Not all dtg machines will be right for your business. Do your homework to find the best dtg printer that fits the needs of your business plan. Don’t believe any sales or marketing figures – do the tests yourself and speak to current owners.
One of the first questions that should come to your mind is “what dtg printer is going to be right for my business”. The key to this question is the “my business” phrase. Not all dtg printers are necessarily a good fit for your business. Thus, it is important that you create a list of dtg printers that match up with the business plan you created. If you have not created your business plan, STOP and do it now. Otherwise, a dtg printer might not be best of your company. Once you determine that a dtg printer would be beneficial for your business, then you need to decide which one will work best for you. Below are some of questions that will help you begin this process.
1. What is the typical size of the graphics you are currently printing or want to print?
The size of the prints you want to do can dictate the size of the dtg printer you need. Based on my research, the average print is 12” wide or less. But, there are some businesses and target markets that need a larger print size. So, make sure that the dtg printers you are looking at give you the printable width of your designs and that your target market wants.
BUSINESS TIP: If you are new to the business of printing t-shirts, you should go to the mall or a retail store that will sell shirts to the same target market you have identified in your business plan. Take a small, retractable measuring tape with you and measure the size of the designs printed. Based on my research, the average dtg owner prints the majority of its designs 12″ and smaller.
2. Who is going to run the printer? What level of experience do they have with graphic software? How much time are they willing to put into learning?
The skill level of the operator (or the willingness to learn) is going to be the key to getting high quality prints on almost every dtg printer. However, some printers are easier to use than others. Don’t be fooled… no dtg printer is as simple as click one button and the print comes out awesome every time. Find a printer and software program that matches the skill sets of the operator - which might not always be you! If you plan to have a retail shop and employ teenagers, you should make sure that the printing process is something your employees can understand and master.
3. Do you have to print on to dark garments?
You can breakdown all the dtg printers into three different categories: CMYK only printing, White Ink Ready and CMYK +White Ink printing. The CMYK only printers will only allow you print on garments that are lighter than the colors in your design to keep your colors accurate. Most CMYK only printers are not designed to print white ink or will require some type of an upgrade. The White Ink Ready printers have the capability of printing white ink, but currently are not for one reason or another. A CMYK+White Ink printer means that the printer is currently printing white ink. Remember, most CMYK+White Ink printers can be figured into a Dual CMYK mode as well for those that don’t want to print white ink at the current time. A CMYK + White Ink printer can also be configured with just CMYK ink and cleaning cartridges.
Determine what type of printer you need based on what colors of garments your target market wants and the colors in your designs. Here are two good posts that talks about how other people made their decision on what type
- http://www.t-shirtforums.com/direct-garment-dtg-inkjet-printing/t50963.html
- http://www.t-shirtforums.com/direct-garment-dtg-inkjet-printing/t41520.html
4. What is more important to you – lower cost per print (bulk ink systems) vs. less maintenance (closed ink systems)?
There are two types of ink delivery systems for dtg printers: bulk ink (i.e. open system) and cartridge ink (i.e. closed ink). The bulk ink systems provide you bottles of ink (usually ranging from 100 ML to 1 Liter in size) that are used to fill up either a reservoir or refillable cartridges. The bulk ink system tends to have a cheaper cost per print (because it is cheaper to put ink just into a bottle), but opens the door to allowing air, dust or other containments into the ink delivery system. A closed ink system uses sealed cartridges that remove the potential of containments from getting into the ink delivery system. Running a closed ink system has proven in several different types of printing (large format, sublimation, dtg,…) to have less maintenance issues with the printer. However, the cost per a print is more expensive because of the cost associated with the process of cartridging the ink. Here is a post that talks specifically about the challenges with a bulk ink system and air bubbles - http://www.inkjetgarmentprinters.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3032. If you would like to figure out the differences in cost, check this link out - http://www.inkjetgarmentprinters.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1398.
5. Is the Printer going to be stationary or will it need to be portable?
If you plan on taking your printer to do onsite event production, you will want to have a printer that is portable and easy to move. Make sure you know the steps necessary to take in order to make the printer movable. Some printers will require you to lock down the print head or remove the inks from the ink lines. Figure out how long it takes to do this process and what the cost is associated with this. You may also find out it is easier to move a dtg printer that uses a closed ink system compared to a bulk ink system.
PRINTING TIP: Any dtg printer will react to changes in the environment. Taking a dtg printer to a place that has a lot of dust or dramatic changes in the humidity / temperature will provide you challenges in printing. You may want to have a digital thermostat (with a humidity gauge) and a small humidifier if you are going to print in an area that has low humidity to prevent the nozzles from clogging up.
Answer these questions and go to the dtg manufacturer’s website or industry forums to begin your research on which dtg printers has the potential of matching up with your business’ needs. Once you have narrowed down the list to a manageable number, you will need to get in-depth information about all the potential machines. Here is a link to a checklist that will help you get started in this process - http://www.inkjetgarmentprinters.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1539