How To Pretreat Shirts for DTG | Printing on Polyester Shirts | Print Pros (Ep 5)
Тәжірибелік нұсқаулар және стиль
Some say that DTG printers and inks will not print well on polyester garments. However, on this episode of Print Pros, Guillermo will debunk that myth by showing you how to print high-quality photo-realistic images onto polyester pretreated shirts using a DTG printer and Image Armor DTG Pretreatments.
Click here to learn more about the RICOH Ri 1000 package that comes with a heat press, pretreatment, and more: hubs.ly/H0tyYFr0
Check out this video to see us print on a cotton t-shirt using a DTG printer: • Direct to Garment Prin...
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For this project, we used:
RICOH Ri 1000
HP-1620F-T flat heat press
Black polyester shirt
White polyester shirt
Spray gun
1 sheet of Teflon
Image Armor Ultra Pretreatment
Image Armor Light Pretreatment
Let’s discuss the profit potential:
A polyester shirt cost $4 while the combined cost of the ink and Image Armor pretreatment is $1. That means it costs $5 to create a custom shirt. You can sell a shirt from anywhere between $20 to $25, which gives you a profit of $15 to $20.
Black Shirt
For the black t-shirt, you first need to pretreat the garment with Image Armor Ultra Pretreatment. To do this, fill the spray gun with the Image Armor pretreatment solution and set it to the lowest output setting. You just want to spray a light layer of the pretreatment on top of the t-shirt; you don’t want to soak it in the pretreatment. Spray the DTG pretreatment solution onto the shirt from top to bottom, then side to side. Now press the t-shirt in the heat press to cure the pretreatment. Next, place the t-shirt on the tray, put a Teflon sheet over the shirt, and press for 60 seconds at 285 degrees Fahrenheit. When done, take the shirt off the press.
Go to the DTG printer and thread the polyester pretreated shirt onto the platen. You do this by opening the t-shirt and putting the platen in between the front and back of the shirt. This is important because the ink tends to go through the first layer of the polyester pretreated shirt. By threading it instead of placing it on top, the ink will seep onto the platen instead of the back of your shirt. Then, make sure the excess fabric is inside the carriage and insert the bracket.
For the software portion, drag your design from your computer files to the printing software. Go to Color and under Media, choose Black Garment. Click on Settings, and under Color Correction, raise the contrast to 100. Then under Profiles, set your saturation enhancement to High and click OK. Go to RIP, check off Use document transparency, and press OK. Now all you have to do is press Print. At the DTG printer, press Set, and it will start to print the design. Once the printer finishes, remove the shirt from the platen and clean off any ink that has gotten on the platen.
Now go over to the heat press, place the shirt on the platen, and put a Teflon sheet over the shirt. Then, press at 285 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 seconds. Once the heat press is done, you will have a finished shirt.
White Shirt
The black shirt's pretreatment steps are the same as the white shirt, except you need to use the Image Armor Light Pretreatment for light-colored shirts. The curing and threading process is also the same, so just follow the steps for the black t-shirt.
For the software portion, drag your design from your computer files to the printing software. Go to Color and under Media, choose White Garment. Click on Settings, and under Color Correction, raise the contrast to 65. Then under Profiles, set your saturation enhancement to High and click OK. After that, click Print. At the DTG printer, press Set, and it will start to print the design. Once the printer finishes, remove the shirt from the platen and clean off any ink that has gotten on the platen.
Then, go over to the heat press, put the shirt on the platen, and place a Teflon sheet over the shirt. This time, you will press at 285 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 seconds. White shirts do not need to be pressed as long as black shirts. Remove the shirt from the platen after the heat press is done.
And that’s it! You now know how to pretreat shirts for DTG. This means you can offer these custom polyester shirts to your customers, which will expand your product line and bring in more profits.
Пікірлер: 83
Those designs look awesome! Super vibrant...
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks! Thanks for watching
We've been having issues with other pre-treatments on dark poly and safety colors. After watching this I have some Image Armor Ultra showing up today wish us luck!! We use Freejet 330tx Plus (which is actually an Epson R2400).
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Good luck!
This video was very informative..
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Glad you think so! Please make sure to like the video and subscribe to our channel.
Great new to DTG but I’m diving in tomorrow. Ty for your damn near perfect tutorials 👍🏾 ? Do you press the hats after print or the oozies
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for watching. Yes, you'll want to press any DTG garments after printing to cure the ink.
Definitely need to see a wash test on these. Prints always look good once printed, proof is in the washing.
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Definitely! You can get up to 40 washed with this process!
@InterestingFax11
5 ай бұрын
@@ricomatv when you say 40 washes, is that 40 before you start to see fading and or is that 40 washes and it is gone?
Thanks for making this video. What does the shirt look like when turned inside out? Is the ink on the inside of the shirt?
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Once it’s cured, it doesn’t usually seep through
Which pretreatment should I use for a different colored shirt (red for example)
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
The dark color pre-treatment. You can use the light one on lighter-colored shirts. Thanks for watching!
I adjusted the contrast to 100 and the saturation to high but the ink looks dull a lot. Did I forgot to adjust the white layers underneath? Or it's that supposed to do with those adjustments
@ricomatv
Жыл бұрын
Hi! We recommend speaking to our service team so they can help you with this ---> ricoma.com/US/support
Is the Pretreatment concentrated and Do you have to dilute any of the Amor ultra?
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
This pretreat we feature in this video does not have to be diluted, thanks for watching!
Hey how do you add the second white layer for the black shirts
@ricomatv
2 жыл бұрын
Hi there, thanks so much for watching. Please send an email to service@ricoma.com and someone will be able to walk you through this process.
Is the Pretreatment concentrated formula and does it have to be dilute before use?
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
This pretreat we feature in this video does not have to be diluted, thanks for watching!
Can you use any dtg textile ink or is there a specific kind?
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
It needs to be original ink compatible with the machine
can you print on transparent decal paper for water slide decal or dry decal with DTG printer?
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Hi our support team can help you with your questions: ricoma.com/us/tech-support
Nice! How many washes can a print like that go through?
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Up to 40 washes!
@sherrywilson4325
5 ай бұрын
@@ricomatv When you say 40 washes, is that it still looks great at 40 washes before you see it breaking down or 40 washes and its gone?
What program are you using. We have the same printer and we do not have that program your using.
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
The software that comes with this printer is the Anarip Software. You can learn more about everything that comes with this package right here -> ricoma.com/US/machine/ricoh-ri-1000
Will this work on stretchy compression fabrics?
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
hi there for help with different fabrics make sure to contact our support team, ricoma.com/us/tech-support
Do you usually have a pretreat ring or square on the shirts once the print is done?
@ricomatv
2 жыл бұрын
There's usually some residue but it goes away after washing the shirt!
when will the software be able to print white and color right after each other? rather than all white then color. less problems with white poking out. registration..
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
One pass printing is not controlled by the software, and there’s a new printer released next year that can do one pass printing, but you should look into the registration issue it could be a design setup thing in the software
Are those polyester performance shirts? If so, why did you use regular dark & light pretreat instead of polyester pretreat?
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Hi there! The pretreat he used in this video is meant for polyester shirts, let us know if you have any other questions we're here to help! Thanks so much for watching.
Can you put parchment paper or Teflon under the threaded shirt to eliminate the clean up process?
@ricomatv
Жыл бұрын
You can!
You don’t need to press the extra areas to rid the pretreat?
@ricomatv
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Kate, check out this video we did on how to remove & avoid stains --->kzread.info/dash/bejne/fph7upWgZKS_Zdo.html.
Are these the same pretreat solutions used for cotton?
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
yes they are
I do NOT have any MIM combinations to choice from How can I fix this??
@ricomatv
Жыл бұрын
Hi there! Please submit a request with the team so they can help! ---> ricoma.com/US/contact-us
what is the name of the program you fixed the design on it before you send it to the machine
@ricomatv
2 жыл бұрын
Hi! Were you referring to Chroma?
How do i avoid getting the white stain block from the pretreat fluid after curing polyester and cotton garments?
@ricomatv
2 жыл бұрын
Hi El, thanks so much for watching. Make sure that you are curing your pretreatment enough that you don't see the white stain.
@OldSoul4OldSoles
2 жыл бұрын
@@ricomatv do I keep curing even when the garment is now dry?
What if you need to pretreat the back too?
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Cure the front and then pretreat the back
What about the Gildan 18000 sweatshirts? I use a ricoh ri-1000 as well and the prints come out great until curing. After curing they come out very faded looking as the ink isn't curing well I run my heat presses at 340 with very light pressure. I have tried multiple pretreat solutions. Still no success. I see other print shops printing on these exact sweatshirts with great results but I can't get any info from anyone....
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Hi there, if you contact our support team they can teach you some great tips> ricoma.com/us/tech-support
hi if i dont want use press?
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
You can use an iron!
Can this DTG also be used for cotton shirts?
@ricomatv
Жыл бұрын
Yes, works best on cotton!
Are you able to print on 100% Polyester Windbreakers? Will the process be the same?
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Yes, but you need to have polyester specific pretreatment to make it work
Would it work on Hoodies and pants?
@ricomatv
Жыл бұрын
Absolutely!
how much can we put water on 100ml for pre treatment
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
Hi there, thanks so much for watching. This is a great question to ask in our Facebook support group, Embroidery and Custom Apparel Mastery. This group is meant for all lovers of embroidery with lots of resources and more members discussing topics and helping each other out and learning about Ricoma machines and other brands! We recommend you join this group as we'd love to have you! facebook.com/groups/embroiderymastery
Why are temps so low? Image Armor shows a temp of 330 degrees for pressing the pretreatment as well as 330 degrees for pressing printed garments with Ricoh inks. This also mirrors what Ricoh Ri 1000 manual shows.
@ricomatv
2 жыл бұрын
Hi there, thanks so much for watching. You can certainly use temps as high as 330 but keep in mind that different fabrics may require adjustments.
@johnireland3550
2 жыл бұрын
@@ricomatv Thank you!
what if t shirt color is other than white or black?????
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
If its a dark shirt use the dark pretreat, if its a light shirt the light pretreat.
@career_everyday
3 жыл бұрын
@@ricomatv thank you so much
those stains get everywhere, as well as condensation across heat press's perimeter, this process really sucks
@ricomatv
3 жыл бұрын
It's a challenge, but we're always here to help!
I get stains on polyester
@ricomatv
2 жыл бұрын
Hi there! It's either that you are using too much heat and need to lower it or you need to get a teflon cover for the heat press to avoid the rust stains transferring to the shirt! Give us a call if you still need help! 305-418-4421 and press 3
An actual machine will do WONDERS for improving the results and doing them continually.
@ricomatv
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your feedback! We will hopefully do videos with a pretreat machine in the future!
Do you need to wear a mask or facial covering while doing this process?
@ricomatv
2 жыл бұрын
You don't have to wear a face mask, but can if you prefer.
@angelzors
2 жыл бұрын
@@ricomatv Ok thank you! what about when heat pressing it to activate the pre-treatment? I'm just basically wondering if this pre-treatment is toxic.