Impressions - April 2021 - 46

When looking for a new DTG printer, it's important
to find one with an easy- and quick-loading
garment platen.

Direct-to-fabric printing doesn't require a
transfer process and can print directly to
bolts of fabric.

Calender-style heat press is ideal and will
be an essential part of the process, no matter
which dye-sublimation machine is used.
Benefits: Dye-sublimation inks offer
many advantages, including excellent color
vibrancy and sharpness. Designers can
have more control over the final fabric
design with greater color range and exacting placement of design elements that
can be impossible to re-create with the
traditional mass-produced, analog textilemanufacturing process. Dye-sublimation
technology also allows for smaller-quantity
orders with shorter turnaround times to
meet the changing demands of designer
and department stores.
The dye-sublimation process can be
done on raw and uncoated polyester fabrics, resulting in no change to hand feel,
and on a wide variety of products ranging
from textiles to promotional goods, home
décor and soft signage that will generate
additional revenue.
DTF Printing
Similar to DTG printing, direct-to-fabric
printing doesn't require a transfer process
and can print directly to bolts of fabric.
Unlike DTG, DTF printing offers a wide
variety of fabric options and the level of
P.46

difficulty depends on the fabric, application
and output quality required.
Fabric Selection: DTF printing offers
the ability to print directly onto a wide variety of fabrics, including nylon, silk, wool,
polyester, cotton and viscose. Ink selection
is crucial and will dictate the recommended fabric type for a project. DTF printers
often are capable of leveraging multiple
ink styles, including acid, disperse, reactive
and pigment.
Pretreatment: With this method,
each fabric type requires different levels
of pre-and post-treatment, ranging from
pretreated fabric to post-printing steaming and washing.Therefore, the fabric will
dictate the number of additional pieces of
equipment required. In addition, some
fabric types also will require a post-printing
drying process.
Key Printing Features: When researching an entry-level DTF printer, look for
equipment that can handle a variety of ink
types for increased fabric options and output
versatility. If you're looking to incorporate
roll-to-roll fabric production, you'll need a
printer with high-productivity features and
print speeds to further increase efficiency.
Additional production features can help to
curb excess ink and decrease drying times.
Benefits: DTF printers often are de-

signed for round-the-clock operation and
can be reliable for roll-to-roll fabric production. Many factors associated with DTF
printing result in a large variety of fabric
and output.This method is available for
advanced printers and may require more
of a learning curve, as print shops and
employees will need to understand the
new printer and become familiar with
the different ink types available and corresponding fabric per ink type.
Print shops will reap benefits by investing in digital textile-printing equipment,
including attracting new customers and
projects. Each of the three printing methods
have their own advantages. While DTG
and DTF printing offer primarily textilefocused solutions,installing dye-sublimation
technology can further expand a business
into other industries, including photography; glass and wood gifts; and promotional
and customized products such as coffee
mugs, phone cases, mouse pads, etc. Before
making a selection, determine the types of
products you're looking to offer today and
envision how your company will expand
in five to 10 years. 
Tim Check is a senior product manager in the professional imaging division at Epson America Inc.
For more information, visit epson.com.

I M P R E S S I O N S M A G . C O M APRIL 2021

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Impressions - April 2021

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