Impressions - October/November 2020 - 46

Finding the proper cure time is much easier using a heat press.
Ink manufacturers typically suggest an optimal curing time and
temperature for their products.With conveyor dryers, it's much
more difficult to find the correct time, temperature and heater
height, although conveyor-dryer manufacturers will provide
general starting belt speeds and oven temperatures. Garments
typically require 1.5 to three times as long in a conveyor dryer's
heating chamber compared to the amount of time required on
a heat press.
'Touch' Efficiencies
A "touch" is defined as every time you handle a garment in production. Fewer touches leads to increased production efficiency.

A heat press has some obvious efficiencies because loading and
unloading garments are done from the same location - often
in close proximity to the DTG printer and within a step or two.
Most conveyor dryers are loaded on one end, garments travel
through the heat chamber and an employee unloads it from the
other end.This setup increases the amount of motion for a single
operator. However, there are scenarios where touch efficiencies
can be increased with a conveyor dryer. For example, if multiple
printers feed a single conveyor belt and an employee is separating
the shirts by job as they come off the conveyor, efficiencies can be
gained by continual production.This would require one employee
running several DTG printers.
The choice of using a heat press or a conveyor dryer for curing
depends on your shop's setup and your ambitions for growing your
DTG business. For industry newcomers,
the heat press is the least expensive and
easiest method for curing a DTG-printed garment. For those looking to quickly
expand or wanting a different look or feel
for their prints, the conveyor dryer may be
the better option.
In the end, the method doesn't matter
as long as the print is properly cured and
customers are happy with their finished
garments.
Brian Walker has owned a screen-printing business,
developed quoting and pricing software, and also
launched a successful online direct-to-garment
equipment and supply business. He currently is
president of i-Group Technologies, makers of Viper
pretreatment machines for the direct-to-garment
industry, and founder and owner of RTP Apparel,
a supplier of ready-to-print garments for DTG decorating. For more information or to comment on
this article, email Brian at brian@igrouptech.com.

If your shop has limited space, a
heat press could be ideal for curing
DTG-printed garments.

DIFFERENCES IN LOOK AND FEEL
My personal opinion is that using a heat press to cure DTG-printed garments yields results
with a smoother finish vs. using a conveyor dryer. Prints cured using the latter have a rougher,
screen-printed feel on the ink surface. The heat-pressed shirt can either have a matte or glossy
finish, depending on the cover sheet used. Some people may or may not prefer one look or feel
instead of the other.

P.46

I M P R E S S I O N S M A G . C O M OCT./NOV. 2020

The choice of
using a heat
press or a
conveyor dryer
for curing
depends on
your shop's
setup and your
ambitions
for growing
your DTG
business.

http://www.IMPRESSIONSMAG.COM

Impressions - October/November 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - October/November 2020