Learn how to print with foil on your Anajet garment printer

STEP 1: Image Prep

Now before we start printing we need to get our graphic ready for print, Very simple. Now if your going to use gold foil like I am you must turn your image some sort of yellow first, (foil works better when using same color in your graphic, gold/yellow foil=yellow/gold graphics). Depending on the shade of yellow I use It will have a different effect, (ex: bright yellow will give you the brightest yellow foil, while a yellow/orange color will give you a bronze Foil)

Read more on  Garment Printing Foil Application for AnaJet Garment Printers

The Price of ink for your Brother GT-541 Garment Printer

How important is the price of ink for your Brother GT-541 Garment Printer?

when I looked around the web, I noticed that a set of CMYK for the Brother GT-541 was around $800!!  I wondered how many shirts can you do for that price?  Is it even economical??

Being in the Garment Ink business, I knew that Brother wasn’t using the “industry standard” DuPont ink that 90% of the other Epson based Garment Printers were using and knew it was going to be quite difficult to find someone who would set out to replicate the Brother OEM ink.  Well, it didnt take long because an ink industry expert, Sawgrass had already begun long ago and came up with a Brother OEM Replacement ink that is simply Plug and Play.  Color profiles are right on…and believe it or not, the colorfastness is actually better.

So now GPI (www.garmentprinterink.com) is carrying these incredible ink cartridges for the Brother GT-541 Garment Printer and they are $50 less than the Brother OEM ink cartridges.  Yes, you heard right…that’s 25% more savings for ink that performs actually better than the original ink.

So my question is….what would it take for a Brother GT-541 owner to “take a chance” and Switch??

Design Tips for Great Direct-to-Garment Prints

During the course of 16 years creating artwork and separations for screen printing, my company, Great Dane Graphics, has witnessed plenty of change — but none so transformative as the influx of digital direct-to-garment inkjet printers. The beauty of these machines is that setup times are a thing of the past; also, there are no films needed, no screens to burn, no messy emulsion. You just make your art file look good and print it. And there’s the key to using digital direct-to-garment printers — making your art file look good.

Some art files might seem fine when you first open them, but getting top quality inkjet prints on fabric can require quite a few adjustments in your graphics software. The good news is that once you learn these steps for optimizing artwork, they’ll become second nature to you, and you’ll be able to open files and maximize them for printing in 30 seconds or so.

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Perfect nozzle checks on your Garment Printer

When trying to get your perfect nozzle checks every day you should remember a couple of things. First if it takes more than 15 head cleanings you should stop and do maintenance, because you are just wasting ink at this point. The first thing I check is the wiper because if it’s not doing what it’s suppose to the machine will never get a good nozzle check. The easiest way to determine this is to do more than one nozzle check and see if the nozzles that are not showing jump around. If this is the case you can refer to my website for a video on removing the wiper and cleaning it.  After you have replaced the wiper, do a couple more head cleanings and then do a nozzle check, it should be corrected by then. If it doesn’t then give your support line a call for further trouble shooting help.

Good websites to keep up with the Direct to Garment marketplace

http://ping.fm/ctzxb
This is the busiest of all the garment printer forums
http://ping.fm/sV9r1
The private DTG forums
http://ping.fm/K0yAL
This is a Forum run by a Brother distributor
http://ping.fm/joAza
Decent forum, though not heavily visited yet
http://ping.fm/pmSuv
US Screen forum, really quiet lately, but still worth checking periodically

And of course www.garmentprinterink.com for the lowest prices on ink for your Anajet, DTG, Neoflex, Fast T-Jet, FreeJet, MelcoJet and so many more.

Clogged Ink Channels on your DTG or AnaJet garment printer?

Try replacing the dampers and make sure there is a small hole in the bottle cap and it is not clogged. Then try sucking the color up with a Garment Printer Ink syringe first, however If there was air in the lines and ink dried in the head, you can try flushing and back flushing. You could also try soaking the print head in Garment Printer cleaning solution, just get some in the capping station and let it sit there.  (to save money, you can also try the cleaning solution refillable cartridges for Anajet and Epson 3000 printers)

Hopefully you don’t have to spring for a new print head.

No more US Screen..but I still have the best prices on Fast T-Jet Ink and Anajet Inks

As we bid farewell to USscreen and grind our teeth about our worthless warranty…let us all breathe a sigh of relief that there are still parts, service AND Ink available. Bye bye US Screen…it’s been err, ugh…disappointing……

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On a brighter note, I want to thank everyone for making April my best month
ever.We were flooded with orders and have received some really funny and sincere testimonials back.

Dean

Dude,you are hysterical…thank God your Ink is
serious.Everything is working great and
you can expect many orders to come

Dan – t-shirts n more

Garment Printer Ink,

I have to admit, I was a little worried buying your ink, but it worked
fine.I even mixed it with my
remainingFastINK without a hitch.You can expect a full order from me in a minute.The Pre Treatment offer was really smart….ya
can’t beat that deal.

Monty M

GF Imprints

Hey Dean,

Thanks for making me feel bad about my mullet.You said you wanted a referral..well, here it
is.I have used this ink in both of my
Fast T-Jets and extremely happy.For one…I
get the same results….two….IT SAVES ME MONEY!!!.Your two free liters of Pre Treatment offer
put it over the edge, however the price alone was enough to make me
switch.Shipping was fast, it was packed
nice and of course your top notch service! I have no problem recommending your INK to
anyone. PS. Can I shampoo my Ferret with it??

Johnny Ingalls

Blue Ferret Signs

—————————————————————————

Buy one complete set of CMYK inks (yellow, magenta, cyan
and black) and get TWO free liters of pre-treatment! ($50 value)…..(Go to the Fast T-Jet Ink Special)

How about an AWSOME deal
on White Ink…..Buy 2 Liters of White Ink and get $20 OFF your order (call in
orders only..631-858-0114)

I know
you have questions…..call me at 631-858-0114

And don’t forget about my world renowned embroidery repair training DVD’s (ok, the
world’s only embroidery repair training DVD’s) that can be found on www.embroiderytraining

New DTG Digital Garment Printer: The DTG Viper

 

DTG Viper Inkjet Digital Garment Printer DTG Viper from ColDesi.   The DTG Viper Garment Printer is a 17” inch wide printer that incorporates the patent pending WIMS (white ink management system) and pressurized constant ink feed re‐circulation system that is a complete innovation of garment printers worldwide. The WIMS system offers a manageable white ink production process that delivers superior detail, vibrancy and a level of consistency unheard of in other direct to garment printers. The DTG brand is globally well known as a true innovator in the garment decorating industry and the new DTG viper will reinforce that reputation ever more. The DTG Viper ink‐jet garment printer is the culmination of 4 years of ongoing research and development and it was designed to meet the needs of all embroiderers, screen‐printers, color studios, kiosk operators and garment decorators world wide

The DTG viper was engineered from the ground up to offer higher speed prints with acute accuracy (utilizing precise engineering solutions that are unrivaled in this industry) and most importantly, white ink printing reliability!!

Read more here

New RIP Software, for DTG Digital Garment Printers

New RIP Software, for DTG Digital Garment Printers

The latest version of DTG’s RIP software, RipPro v. 4.0, allows users to automatically format designs to be sent to their DTG direct-to-garment digital printers from an open graphic file without needing to have the program on that computer. Multiple users also can share the program via a server.

Operators can print directly from Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or CorelDRAW—or directly from the RIP. Other features include seamless step and repeat for textile printing, PostScript Level 3.0 support, simultaneous RIP and print, RIP once and print many, and dithering to control the placement and shape of the dot to create a smooth image. It also has the capacity to drive multiple garment printers at the same time to increase production. For more information contact:

Read more here

Marketing Ideas for your DTG Digital Garment Printer

Amercian Flag Shirt

Congratulations on your investment into a DTG Digital Garment Printer. Now it’s time to get down to making money with this exciting machine. There’s a seemingly endless number of angles you can take to be successful with your DTG, following you will find a few of these options.

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What is Digital Garment Printing?

What is Digital Garment printing? (or known as apparel printing, direct to substrate printing or DTG digital direct to garment printing)

What is Digital Garment printing?

The Decorated Apparel Industry was taken by storm in late 2004 when some of the first commercial based direct-to-garment printers were released. Before you can truly understand why DTG digital garment printing has become so popular, you will need to understand some background history.

For years, if you wanted to print a couple of cotton shirts you would use either digital transfer paper or try to screen print the order. Both of these decorating methods have their positives, but they also come with negatives. Digital transfers allow you to create as little as a one-off shirt via a standard desktop inkjet or laser printer. The cost to make a single transfer can range from $0.50 to $2.50 depending on what ink and paper is used by your printer. However, the transfer paper is covered with a polymer (AKA adhesive) that glues the ink to the top of the shirt. The polymer typically will leave a hand where it is applied and can discolor the shirt or create a window around your graphic. New transfer papers have been released that either minimize the window or uses a 2-step process to eliminate the window completely.

Read More

 

Digital Direct To Garment Printers updates on Wetpaint

Digital Direct To Garment Printers updates on Wetpaint
Read more about the garment printing industry.

 

Digital Garment Printer Video Page

Digital Garment Printer Video Page on Magnify.net
http://digital-garment-printers.magnify.net/

DTG Large Format Digital Direct to Garment Printer Video

DTG Large Format Digital Direct to Garment Printer  Video

This is a great video about the DTG Bullet, from DTG Digital. This Printer is a Large Format DTG Digital Garment Printer and can print stuff like large beach towels or even an 8 shirt setup. check it out… Or for more info, visit
www.swfeast.com/en/dtg.asp

How do I know if DTG printing is right for me

Inkjet direct-to-garment (DTG) digital printers have captured the industry’s attention with numerous suppliers introducing cutting-edge equipment that can quickly and easily produce some amazing looking prints. If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge, but have questions about how to pick the right printer, here’s a guide to getting started on your shopping journey. “How do I know if DTG printing is right for me?”

Inkjet direct-to-garment (DTG) digital printers have captured the industry’s attention with numerous suppliers introducing cutting-edge equipment that can quickly and easily produce some amazing looking prints. If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge, but have questions about how to pick the right printer, here’s a guide to getting started on your shopping journey. “How do I know if DTG printing is right for me?”

Actually, this is an easy question to answer. Whether you’re a screen printer, embroiderer, trophy and awards dealer, sign shop or other type of business, the answer depends on this: If you’re looking to expand your decorating repertoire with the ability to handle short- to medium-run orders, then DTG technology may be perfect for you. On the other hand, if you are a high volume contract shop, you have different variables to consider.

Read more

Pros and cons of digital garment printing with white ink

Printing Dark Shirts – The Scoop
Digital t-shirt printers have forever changed the way that we view t-shirt decoration.  Once you have decided to buy a digital t-shirt printing machine you are faced with not only a brand decision of whether you want and/or need the ability to print on dark garments.  Do you buy a dtg garment printer that uses white ink or not?

There are several pros and cons to digital garment printing with white ink.  They range from the cost of the actual output, to the added maintenance to the learning curve.  When you boil it all down, the decision to use white ink is really based on the market you will be addressing, your willingness to learn and your expectations of return on your investment.  Buying a direct to garment printer with white ink can be a great boost to your business – if the pros outweigh the cons.

Pros and Cons of Printing Dark Shirts

So, you’ve decided to add a direct to garment printer to your existing apparel decoration business or even to start a business based on direct to garment printing.  One of the first things to consider is the marketplace you will be selling to – simple example – are you selling to motorcycle clubs that require Harley Davidson style shirts?  If so, no doubt you will be printing a lot of black shirts – white ink is a necessity.  Unfortunately, not all situations are that cut and dried.

When you are considering whether your garment printer should have the ability to print on dark garments you should know and weigh the pros and cons.  Why is this so important?  Some printers, like the Brother GT 541 Digital Garment Printer, the Mimaki garment printer and the Sawgrass Direct Advantage printer do not offer a white ink solution at this time.  Other printers, like the DTG line of t-shirt printing machines, the Fast T-Jet machines by US Screen Printing and the Flexi-Jet garment ink jet printer offer white ink either as standard or an option.  By determining whether white ink is necessary for your business up front, you can quickly narrow your choices and save time researching printers that do not fit your needs.  Surveys of t-shirt blank distributors confirm that a full 70% of the t-shirts they sell for decoration are NOT white.

What exactly are the pros and cons of using digital t-shirt printers with white ink?  Let’s look at the cons first:

 

Application of DTG Digital Garment Printer White Ink Pre-Treatment Solution

DTG INK APPLICATION GUIDELINE for DTG digital garment printers

Application of DTG White Ink Pre-Treatment Solution

DTG Digital Garment Printers is committed to providing you with the most up to date information regarding the processes surrounding the evolution and development of the Direct To Garment printing process. The information provided below will give some additional and most current information for the best methods of application and process to give you the best prints and wash-ability.

Benefits of this improved pretreatment include:• Fewer  garment printed t-shirt defects
• Less sensitivity to fading due to UV Exposure
• Reduced post-pressing shine

The DTG White Ink Pre-Treatment solution is for use only with DTG white ink. In order to achieve consistent and even white prints on dark or light colored cotton fabrics, proper application of the DTG Garment Printer White Ink Pre-Treatment solution must be practiced. Application of the pretreatment solution is key to obtaining white opacity and ink adhesion to the fabric.

Equipment needed for proper DTG White Ink Pre-Treatment solution application:

• N95 Approved Respirator (3MTM Model # 8210 or similar)
• Foam Roller (the type used for painting)
• Liquid Mistifier (airbrush, air pump sprayer, fine mist power sprayer, such as Wagner® Power Sprayer Model HVLP)
• T-shirt Press
• DTG Release Paper – Part# – DTGRPAPER (In some cases, parchment paper with silicone base may cause insufficient bonding issues)

Digital inkjet to garment printers

Great Squidoo lens about Digital Garment Printers, with a whole bunch of good articles, videos and helpful links.

read more | digg story

Why DTG Garment Printing over Screen Printing

These are my Top 8 angles / reasons I use to recommend or up sell a customer on DTG Digital Garment Printing. (in no particular order)

-Image Quality (digital garment print image quality)
-Unlimited # of Colors ( customers like the option of unlimited color choices on garment prints)
-Fast Turn Around (garment printers can offer same day service)
-Prints on Multiple color shirts (digital garment prints are not limited by screens set up & ink setups so you can print on multiple color garments)
-4 color process on Front & Back of the Shirt ( forget 1-2 color fronts and 2-3 color backs, because your customers will forget every shop who told them, that was their only choice! unless they want to pay $20 a shirt, of course…)
-Extra Soft Hand (Digital Garment Prints have one of, if not the softest feel of any garment print)
-Multiple Versions of Design (Example: A High School Sports Team might need 4 different Versions of a shirt- Parents, Coaches, Athletes, & Volunteers)
-Reasonably priced reprints Or Scheduled day each month to print any new shirt orders(keeps min down upfront & helps prevent wasting money on extra shirts that don’t sell)

Over the next month or so in this blog, I plan on elaborating and expanding upon each of these 8 angles for selling DTG direct to garment digital printing over screen printing and how it will help you sell more garments at a higher profit margin.

Garment Printers Page on Squidoo has a lot of good information

http://www.squidoo.com/inkjettogarmentprinters - Learn about getting the best price on ink for Anajet, melcojet, sprint, DTG Garment Printer, Fast T-jet, Flexi-jet, Advantage ,Dupont Ink, DuPont Inks ,garment printing , bulk refill, Dupont ink cartridges, Melco G2, M R idot, neoflex, blazer pro, FastTjet express, MS1, texjet, flexi-jet, velocijet, white ink, kiosk, HM1, DTG Viper, Pretreatment, Printing Foil and neoflex garment printers