Myths and Realities of DTF Printing PART 2

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News

• REGGIE Award Voting will close on December 9th, 2021 at 5 PM Central 2regularguys.com/reggies_vote/

• Ricoh and aeoon Technologies Announce Global DTG Print Partnership – The agreement enables Ricoh to extend its DTG offering into higher productivity market segments. Ricoh Europe announces a global partnership with aeoon Technologies, an Austrian developer of direct-to-garment (DTG) digital print systems. According to the company, the strategic technology partnership enables Ricoh to extend its DTG offering into higher productivity market segments and demonstrate its commitment to the textile market, focusing on improved sustainability and cost-efficiency.

• Screen Printing magazine is now offering free classifieds on its website, screenprintingmag.com. If you’re buying, selling, finding a new hire, or seeking work in the screen printing industry, simply fill out a brief form and attach images if necessary.  Go to screenprintingmag.com/classifieds

• Graphics Pro Expo has a full slate of shows scheduled for 2022 and you can check them out at https://graphics-pro-expo.com/. In 2022 their last event of the year will be featuring the Start Here Academy at CHARLOTTE, NC September 16-17, 2022. This will consist of 101-level tutorials and techniques geared towards assisting new businesses and helping established businesses grow and find new profit centers. More details coming, so stay tuned.

Dad Joke: Did you hear about the chameleon who couldn’t change color?

He had a reptile dysfunction

DTF Part 2

We welcome back to the show, Todd Downing from Fat Dad Custom Wholesale and Our Success Group. Starting with a simple vinyl decal business in 2007, his business has grown to include eco-solvent printing, HTV, transfers, team sales and DTF transfer printing.  He is also an online community mentor that strives to help others see how to move their businesses forward in a realistic fashion.

Questions we didn’t get to in the comments section during Part 1 of this show:

Aaron: From Josh Hester – Is the powder shaking machine worth it? 

Anything that can save labor is worth it. The shaker dryer allows you to do other things while the machine takes care of the work. 1 issue I have seen with this is that if there is a problem with the print you might not know until it’s too late.

Terry: Also from Josh Hester – What is the average cost per print? 

A lot goes into pricing as my overhead is most likely different than yours and you just can’t take all of your supplies multiple by 3 and say that’s your price. The printer you are using, who are you buying your supplies from, are you getting a better deal buying in bulk, what rip software you are using, what are your ink settings, and what is your hourly overhead cost are all factors in pricing? Taking in all the factors $1-$3 is a good average per square foot

Aaron: From Gosta – Do you need a special RIP to be able to use a DTG as a DTF 

Terry might be able to help me out here since the Epson F2100 can be used for both DTF and DTG. As far as I know, it’s more in the settings and the sequence that the ink is laying down. In DTG you want the white first and in DTF you want the white last. 

Terry: From Frank Good – Would you say a white toner printer is more dependable?

Are we talking desktop vs desktop, then yes. The white toner you can leave for a week and not have to worry about it, desktop DTF not so much. Also, you can do a lot more than just shirts with a white toner printer. I talked to someone at a show and a lot of their business is school sports. They didn’t like the way the transfers felt and so it was just sitting there. I asked about printing temporary tattoos and you could see the light bulb go off.

Aaron: From Dean Hudson – Can an old Epson-based DTG be converted to a DTF?

If there is a rip that supports it, I wouldn’t see why not. My main concern would be how old and how was it stored as there could be a heft expense to bring it back online if it isn’t stored properly.

Terry: So what do you see as the future for DTF?

Every day there is something new coming over from China, lately, it has been the neon inks, and to run those well you are going to need an 11 channel printer or separate printer dedicated just for neon ink. I think in the next 12-24 months we are going to see a US company produce their own which will make part, service, and accessibility even better. I know of a company right now with a handful of printers that are R&Ding so that they can create their own.

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