DAGuide

The platen is the apparatus that is used to secure the garment or imprintable during the printing process.  Over time, there have been five primary types of platens that have been sold as a standard platen for direct-to-garment printers.  There are also other specialty platens that can be purchased as well.

NOTE: Some printers are sold with different platen setups depending on which geographical region you are located in.  Make sure you ask the distributor what type and sizes of platens come with the dtg printer you are considering purchasing and which ones are available as accessories.

Hoop Ring Style: Used by the T-Jet1/2, Direct Advantage, DTG Kiosk and others.  Similar to embroidery, a thin piece of metal or plastic is place around the edge of the platen to secure the garment to the platen.

Clamp Style: Used by the Kornit Printers, Dream Jet and others.  Similar to a hoop ring, the clam is a thin piece of metal that goes around the platen, but is hinged at one side of the platen.
     

Tuck Style:  Used by the T-Jet3, AnaJet and others.  This style platen allows for both sides of the garment (i.e. front and back of the shirt) to be laid on top of the platen.  Then the user will simply tuck the excess amount of the garment under the platen to allow the platen to travel through the printer without the garment getting caught on anything.

Gasket Style: Used by the DTG Kiosk HM-1 and others.  Similar to a tuck platen, both sides of the garment are laid over the top of the platen… but the excess garment material is tucked under the platen and is pushed between two pieces of rubber gasket.  The rubber gaskets will keep the shirt held in place.

Screen Print Style: Used by the Brother printers, Anajet, M&R I-Dot and others.  This style of platen allows the user to load the garment on to the platen like a screen printer.  The user will open the garment up by putting the hands at the bottom of the shirt to allow the sliding one layer of the shirt over the platen and the other layer is below the platen.

Below are some pictures to some of the specialty dtg platens that can be purchased as well.

Brother Mammoth Platen - Stitch City

Brother Cap Platen - Stitch City     Cap Platen - Livingston Systems

Sleeve Platen - M&R

Brother Short Sleeve Platen - Stitch City

Golf Ball Platen - DTG Digital