find a company that will help you sort out your graphics before they print them. There’s nothing worse than investing your hard-earned money and receiving unusable transfers because the company just printed out your order even when they know that it will come out bad.
Also, find a printer that prints out custom gang sheets so you can Tetris the living daylights out of the printable area and minimize your cost. Another reason to leave a blank space on the design is to level up the feel of touch and the breathable of the shirts, not may peopl choose
RIP Software and ICC profile(printing curve)
The RIP software and ICC (International Colour Consortium profile) will have an impact on the printing effect and consume of inks. the software settings and printing curve choice will also have an impact on control ink usage, reduce waste, and lower printing costs. Set the ink dot to medium and select the appropriate scale unit in the software and choose the ICC file before the print work. All parameters must be set appropriately for the printer to produce the best results and not waste extra inks.
Daily Maintanence
If you want to print whenever there is a need exist and leave it alone for a week or a could of days cause you don’t have anything to print, then you making a mistake.
DTF printing requies white ink as a base and print other color on the white ink, like UV printing, but white ink is more tricky to handle compre to other color inks. White ink always sediment cause it contains titanium dioxide and it’s heavier amoung other component in th white ink bottle. When you finish you daily work and leave it along for a couple days, and when you turn it on, you probably found the printheads that print white ink clogged and take some time to solve that problem. Time is not the only thing that you have to spend, but also inks, for the people with expertise in DTF printers, it can be a easy thing to handle, but for someone just bought the printer, proably a big problem, see this article to find out how to deal with it when you find you printheads clogged.
Image’s format
The quality of image and the the format will decide the final result, the PNG format graphic is a more ideal choice for printing because it doesn’t have a white backgroud, and the formats like JPG,JPEG aren’t as suitable for printing. AAlso, be careful not to compress your image too much, losing too many pixels can prevent the RIP software from optimizing it properly, which could lead to lower resolution prints.
In the end
Investing in a DTF printer can definitely pay off, but it’s important to keep an eye on those hidden costs that often fly under the radar. From how much ink you’ll go through and the upkeep of printheads to the need for solid designs and the right software settings, every detail matters when it comes to your printing experience.By getting a handle on these factors, you can make smart choices that boost your print quality while keeping costs in check. As you dive into the world of DTF printing, remember that regular maintenance and some thoughtful planning can save you both time and money down the road.I hope this article has helped clarify some of the complexities of DTF printing and guides you in picking the best machine for your needs. Be sure to check back for my upcoming post where I’ll dive deeper into all the hidden costs tied to DTF printing. With the right info and tools, you’ll be set up for success in this exciting field.