johnson4

I have never encountered this, however I would suggest possibly using pre-shrunk garments or pre-wash them before application of the DTF transfer.

Beautiful work, great job!

I personally don’t think any glue would work directly to the DTF, maybe modify your artwork to leave spots/holes to put the adhesive on the fabric so it appears to be on the DTF, but it’s actually attached to the shirt.

For me when I used this machine pulling the waste tank and putting it back in did the trick as it reset the ink counter with Chipless. You could try “ pausing” the print on the printer then do the waste tank thing, any form of “pause” by opening a lid or doing something that doesn’t trigger an eject. that’s a downfall to that machine having only 7ml ink Cartridges. Maybe the firmware is different now. I know there were different Chipless providers, one worked well and one didn’t for me back then.

Yeah, to be honest out of everything, even using a cheap $200-$300 printer, the software ends up being the cheapest thing out of all of it. if you want anything useable quality, even then to run it longer than 4-6 weeks will require tons of time tinkering and breaking/replacing things. if you went with a cheap Chinese imported machine, they usually come with free ( albeit more difficult to use) software to run them. given that DTF has peaked and has been going downhill for a bit, finding an older model Chinese printer at a good price should be relatively easy. A word of warning though, just how you don’t want to leave ink in your screens, ( god, waterbased sucked in a low humidity shop) you don’t want to let the machine sit. letting the printer sit, even properly maintained for 24 hours unused is the same as leaving white waterbased screen-printing ink in your screen, (unloaded) in a dry environment for 5-10 minutes. Takes a minute to clear the screen, sometimes with a screen opener, but after some time it’s usually fine. Let it sit for a day, it’s screwed. well, a direct comparison is that 5-10 minute air dried screen is about the same as letting the printer sit for 12-24 hours unused. Letting the screen sit for 24 hours with waterbased ink in it, that’s like using the printer 2-3 times in a week letting it sit 24-48 hours at a time for less than 20-30 prints total. they need ran almost everyday, even then you have to replace several parts based on time intervals, if you miss the mark you also end up replacing the printhead, and potentially damaging the new printhead if you don’t “waste” those new parts/ink again to do to right. My machine, the printhead is $1,300. The “ consumable” parts are about $500 a year, if I get 1 print or 10,000 from it. When sitting, you either use the ink by making transfers, or throwing it down the drain on cleaning cycles. it seems so similar and simple, the second you add white ink into it, you just changed 100% how the machine works from its original design. i feel you, but if the software cost is a concern, it’s really going to get you. Now, in my opinion for a lower volume user, like under 50 transfers a day- buy an old Epson DTG like the F2000/F2100. Use aftermarket carts with F3070 DTG ink or aftermarket ink. Make DTF by the sheet, the printer maintains itself and comes with free software. I picked up 3 used F2000’s last month for $1,500, they are a dime a dozen now and much easier and more reliable than a conversion, at around the same price used all said and done. Also Doubles up your usage because it’s a DTG machine as well. I often see them for around $1,000.

You need something to rasterize the white ink layer and register the new ink colors in the machine, as well as the hard and soft ink limits. printers come with all of that in the OEM driver, however, aftermarket use requires aftermarket software.

No worries, the main reason I posted the update both times was in hopes if someone searched in a search engine, it would maybe help them find it if they were looking for it. I usually end up finding my own posts sometimes when using google, figured maybe it would help with the domain change.

I don’t see it either, hopefully a legacy version pops up, I still have several OpenDTG boards.

Wait, now it’s called DIYDTF.com

My machines only work with OEM dampers, anything else you can't get a good nozzle check.

Sounds like you changed the dampers too late and sucked white ink sludge into the printhead. It’s not easy to fully remove. It causes the exact issues you describe.

OpenDTG’s new home Is now forums.dtf.com

Given your explanation and your apparent skill level, it sounds like you need a supplier to walk you through all of it. Based on your explanation I would say you have a good 3 month learning curve ahead of you before you can really hit the golden spot. We all start somewhere, but you really need someone who can really explain things and help you through every step. In my journey, where you are, it took me about 6 months to a year before I was well versed in what I was doing, which will ultimately be 2-3 machines down the drain as well due to damage and user error. It's not really about common sense or basic skills, rather having an understanding of the general process internally and externally so you can later have the skills to problem solve yourself. These are not like any other breed of printers out there, though they do look the same at times. at the very least a basic knowledge on how the printer works and the software are a must. After that, the more you know the better off you will be. The Xp-15000 isn't the easiest to use either, especially if it were pre-converted and used. You need a RIP program to operate the printer and you need to understand the RIP software you use, most require you to set ink limits and all kinds of things manually. The black tube is likely your waste tank hose, which should have a bottle ( not a sealed bottle, it needs a vent hole in the lid at least) to catch the waste ink. It's something that was modified or added, this machine typically has a waste box inside you empty so that would be on the person who converted it. I wish you luck!

The best way I found to do this for a machine like this is to install cleaner carts and do 2-3 cleanings then wet cap. The problem with wet capping this machine though is it will " wick" up the printhead into the electronics if overfilled. Ideally you would want to be able to "pinch" the waste line closed so it doesn't siphon out the ink and use a glycerin/water mixture in the capping station to create a good seal and keep moisture in the head. Another thing to consider, it's not just the air getting to the printhead, it's the white ink settling and the heavy pigment settling into the ink channels inside the printhead. I have seen it first hand on a disassembled printhead. Anytime you get to this point, it's best to have another option instead of relying on the printhead/machine. At this point it is anybody's guess if that printhead can come back to life. Sometimes they can, sometimes they can't. There are too many variables to consider. What I do in this situation is use a good cleaner that isn't too strong ( a good cleaner is key) and soak a paper towel folded up a few times. sit the printhead on this paper towel. Take another paper towel and do the same and put it on the top of the printhead covering the ink ports. It will " wick" the heavy pigment out of the printhead over time and unclog any nozzle plate clogs, sometimes it takes days and several paper towel changes. It lets gravity do the work though and prevents any issues from occurring from manually forcing it. I've recovered a few like this, anytime I get the chance I will reverse pull cleaner through a bit and keep doing this. In this situation you can't do that due to the printhead design. Anyway, do this inside of a sealed container for the best effect. It's been quite awhile since I used it, but I considered the xp15000 to be disposable due to it's design. Very well could be the cartridges or anything else at this point though, or a combination of that. They really don't like to sit, especially machines without a dedicated sealing station.

Not worth it to me, won’t get updates or support. Constant virus triggers and random glitches. to test like a trial, sure.