DTF and the future of screen printing

[cleveprint]

We do a decent amount of DTF, but screen printing isn't going anywhere. My customers are sort of educated about it. Ive had at least 5 customers off the top of my head that have requested screen printing over DTF. They know it's ironed on plastic and do not want it. In our shop, screen printing just fits the work flow better too. Even if it is just 15 pieces of a 2 color imprint, we can get that through the building faster printing it. Obviously we are open to change and have to be, but right now I feel like a stubborn 43 year old man yelling about change. Haha.

[whitewater]

The percentage shops use DTF would all be different because the customer bases are different. I can see where Bradt would use little if any DTF, where with me and my customers, totally different and it's not an issue. My customers have LOVED it. But they are simple.

In a previous post I mentioned, we won't get rid of our auto, because depending on the job its more efficient.. we throw mostly 1 colors on it for 100 pcs and above.

We have a 6/8 so anything that we would use revolver mode on, is more efficient for DTF for us. Unless its a much larger order..

Im in upstate ny in Albany area, all I see for restaurants, bars, gyms, etc is dtf...

Def worth bringing it in house.

[farmboygraphics]

My customers have LOVED it. But they are simple.

Your customers or the designs? 

[farmboygraphics]

So, is anyone considering bringing this in house for the coming year?
If so, what brands and models are catching your eye?

[whitewater]

My customers have LOVED it. But they are simple.

Your customers or the designs? 

Both....LOL

[balloonguy]

I am also curious about bring this in house. We spend $500+ a week on dt. I am really afraid of white ink printers though. They have always been such a PITA! Are they getting better? Can I take week long vacation and get right back to work or will the printer be clogged?

[whitewater]

So, is anyone considering bringing this in house for the coming year?
If so, what brands and models are catching your eye?

We want with Printomize. We bought the 4 head with dryer. I wanted something above our current needs. -

https://www.printomizeamerica.com/products/peregrine-4-head-dtf-printer-dryer

I like everything so far, except that they are in Long Beach CA and early on when we were setting it up we had issues and the time zone thing sucked ass.

My issue setting up was somewhere in the shipping process, a wire became loose on one of the heads, and in our test print it short circuited the Board and the print head. But it took time to figure that
 out. But now going through all that, I know more about the printer..LOL

Now when I have questions they respond to our emails and I call the tech once in a awhile and I get to talk with him.

They set up a booth at the Long Beach show, because they are right there. But nothing on the east coast yet. But I think they are partnering with some company down in Atlanta maybe to be an east coast distributor id I am correct.

I saw the M&R had one, BUT when I went to buy mine last feb, M&R JUST started selling them. Where Printomize has been doing it for a few years and use their printers in house to sell DTF Prints... I was just afraid that M&R  was to NEW and not all the bugs worked out.

[whitewater]

I am also curious about bring this in house. We spend $500+ a week on dt. I am really afraid of white ink printers though. They have always been such a PITA! Are they getting better? Can I take week long vacation and get right back to work or will the printer be clogged?

Mine has the ink paddle in the white so it mixes it up everything we turn it on.

They told us not to let it sit longer than 5 days without printing on it. If it is going to sit longer than I think they say flush the lines and what not.

Either myself or my manager will come in and just start it up, and we have a test print file, run that for a minute or 2. then shut down - if there is time in between somewhere.

[Homer]

same unit as rob -Printomize but with two heads,. I wired a potentiometer to the paddle motor so it constantly mixes the ink. The pigment will separate after a day or two. In the summer we've gone 5 days without touching it. Winter is more like 3 if your humidity isn't right. Along with printers, you'll want a good RIP. The one from Printomize is not user friendly, very outdated and clunky. We bought CADlink but we could not get the color profiles to match the brightness of the crappy one. sucks because it's SO easy to use.

 

[3Deep]

I must have a different set of customers because mine ask for screen print vs DTF even though we still do a nice amount of DTF, I though real hard about upgrading my machines to a much larger DTF printer that prints rolls because we've been ask from the home crowd do we provide DTF rolls.  I just don't think I can handle messing with DTF and screen printing as we are a mom & pop shop already wearing to many hat's now. @Homer and Rob I looked at the printer you two have and what caught my eye was they all still use epson printheads, you would think Epson would knock it out the box with there own DTF printer but I guess it's more money in there pocket's just selling printheads and regular printer's. Oh and size what is an average size print you all do for DTF? left chest I get away with and maybe 12 w by 8 to 10 H and caps but let me try a 13 by 15 and it feels like a sheet of plastic unless I can halftone it, I have an auto halftone program for DTF, it's pretty good but not on every large print.

[farmboygraphics]

I must have a different set of customers because mine ask for screen print vs DTF even though we still do a nice amount of DTF, I though real hard about upgrading my machines to a much larger DTF printer that prints rolls because we've been ask from the home crowd do we provide DTF rolls.  I just don't think I can handle messing with DTF and screen printing as we are a mom & pop shop already wearing to many hat's now. @Homer and Rob I looked at the printer you two have and what caught my eye was they all still use epson printheads, you would think Epson would knock it out the box with there own DTF printer but I guess it's more money in there pocket's just selling printheads and regular printer's. Oh and size what is an average size print you all do for DTF? left chest I get away with and maybe 12 w by 8 to 10 H and caps but let me try a 13 by 15 and it feels like a sheet of plastic unless I can halftone it, I have an auto halftone program for DTF, it's pretty good but not on every large print.

Following! I've been looking at cheap azz printers (Procolored F13 Panda) just for fill in jobs for regular customers. I'm not dropping 20 grand or more at this point as I was crushed last year and could barely keep up with jobs on the press. Also, a one man shop.

[whitewater]

I think most use epson print heads?

If only having the printer and thats it, it's pretty easy. 1-2 days using it and you will be god.

We got the dryer with ours and took a maybe 6 times using it on long runs to get the nuances worked out, but now super easy.

Like I said before, we use both.. but waaaay more dtf..

Stores are easy -  hole in a shirt? get another ad heat press, no need to set up again - yada yada yada..LOL

I have a customer that requests screen printing. Im alright with that and we do it.