1. 50/50 Blend
This is a fabric that is made of 50% cotton and 50% polyester. With dtg printing, the dtg inks will have a better washfastness on natural fibers (i.e. cotton, bamboo,...) compared to synthetic fibers (i.e. polyester, nylon,...). Users may want to use a pretreatment solution on 50/50 blend garments.
2. Banding
Visible horizontal stripes in the printing of a graphic. Troubleshooting areas to overcoming banding issues: Run a Nozzle Check for Clogged Nozzles, if bad Run Head Clean; Increase the Resolution (not enough ink for substrate); Clean the Capping Station / Wiper Blade; Clean the Bottom of the Print Head; Raise the Ink Bottles to overcome Ink Starvation; Check Dampers for clogs and
3. Belt Drive
A platen movement system that relies on a toothed belt, grooved wheels / pulleys and a connecting motor to move the platen under printer.
4. Channels
Are the path that the ink will flow through the Print Head and out of the Piezo Plate. Some Print Heads will contain multiple channels (i.e. Epson 4800 has 8 channels) and others will only have one channel (i.e. Brother GT-541 printer).
5. Chip Resetter
A device used to reset information on a specific type of Ink Chips that allows the use of refillable ink cartridges. It is important to understand that not all Ink Chips can be reset and static electricity can permanently damage them.
6. Choke
Also known as Choking. When printing a white underbase, the amount of white ink needed can cause the edges of the design to spread farther than desired. Some printing software allows for user to shrink the white underbase to prevent it from peaking out under the CMYK layer of ink.
7. Clog
Is a blockage in the flow of the ink delivery system (i.e. nozzles, dampers, cartridges, lines,…) that will prevent the proper amount of ink to be printed out. Clogs can lead to inaccurate colors being printed and / or banding.
8. Closed Ink System
A type of ink delivery system that tries to eliminate the entry of additional air or other containments into the system. A closed ink system tends to minimize the amount of cleanings and daily maintenance needed compared to a bulk ink system. Traditionally, the cost per a print in a closed ink system is more than a bulk refill system.
9. CMYK
Is an abbreviation for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. These are the colors need to print on light garments with a direct-to-garment printer.
10. CMYK Color Mode
Is a subtractive color model that is traditionally found in the printing industry and is also known as 4-color process printing. CMYK color mode tends to have a smaller color gamut (between 200,000 to 300,000) than the RGB Color Mode (14,000,000 to 15,000,000).
11. Color Chart
A series of color boxes with a corresponding color value system that is printed out to determine the colors that can be achieved with the existing color management settings in both the graphic software and printing software. Making changes to the Rendering Intent, Working Space, Source Profile and other color management settings can affect the results in the color chart.
12. Color Management
Setting up specific procedures for the developing, importing and printing of graphics that allow for the printing of colors. The color management practices will look at the Rendering Intent, Working Space and Source Profile. It is strongly recommended for every company using digital printers to setup color management practices.
13. Conveyor Dryer
A common curing device that carries garments on a conveyor belt through chamber(s) that have either infrared (I.R.) panels or gas heating elements that cure the ink on the garments. In direct-to-garment printing, only some types of waterbase ink can be properly cured using a conveyor dryer that has a forced air system to remove the moisture from the ink.
14. Curing
Is the method of fixing the ink on to the substrate for longevity and use. In direct-to-garment printing, the two must common methods of curing a garment are using a heat press or a conveyor dryer. To properly cure direct-to-garment ink, the water in the ink must be completely evaporated and removed from the garment.
15. Damper
Is a small ink reservoir and filter that sits right above the print head. The main purpose of a damper is to help keep a steady flow of ink available to the print head while preventing larger particles from clogging the nozzles. A clogged damper is one of the reasons for poor nozzle checks and ink starvation.
16. Dark Garment
The classification of a dark garment is based on the combination of the color of the fabric and the lightest color in the graphic to determine whether a white underbase should be used. If the lightest color in a graphic (i.e. yellow in blonde hair) is lighter than the color of the fabric (i.e. the shirt is pink), then to keep the accuracy of the colors the user will have to drop a white underbase and will be considered a dark garment.
17. Direct-to-Garment Printing
Also known as dtg printing. Is a decorating / personalization processing that uses a digital printer to drop direct-to-garment ink directly on to the fabric or item.
18. Discharge Printing
The process of printing a formaldehyde-based fluid on to a dark garment that removes the dye in the garment and allows for CMYK printing instead of printing a white underbase. The removing of the dye in the garment will provide a starting base color of a natural cotton (similar to a tan color) – which differs than printing a white underbase. It is important to note that not all garments can be used for discharge printing based on how the garment was dyed and other chemicals applied to it.
19. Draw Slides
A type of rail system that assist in supporting the platen as it travels back and forth under the printer. Similar to what is found in standard drawers, the draw slides provide a track for the platen to slide on in a perpendicular path to what the print head travels.
20. Driver
Also called a Print Driver, is a type of printing software that communicates between your graphic software and the printer. Most Drivers have less options and process files slower compared to a Raster Image Processor (RIP).
21. Dual CMYK
An 8-channel direct-to-garment ink setup that uses two sets of CMYK for high speed printing on to white and light colored garments.
22. Encoder Disk
Also known as the Encoder Wheel, is an optical tool used by digital printers to communicate with the feed motors to advance the paper forward during the printing process. In direct-to-garment printing, the Encoder Disk helps communicate the advancement of platen under the printer.
23. Encoder Strip
A thin plastic strip with very fine vertical lines that runs through the back of the print head and is used to tell the print head its location on the print carriage rod. The Encoder Strip can collect dust and lead to problems with printing. Periodic cleaning of the Encoder Strip is highly recommended.
24. Fading
Is the amount of ink loss that occurs after the washing the garment. Most dtg users will experience a 5% fading after the first wash if the garment was pretreated and cured properly.
25. Fibrillation
Occurs when the fibers of the garment break through the printed layer of ink, whether in screen printing or direct-to-garment printing, and causes the printed image to be washed out. Fibrillation typically occurs after a garment has been washed and run through a dryer.
26. Gamut
Refers the portion or range of the colors that can be reproduced by a digital printer based on the color management settings of the graphic and printing software programs.
27. Gasket
Is the seal that encloses the Print Head when not in use to prevent the nozzles from drying out. In addition, the gasket will allow the suction pump below the Capping Station to create a vacuum and pull ink out of the Print Head when running a cleaning procedure (i.e. Head Cleaning or Ink Charge).
28. Graphic Software
This is the software used for creating and manipulating the designs before it is sent to the digital printer. Examples of graphic software programs are CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
29. Hand
Is an industry term for how the printed designs feels on the garment compared to the non-printed portion of the garment.
30. Head Clean
A cleaning mechanism that is built inside the printer’s driver that uses the pump in the Capping Station to pull ink from all the ink channels in the print head. Head Cleans are a good tool for removing clogs and recovery from ink starvation problems. The Head Clean feature can be accessed from the Utility tab when right clicking over the Printer icon in the Printers & Faxes folder and choosing the Printing Preference option.
31. Heat Press
A common curing device that using a large flat heating element to help fix ink or polymers to a substrate. In direct-to-garment printing, heat presses are the most commonly used device for curing dtg ink. When looking at heat presses, there are several different types of heat presses (clamshell, swing away & automatic) and features (digital time, temperature and pressure gauges) that should be considered. Optional features (auto open, dual timers and hover capabilities) can also be beneficial for users of dtg equipment.
32. Hoop Ring
When loading a garment on some direct-to-garment printers, the user will place an additional item around the side of the garment / platen to securely hold the garment flat during printing. Another alternative used for securing the garment to the platen is the Tuck Platen.
33. Humidity
Is the amount of water vapor in the air. In direct-to-garment printing, you want to keep your humidity around your printer at 50% to help prevent the nozzles in the print head from drying out. • Maintenance Tip: All dtg owners should have a digital hygrometer / thermostat near their dtg printers to regulate the temperature and humidity. During the winter times, heaters will dry the air out and lead to clogging issues.
34. Ink Charge
One of the maintenance procedures available through the Epson Adjustment program that uses the vacuum pump from the Maintenance / Capping Station to draw a large amount of ink from the ink reservoir to the Print Head. The amount of ink used during an Ink Charge can vary between printers.
35. Ink Chip
The small microchip on printer cartridges that provides a variety of information to the printer. One potential function of Ink Chips is to count the amount of ink that is sent through the print head to make sure that the printer is not used when there is no ink in a specific channel. Some Ink Chips have the capability of being reset using a Chip Resetter while others are a one-time use.
36. Ink Dripping
A common problem with gravity feed ink delivery systems (i.e. not under pressure) where the ink reservoir is too high and causes ink to drip out of the print head.
37. Ink Line
The supply tubes that connect the ink reservoir (i.e. closed cartridges, refillable cartridges or bottles) with the printer cartridge or damper.
38. Ink Starvation
Occurs mainly in gravity feed systems where the user will start off with a good Nozzle Check and print several garments when there becomes a problem with the Print Head getting the proper ink flow. Ink Starvation can me temporarily resolved by running a cleaning procedure (Head Clean or Ink Charge) that uses the vacuum pump from the Capping Station to draw ink to the Print Head.
39. Ink Viscosity
Is similar to the thickness of the ink and plays a vital role in whether the Print Head has the ability to jet enough ink through the Nozzles. Each piezo Print Head is designed to jet a specific viscosity of ink out. Ink that is lower in viscosity will unexpectedly drip out of the nozzles and ink higher in viscosity will clog more in the Print Head.
40. Light Garment
The classification of a light garment is based on the printing of a transparent CMYK ink set on to a color of fabric without the use of a white underbase and still able to get accurate color reproduction. If the lightest color in a graphic (i.e. black design) is darker than the color of the fabric (i.e. the shirt is red), then there is no need to print an underbase since the black in the design will show up on the red shirt.
41. Limiting Switch
A sensor device that is used by most direct-to-garment printers that will stop the platen when it reaches the home and loading position.
42. Linear Rail
A type of platen delivery system that uses solid round rails and typically a belt system to move the platen under the Print Head. A Linear Rail system allows for low friction / resistance transport system with high accuracy.
43. Long Runs
Is a term to describe the number of prints or garments ordered by the customer. A long run can vary depending on the type of application (i.e. screen printing, direct-to-garment printing,…) and the equipment being used. In direct-to-garment printing, a long run can be as low as 24 garments for some printers.
44. Mixed Media
A popular fashion style that the use of more than one type of decorating application (i.e. screen printing, embroidery, dye sublimation, direct-to-garment printing, foil,…) on the same substrate.
45. Nozzle
Are the small holes in the metal plate on the bottom of the print head where the ink is jetted out based on electronic pulses. In direct-to-garment printing, keeping these nozzles from clogging requires continual use and the proper temperature / humidity of the environment the printer is in.
46. Nozzle Check
A maintenance feature built into the printer’s driver that has the printer spit ink out of each channel of print head to determine if the nozzles are clogged or not. Below is a screen shot of a nozzle check on an Epson 4800 printer. If the nozzles are clogged, a Head Cleaning or Power Clean will be needed to remove the clog.
47. One-Off
Is an industry term referring to the decorating of one garment with a specific design that is unique and will not be repeated during that production run. One-off runs are usually done at a higher price due to the amount of time it takes to setup that artwork and equipment to decorate the single piece.
48. Pallet Tape
Is a one-sided protective tape that is used to prevent the ink from staining the pallet and eliminates the need to use solvents to clean the pallet. Pallet tape has just enough adhesive on one-side that will hold it down but will allow it to release from the pallet when you are looking to remove it.
49. Parchment Paper
Commonly used in baking, is used when curing the pretreatment solution to a garment. Parchment paper is the preferred material for curing pretreatment solution because it allows the fluid to properly dry without adding sheen to the shirt like a Teflon sheet does.
50. Pigment Ink
A type of ink that consist of tiny particles that are suspended in liquid where the droplet sits on the top of the substrate to allow less ink to be used and to be more wash resistant. Most direct-to-garment inks are water-base pigment inks.