Dark Jet printing and the cost of ink !

[mrs maggot]

we are having some great results with darkjet using an epson printer with durabrite inks i was a bit sceptical at first, so i did a test print on an old shirt and then put it in with every wash load at home for two weeks - and i mean every wash load, no fade, no peel so i have been happily doing some more printing.

the cartridges are £30 for a set of 4 - and individual colours are £10 each - which can make your eyes pop !!

there are other "replacement cartridges" available but im guessing they will not have the same properties as the durabrite ink.

has anyone else used replacement ink ? im not sure i can rig the printer up to a CISS

[AJLA]

What printer are you using Mrs Maggot?
I don't know if this is their thing but try a company called Mandev, very helpful and i've used them for many types of inks and flushing systems, maybe worth checking them out online and giving Les a call (a very knowledgable chap)

[mrs maggot]

hiya its only a small sx100

thanks for the info

[Flash]

I've tried ALL the 'Dark' papers from All the suppliers here in the U.K. I did extensive testing throughout January/February '09 and nothing I produced I would have sold commercially The 'light' Transfer Papers vary considerably but I have found one or two of these which I do sell
I've resigned myself to the fact that to produce 'full-colour' prints on dark shirts I am going to need to spend some serious money in 2010. I've yet to make a decision what I will be investing my money into it's either going to be a Roland Versacamm or a D.T.G machine.

Phil

[mrs maggot]

what problem did you have with it then phil, ive been happy with those test ones i have done so far, we have also done a lot for a couple of clubs and they get abused washwise and so far no problems ??

[Flash]

what problem did you have with it then phil, ive been happy with those test ones i have done so far, we have also done a lot for a couple of clubs and they get abused washwise and so far no problems ??

Where do I start

1. Firstly it's not cost effective to produce Transfers with Original 'DuraBrite' Inks[/*2m09d8aj]
2. Any unprinted areas remain white which doesn't look good on a black shirt.[/*2m09d8aj]
3. Eventually one of your customers will put your Transfer printed shirt into the tumble drier, even if you stipulate they should not! Your reputation WILL still suffer![/*2m09d8aj]

My theory is that until I can print a commercially saleable 'full-colour' image on a Dark shirt that will take the above tests I will leave well alone. My reputation is worth more than a quick buck!

Phil

[pressfx]

I've tried ALL the 'Dark' papers from All the suppliers here in the U.K. I did extensive testing throughout January/February '09 and nothing I produced I would have sold commercially The 'light' Transfer Papers vary considerably but I have found one or two of these which I do sell
I've resigned myself to the fact that to produce 'full-colour' prints on dark shirts I am going to need to spend some serious money in 2010. I've yet to make a decision what I will be investing my money into it's either going to be a Roland Versacamm or a D.T.G machine.

Phil

Been a long time since I looked at DTG.....I'm assuming they have sorted out all the problems with white ink if you are considering buying a machine?

[Flash]

Been a long time since I looked at DTG.....I'm assuming they have sorted out all the problems with white ink if you are considering buying a machine?

Look again then my friend I think you will find things have changed I believe that clogging of the heads is still a problem if not run 24/7 This is not practical for me, I like my sleep
It's going to be a tricky decision as the two methods (versacamm & D.T.G) both have their Pro's & Con's. When your looking at investing this kind of money in the business you need more Pro's than Con's.

Phil

[pressfx]

Been a long time since I looked at DTG.....I'm assuming they have sorted out all the problems with white ink if you are considering buying a machine?

Look again then my friend I think you will find things have changed I believe that clogging of the heads is still a problem if not run 24/7 This is not practical for me, I like my sleep
It's going to be a tricky decision as the two methods (versacamm & D.T.G) both have their Pro's & Con's. When your looking at investing this kind of money in the business you need more Pro's than Con's.

Phil

I'll get my reading glasses on!....sorry for going off topic but I'll be very interested to hear (see) the route you take (both pretty expensive!) look forward to your experiences either way
Cheers
Rod.

[Stitch Up]

I looked into DTG printing about 18 months ago. Visited a few demonstrations and to be honest, I wasn't impressed.

The capital cost was far to high
The speed (or lack thereof) was poor
The whole process was fidly
The final output didn't impress me

The other issue that concerned me was the availability of spare parts and service engineers.


We've already seen one big player in the DTG market go bust (see the T-Shirt forums).

Not yet for me.