You have access to an expanding range of alternatives foradorning clothing. The time-tested techniques of screen printing, embroidery,applique, and transfers are still an option today, along with the quicklydeveloping industry of digital direct-to-garment (DTG) printing.
Since the DTG market was originally created, the number ofproducers and models offered has been subject to constant modification. Theabundance of well-marketed equipment, which was formerly prevalent inconversations and the exhibit halls of trade exhibitions, has all but vanished.
Despite this, there has been a select number of producerswho have held the top spot consistently over the previous few years. The fivetop direct-to-garment (DTG) t-shirt printing machine models for 2019 arecontrasted below:
v Pentax F2100
v The Brother GTX
v (DTG Digital) Col-Desi M2
v Kornit Wind
v The M&R M-Link-X
v Pentax F2100
Approximately 3 feet by 5 feet, the Epson F2100's footprintis more rectangular than the Brother GTX's. It is also substantially shorter,standing at slightly over 0.5 meters. You will need to plan where it will beset up because this design can only be placed on a table or bench top andcannot stand on its own. The F2100 is a machine that operates very quietly,looks professional and put together, and is adaptable enough to work well inboth a home-based business and a large production environment.
Pricing:
MSRP: $17,995
Street PriceEstimate: $15,995
The Brother GTX
BrotherGTX ITNH
The GTX has 4.5 feet by 4.25 feet in proportions and amostly metallic exterior, all of which give it a look that is immediatelyrelated to the industrial sector. The GTX can be placed on a table or a bench,but a custom stand is also an option. This stand is highly recommended since itenables users to use the printer's open bottom design for humidification, whichis commonly necessary for reliable functioning.
Pricing:
MSRP: $22,500
Street PriceEstimate: $22,500
(DTG Digital)Col-Desi M2
DTG M2 ITNH ColDesi
The first thing that comes to mind is that it has asubstantially larger footprint because it is the only twin platen printer inthis category, which means that there are two platens to load t-shirts insteadof just one. Although it occupies a space that is approximately identical tothe Brother's, measuring roughly 4 feet by 3 feet, its shadow is noticeablybigger because it is nearly a full rectangle.
The M2 will require the proper settings due to itscapability as a tabletop and workbench. Users that require a very large imagearea might wish to think about this device as an option. It is not as quiet asthe Epson F2100, but it is quieter than the Brother GTX.
Pricing:
MSRP: $19,995
Street PriceEstimate: $19,995
Kornit Wind
DTG ITNH KornitBreeze
The Breeze, the company's entry-level model, is really oneof the larger machines in this group despite being the smallest Kornitprovides. The building that is 4 feet by 5 feet appears to be the most modern.Since this machine is the only one in the group to have an integratedpre-treatment system, the overall footprint might be reduced. The inks used byKornit are often dried using a gas dryer, which can also serve as the printer'sbase table.
Pricing:
MSRP: $65,000
Street PriceEstimate: $62,000
The M&R M-Link-X
MLinkX ITNH M&RDTG
The M-Link-X, which measures 4.5 feet by 5.5 feet, is theonly free-standing device in this category and also happens to be the largestone. The M-Link has the most squared-off edges and a strong steel frame, givingit an industrial-looking and -feeling appearance. This unit is not the bestoption for home-based businesses because it is more appropriate for aproduction environment.
Pricing:
MSRP: $74,995
Street PriceEstimate: $71,995
Check out the following table of prices for all the printersthat are offered.
Target market
The greatest place to start when comparing these models iswith the characteristics of the target market.
In an effort to reach a wider audience, Epson, Brother, andCol-Desi have made an effort to incorporate smaller clothing stores and evensign and graphics businesses, who frequently utilize t-shirts as acomplementing process. M&R and Kornit, on the other hand, have consistentlyfocused on production shops as their main target market.
Brother and Epson have taken this a step further by focusingtheir user-friendliness on small businesses operating from their homes. Thatdoes not imply, however, that the F2100 and the GTX can't handle production, asboth of these devices are capable of working regular shifts in factories.(Observe the production levels shown in the following chart.)
Having difficulty choosing the best direct-to-garment printer for you?
Maintenance
The bestdirect-to-garment printer
One of the first questions someone usually has when thinkingabout buying a t-shirt printing machine is concerning upkeep. Due to theirinexpensive expenses (less than $30 per month) and quick manual upkeep (lessthan five minutes), particularly when compared to the outputs, Epson andBrother receive the greatest marks in this regard. Due to the daily automatedcleaning capabilities of both units, the operator no longer needs to perform asmuch physical effort.
Epson image print heads from a previous generation are usedin the Col-Desi M2. And even while it does not remove as much ink from the lineas the Kornit does, the cost of maintenance—which includes both the amount oftime and the amount of material—remains a consideration. Kornit's Breezeprovides a pre-treatment known as a binding agent to the clothes inside thet-shirt printing machine, which extends the time required to manually clean themachine on a weekly basis and often exceeds an hour and a half.
Assistance and Education
Service and training concerns are frequently right behindthose relating to maintenance when it comes to t-shirt printing equipment. Ourbusiness always strongly advises qualified service professionals to do on-siteinstallation and training. Your device will function properly, and you will beusing it correctly, giving you the peace of mind that comes with knowing that.
Col-Desi receives a low grade in this particular categorysince the organization only offers remote training and on-site training attheir corporate offices in Florida. Due to their established national networksof service specialists, Epson and Brother stand out when it comes to having aspecialist visit your site. As part of their warranty, Epson also promises toprovide on-site service within 48 hours.
Any DTG printer will always need service when it's needed,and it will start with your distributor. Service is crucial at all times. Someare going to be significantly more skilled than others in this regard when itcomes to fixing simpler service problems and getting you back up and running ina timely manner.
The price of thesupplies
The best direct-to-garmentprinter
The cost of t-shirts and ink is a topic of intensediscussion all the time. Much more significant factors include the realoperating costs of any given t-shirt printer. By doing this, you may obtain aprecise estimate of the costs associated with producing a garment as opposed toonly the cost of the ink that will be used to print the shirt. An examinationof shirt costs that only considers the price of the ink on the shirt is, atbest, unreliable and frequently contains information that manufacturers use totheir advantage.
You and your distributor must do an individual analysis toascertain your total expenses because the costs of operating a shop are likelyto vary from establishment to establishment. Nevertheless, when it comes to theequipment, Epson and Brother are the most transparent about their operatingcosts, making it easier to estimate the costs of shirts and other supplies inaddition to the predicted outlays for labor and materials for maintenance.Don't allow this one statistic to influence your choice; the price of ink mayonly make up a small fraction of the procedure’s overall cost.
You can choose from anever-expanding variety of options to decorate your clothing these days.Alongside the rapidly developing industry of digital direct-to-garment (DTG)printing, time-tested methods such as screen printing, embroidery, applique,and transfers are still viable options today.
Because of this, thenumber of producers and models that are currently available has been subject toconsistent change ever since the DTG market was first established. Theabundance of well-marketed equipment that used to be common in conversationsand the exhibit halls of trade exhibitions has almost completelydisappeared.
Despite this, therehas been a select group of producers who have maintained their position at thetop throughout the preceding few years. The five top direct-to-garment (DTG)t-shirt printing machine models for 2019 are contrasted below:
The battle betweendirect-to-garment printing (DTG) and screen printing (screen printing) has beengoing on for quite some time now. It is high time that we put this issue torest by comparing their benefits and drawbacks and coming to a conclusion as towhich one is superior for drop shipping and print-on-demand operations.
Regardless of whetheryou're a hardworking entrepreneur driven by success, an artist longing toshowcase your creative flair to the world, or simply someone who's finallyready to dip their toes into a more adventurous fare than a 9-to-5 job,selecting the appropriate printing method can either make or break your apparelbusiness.
Direct-to-garmentprinting, also known as DTG, and screen printing are both topics that will becovered in this article so that your knowledge of both can be improved. We willprovide you with answers to all of your questions regarding the differencesbetween them, including quality, cost, durability, and other features so thatyou can select the.
Let's get started.
The printing methodknown as screen printing involves the use of a mesh stencil to transfer inkonto fabric.
It is one of theoldest printing methods, dating back thousands of years to when printing firstbegan. However, it did not become widespread in modern culture until the 1960s,when multicolor screen-printing machines were invented, the printed t-shirttrend was at its height, and Andy Warhol was at the height of his fame.
Silk screening isanother name for this ancient art technique, which gets its name from the factthat its original purpose was to stencil silk. The printer will first make astencil on a screen made of very fine mesh, and then they will force inkthrough the stencil to achieve the desired result of printing the design ontothe garment of your choice.
This technique callsfor the use of thick inks, which cause the designs to be printed on the surfaceof the material rather than being absorbed by the fabric. If you want to makedesigns that contain multiple colors, you have to apply the ink in severallayers, and you need a different stencil for each color of ink. The crux of thematter, unfortunately, is that the length of time required to print your designis directly proportional to the number of layers it contains.
Direct-to-garmentprinting, also known as DTG printing, is a method of printing that involvesspraying ink onto a garment using specialized or modified inkjet technology,then waiting for the ink to absorb into the fabric. Even though it has onlybeen around for about 20 years, it has already revolutionized the fashionindustry in ways that nobody could have anticipated. The direct-to-garment(DTG) printing industry is currently undergoing a period of rapid growth andhas proven to be one of the most resilient sectors of the print industry duringthe Covid pandemic.
When printing directlyonto garments, very little time is needed for the setup process. This makes itsimple to print items that are only needed once. The procedure isstraightforward and uncomplicated if you have an online store that is connectedto a print provider that offers DTG printing. What steps are involved in theDTG printing process? Your digital store, which is integrated with aprint-on-demand platform such as Prettify, will immediately notify themanufacturer as soon as a customer makes a purchase there. The manufacturerwill then immediately begin the printing process. After that, the order will bepackaged up and delivered to the customer via direct shipment.
It is very easy to getstarted using Prettify because of the company's print-on-demand services andnetwork of DTG print providers located all over the world. There is norequirement for a minimum order quantity, and there is also no requirement foran upfront investment. In a nutshell, you won't need very much time or effortto begin printing and selling your very own one-of-a-kind items.
Printing on customclothing using direct-to-garment (DTG) and screen printing are two of the mostcommon and popular methods. Screen printing deposits layers of ink on thesurface of the fabric, whereas direct-to-garment printing (DTG) uses aspecialized fabric printer that works similarly to an inkjet printer on acomputer to spray the ink into a garment.
Both of theseapproaches to printing produce prints of high quality; however, each of theseapproaches has a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. Their capabilitiesare distinct, and it is up to you to select the one that will serve yourclothing company most efficiently. Let's take a look at each of theseapproaches in greater detail to get a better understanding of what they entail.
Quality
It does not matter ifyou plan to print on custom t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, or any other kindof apparel; the quality of the print is of the utmost importance to ensure thatyou live up to the standards set by your customers.
Prints that are vivid,saturated, and of high quality are the defining characteristics of the screenprinting technique. There is no denying it, but unfortunately, it can only bedone in a limited range of colors, takes a significant amount of time, andinvolves a great deal of manual labor.
Printing with DTG, onthe other hand, allows you to enjoy the same high-quality prints at a lowercost. When using this method, you can print designs with a high level of detailas well as photorealistic images that look equally as good as or even betterthan when using other printing processes such as screen printing.
In today's society,where everything is disposable, people find it refreshing to buy things thatwill last. Well-made products, built to last, and built to withstand the testof time are becoming increasingly valuable, and it is unfortunate to say thatthey are becoming increasingly rare.
DTG prints canwithstand over 50 washes if the proper care instructions are followed. However,this does not guarantee that they will still be acceptable to your customers.Screen printing can last anywhere from 25 to 50 percent longer and is ideal forthings like sports or business uniforms; however, direct-to-garment (DTG)printing is the way to go if you want to sell custom t-shirts or other customapparel.
Details, in thecontext of the printing industry, refer to the tiniest components of a design,such as textured areas, fine lines, or minute components. Printing with a DTGmachine is the best option available when it comes to the finer details. It isgenerally recommended for designs that feature full color and a large number ofdetails such as illustrations, photographs, gradients, and so on.Screen-printed clothing, on the other hand, has dots that are discernible evento the unaided eye, whereas direct-to-garment (DTG) printing has suchincredible resolution that the dots are completely invisible.
Direct-to-garmentprinting gives you the peace of mind that comes with knowing that even the mostintricate and detailed of your designs will emerge from the printer lookingexactly the way you envisioned them.