Thinking about DTG

[balloonguy]

Each?
Shane

Yes, if you want a custom made t-shirt you are going to pay $25-$30 for that shirt.

Honestly, that's pretty reasonable.  No one else in town is even doing them.

If that fits your business model then it makes sense. I do not want to answer the phone or talk to a customer for $100.00 order. I really would be hard pressed to deal with someone for $30.00.

[3Deep]

I've been looking at some cheaper DTG machines for one was the Anajet, but don't think people are liking it very much from what I've read, but at the show the machine printed and looked solid and it printed white and color at the same time using ricoh print heads as well, I think the ink was dupont.  Trying to all my homework before we jump on one might even hit the used market don't know Pros/Cons about the used market anyone.

[Frog]

I've been looking at some cheaper DTG machines for one was the Anajet, but don't think people are liking it very much from what I've read, but at the show the machine printed and looked solid and it printed white and color at the same time using ricoh print heads as well, I think the ink was dupont.  Trying to all my homework before we jump on one might even hit the used market don't know Pros/Cons about the used market anyone.

1. Keep in mind that machines at shows are almost always performing at their very best and have experts right there to tweak if needed.
 Remember that gadget (now sitting way in the back of the top shelf in the kitchen) you bought at the county fair ten years ago?
2. Just recently, someone weighed into another thread with the warning that used DTG machines have often sat unused for a while which spells doom.

[ScreenFoo]

I picked up Anajet's 'book' (more like a sales brochure,) a few years back and read through it once.
From the stuff in there about screen printing I would be extremely wary of doing business with them.

I'd recommend it if you want to believe their DTG farts rainbows and poops profit, while screen printing kills puppies inefficiently and unprofitably.. 

[tonypep]

I've been looking at some cheaper DTG machines for one was the Anajet, but don't think people are liking it very much from what I've read, but at the show the machine printed and looked solid and it printed white and color at the same time using ricoh print heads as well, I think the ink was dupont.  Trying to all my homework before we jump on one might even hit the used market don't know Pros/Cons about the used market anyone.

1. Keep in mind that machines at shows are almost always performing at their very best and have experts right there to tweak if needed.
 Remember that gadget (now sitting way in the back of the top shelf in the kitchen) you bought at the county fair ten years ago?
2. Just recently, someone weighed into another thread with the warning that used DTG machines have often sat unused for a while which spells doom.

1. You mean the guy buzzing around with sweat on his brow while the salesman does the pitch?
2. Buying a used DTG=epic fail.

[Frog]

I believe that, if available,  factory re-furbs may be the compromise option

[Sbrem]

I've been looking at some cheaper DTG machines for one was the Anajet, but don't think people are liking it very much from what I've read, but at the show the machine printed and looked solid and it printed white and color at the same time using ricoh print heads as well, I think the ink was dupont.  Trying to all my homework before we jump on one might even hit the used market don't know Pros/Cons about the used market anyone.

1. Keep in mind that machines at shows are almost always performing at their very best and have experts right there to tweak if needed.
 Remember that gadget (now sitting way in the back of the top shelf in the kitchen) you bought at the county fair ten years ago?
2. Just recently, someone weighed into another thread with the warning that used DTG machines have often sat unused for a while which spells doom.

1. You mean the guy buzzing around with sweat on his brow while the salesman does the pitch?
2. Buying a used DTG=epic fail.

Yep, did that, not again without a solid market for it...

Steve

[Frog]

I've been looking at some cheaper DTG machines for one was the Anajet, but don't think people are liking it very much from what I've read, but at the show the machine printed and looked solid and it printed white and color at the same time using ricoh print heads as well, I think the ink was dupont.  Trying to all my homework before we jump on one might even hit the used market don't know Pros/Cons about the used market anyone.

1. Keep in mind that machines at shows are almost always performing at their very best and have experts right there to tweak if needed.
 Remember that gadget (now sitting way in the back of the top shelf in the kitchen) you bought at the county fair ten years ago?
2. Just recently, someone weighed into another thread with the warning that used DTG machines have often sat unused for a while which spells doom.

1. You mean the guy buzzing around with sweat on his brow while the salesman does the pitch?
2. Buying a used DTG=epic fail.

Yep, did that, not again without a solid market for it...

Steve

Actually, if you had the market and a booming business, a problematic machine would be even worse!

[TCred]

I believe that, if available,  factory re-furbs may be the compromise option

Maybe, but still be careful. We bought demonstrator Kornit Breeze and it has not been plain sailing.

[jvieira]

I believe that, if available,  factory re-furbs may be the compromise option

Maybe, but still be careful. We bought demonstrator Kornit Breeze and it has not been plain sailing.

It won't be plain sailing even if it's new out of the box. The issue with used machines is they've been sitting somewhere for a few weeks/months. They're mostly ruined.


I always laugh when I see listings with "DTG machine as new, works great" and then "just installed new print heads".

1. if you're selling it, I'm sure it doesn't work that great.
2. you just installed 1000/2000€ printheads and you're selling the machine for half what you paid for it?

Refurbs might be an option if they bring support from the manufacturer, otherwise don't bother. Even then I'd be wary.

[Sbrem]

I've been looking at some cheaper DTG machines for one was the Anajet, but don't think people are liking it very much from what I've read, but at the show the machine printed and looked solid and it printed white and color at the same time using ricoh print heads as well, I think the ink was dupont.  Trying to all my homework before we jump on one might even hit the used market don't know Pros/Cons about the used market anyone.

1. Keep in mind that machines at shows are almost always performing at their very best and have experts right there to tweak if needed.
 Remember that gadget (now sitting way in the back of the top shelf in the kitchen) you bought at the county fair ten years ago?
2. Just recently, someone weighed into another thread with the warning that used DTG machines have often sat unused for a while which spells doom.

1. You mean the guy buzzing around with sweat on his brow while the salesman does the pitch?
2. Buying a used DTG=epic fail.

Yep, did that, not again without a solid market for it...

Steve

Actually, if you had the market and a booming business, a problematic machine would be even worse!

Which is why I send them to AIR Conway in Philly; they have the big Kornit, which for a dozen is well worth it, at 3 dozen, even better. They do very good work, and are very professional. If you order from one of the vendors in Philly, and ship to AIR Conway, it's free freight; then when AC ships to you, that's the only freight you'll see. Beats the crap out of doing it myself, and I'm a real DIY kind of guy, but I know when to hand it off.

Steve

[Appstro]

Pulled the trigger. Installed Tuesday and Wednesday. I got the viper one pretreat too. Neat set up. They only recommend shaking the white cartridges and white agitation daily. The machine wants you to do a flush every day on the menu read out though so not sure if I should do it or not. The brother actually retrieves the white ink from the lines now before doing the weekly flush which saves ALOT of ink.
The white is not as vibrant as I would like it to be, even on the ring spun shirts. Solid blocks of white seem to be only for screen printing and a hell of a lot cheaper. The installer told me a rule of thumb "on the high side" would be to figure $1.00 a CC for prints that are white "only" once you figure in the flushes and cleaning solution. CMYK costs pennies. a typical white only logo 8 x 8  inches was about $4.00 / 4.18 cc
I cant wait to see what I can do with this thing.

[Frog]

Pulled the trigger. Installed Tuesday and Wednesday. I got the viper one pretreat too. Neat set up. They only recommend shaking the white cartridges and white agitation daily. The machine wants you to do a flush every day on the menu read out though so not sure if I should do it or not. The brother actually retrieves the white ink from the lines now before doing the weekly flush which saves ALOT of ink.
The white is not as vibrant as I would like it to be, even on the ring spun shirts. Solid blocks of white seem to be only for screen printing and a hell of a lot cheaper. The installer told me a rule of thumb "on the high side" would be to figure $1.00 a CC for prints that are white "only" once you figure in the flushes and cleaning solution. CMYK costs pennies. a typical white only logo 8 x 8  inches was about $4.00 / 4.18 cc
I cant wait to see what I can do with this thing.

Since day one, the word on DTG that I got was it is not ideally suited for large single color areas of any color. I am sure though that in time, you'll learn some tweaks amd tricks and improve your product.
I have seen for a long time that not only are all machines not created equal, but neither are the operators!

[Gilligan]

Each?
Shane

Yes, if you want a custom made t-shirt you are going to pay $25-$30 for that shirt.

Honestly, that's pretty reasonable.  No one else in town is even doing them.

If that fits your business model then it makes sense. I do not want to answer the phone or talk to a customer for $100.00 order. I really would be hard pressed to deal with someone for $30.00.

It's typically not a SINGLE shirt... Usually a coupe or a few.  Lots of times it's just some basic text or a 3g photo on it.  They also typically want them yesterday and we have charged up to $80 for a shirt, same day turn around.

[3Deep]

Well I just got looking at the Epson F2000, I'm seeing there is a lot more work than just tossing it on the platen and off you go, but the Epson price don't seem that bad 15K for a new out the box machine.  Only thing that worry me about the Epson is the ink cost and the I thing someone mention wasting 150 bucks a month on an ink dump/clean hard to toss away 150 like that, I do thing this could help us during the slow months and keep those 2 to 6 pc jobs we turn down or just to costly to screenprint.  Any one running an epson DTG?