kcinnick

I know many use diluted windex with ammonia as their cleaning solution, at least one major seller of "cleaning fluid" was selling Uline branded window cleaner as their cleaning fluid.  I haven't figured out what I am going to use yet but I have grabbed a few things...  Windex with ammonia, ammonia and I always have 91% IPA on hand.  I also have an RODI unit which will provide just as clean of water as distillation.  I have seen simply distilled water suggested as a capping fluid.  I need to pull the MSDS on some of these cleaning solutions, you know, to stay in compliance!

Can the more experienced printers share their best practices for getting optimal DTF prints?  Vibrant, accurate colors with the best hand possible?

I can't wait until I get to try the process myself and share my experience, but now I only have experience with other printing methods while I await my printer and supplies.

On 2/26/2022 at 10:30 PM, johnson4 said:

Probably not, the ridges left would likely create a bad seal. 
 

I was going to pull, measure and replicate the stock seals and remake them in solid rubber/foam type of material from a laser cutter. Maybe a little taller, so it is firmly sealed.  I forget what it’s called exactly. This will stop the leaking , in theory. 
 

I found out the hard way you can’t use water washable UV resin with this ink- lol. Even when it’s cured. So I’ll re attempt my damper adapter with standard UV resin. If it works, I don’t see why I couldn’t make a cartridge. 
 

 

I have seen your posts from when you said DTF didn't have a nice of hand as screen or DTG but now you seem to think DTF can be as good.  While I am waiting on supplies can you give us some tips on how to get a soft hand?

Ok, maybe I'll grab a 15000.

I was looking at stirrers for the white ink tanks on the 8550.  I'd prefer cartridges for what I want to do, I'll can just swap the white with a cleaner cartridge when I am not using it.  Honestly I was only leaning towards the 8550 because it is AVAILABLE.  I didn't realize it was slow, I just assumed it was up to speed with the other current printers out there.  

I wonder if I could print some TPU seals for the 15000... I hope a p400 falls in my lap at a good price.

1 hour ago, johnson4 said:

You’ll quickly realize the drawbacks with it, once you rely on it. Especially with a Ciss system and aftermarket carts, unless they have fixed them. 

4 hours ago, anum11 said:

I liked xp-15000 so far, i just plugged a ciss system if it works well, there will be no drawbacks with it.

I was leaning towards the cheap option of the XP-15000 because the availability of the printers I want to use, the P400, P800 are just non existent. After joining some FB groups and seeing how many people have issues with this printer I am steering clear.  It seems all of the issues result in DEAD printers, not a repair, not some tinkering, just a straight up dead printer.

I am leaning towards the ET 8550 right now, hoping one pops up in the refurb shop at Epson while I figure out this oven curing deal.  Nobody on Alixpress has a 13X19 oven, or even a 13" wide oven... the US versions are $600+ so I am trying to research my curing options.  I might just try the heatpress cure method to start with if I find a suitable printer.  I am fairly certain an oven can be made, either from a heat press or just a heat pad or heat lamps and a suitable enclosure.

Wow, there is very little information out there about DIY ovens or even a mid range commercial 13X19 oven.  What are you using?  Did you build it?  

I am looking at a bunch of options, I just want to know what has worked, what hasn't worked.  

2 hours ago, johnson4 said:

The 805 and 8550 both have those major drawbacks. The 15000 is the last thing, which does have the issue of leaky carts sometmes.

Thanks, looks like I am going to have a draw back somewhere.

Anyway, I am looking at ovens while I wait for a printer, any recommendations where to start.  I just assumed convection would be best but it looks like most commercial units only heat from the top or bottom.  I searched, but I didn't see much pop up.

I have been looking at just about any printer with Software support and it looks like the L805, ET8550 and XP 15000 are just about the only ones available under $1k...  I am still looking, but it looks like the 805 and 15000 tank systems may be a drawback for what I want to do, or will head cleanings be enough to purge the lines between prints if I am idle for a bit.

2 hours ago, johnson4 said:

It's not. But, the P700 isn't going to be good eaither if it's anything like the p600. I'd go for the P900. ( All opinion, I have no idea)

I thought the p700 and P900 were basically the same except for the size?  When you jump to a P900 then the P5000 starts looking reasonable...  hopefully a used P400 will fall in my lap

I am tempted to buy a P700 and sit on it until it is supported.  Looking for a P400... is not fun.

Ok, I took some time to think about things and I still want to do this.

One of the reasons is I read that the Hand is better than anything (well except sublimation which has NONE), and I really think good hand makes the shirt.  I use to print shirts for my old business, and we paid for the entire set up, shirts and supplies in 1 weekend.  I also printed stuff for local clubs I was in, basically getting a better shirt, full color for the price of the cheapest cotton T and one color printing.

I don't mind spending more on a printer if that will make my experience better.  I am going to dig into this next.  Also, the XP15000 is $250 refurbished and from my experience Epson just sends you a replacement printer if you have the slightest issue with a refurb.   So I kind of wish they still made the P400 as that seems to be the popular pick, but I will look around.

The biggest expense is a good press, and I have that. 

If I need to print every day or every other day I will just print and cure the glue and not press the image.  This is in my room with my 3d printers so I am in there a lot anyway.

I am going to grab a tube rocker from the lab, can I not just take the sponge out of the white ink cart and set it on the rocker on a timer to keep the ink mixed?

11 hours ago, johnson4 said:

Cheaping out on everything- is just asking for failure. 
 

for $2,000-$3,000 you could have a decent setup. 
 

for $1,000, you could have a decent hand processed setup. 
 

Good luck! 

I don't necessarily want to cheap out, I just don't want to spend more than I need to for a non commercial set up.  I would love to know what you recommend in with that $1000 setup.  Also, would it make more sense to buy a pricier printer that is supported by Acrorip to save on the software side.  I also see EKprint is full featured as a unlimited demo with a watermark, for personal use that might be a way to go, there has to be a way to have the water mark print on a different layer and just never print that layer.

The value I like in having my own printing set up is to make what I want, when I want.  T shirts for kids parties, school events, concerts, etc. is popular with the family.

So I have had a dye sublimation set up for years and the lack of the ability to lay down white under the color has been a draw back.  I don't print professionally so I really didn't keep up with the different technologies.  I was going to do a pretty decent dye sublimation order and I discovered DTF and I have a few questions.

Is the XP 15000 good enough to use as a 13X9 printer for a hobby printer.  I like that the carts can be swapped with cleaning carts and the printer put up "clean"

I see people say the shake their white ink daily, does the bottle in storage need that much attention?  I can just throw the cartridge on a tube rocker on a timer... a bottle might be a little much for a tube rocker.

I have seen people curing the glue on their heat press just leaving it open, I have a 16X20 Geo knight press, is this method reliable to set the glue or should I get an oven for it?

I have gotten my Dye Sub supplies from Cobra for years, but I see people here referencing DTFsuperstore or direct from China.  I have imported stuff from China, but I don't think I want to do this with DTF supplies, especially at the quantities I would use.  Has anyone used Cobra?  

For software, obviously I don't want to spend a few hundred dollars for a hobby, can Gutenrip do everything I need?  Is there another free/cheap option?  I see references to old versions of Acrorip but I haven't seen anything cheaper than a few hundred bucks.