Youngsters are the upcoming entrepreneurs and chain breakers to shape a new form of our industry. While they are thinking of a start-up, DTG printing (Direct to Printing) brings the most effective and productive business idea for them.

You might be thinking, how is this possible? DTG PRINTING is an incredibly easy method that works for all. Let’s find out how to make it possible with a DTG printer.

DTG Printer And What Can You Do About DTG PRINTER Right Now

In the rising of digitization, traditional printing methods are being rejected in the printing industry which was cheap, iron-on style transfers of yesteryear. Like the shirts that were infamous for fading away and cracking after a one or twice wash.

Direct to garment printing (DTG) may be a new process of printing graphics on textile materials in an automatic process by a specialized printer which may be a relatively new method that produces incredibly high-quality artwork which will stay for years to return.

Basically, modified inkjet technology is used to print any type of graphics onto the shirt.

DTG prints on textile material with specialized aqueous inkjet technology also referred to as textile inks- water-based chemistry. Digital garment printing, digital apparel printing, and inkjet to garment printing, etc. are also being called sometimes.

Matthew Rhome invented the technique while he was performing at DIS of Bradenton, Florida. DTG printer namely ‘Revolution’ 1st commercially began in 1996. Due to the straightforward and instant printing, almost like paper print, the technique became popular to try to T-shirt printing.

Furthermore, DTG is that the go-to technique for print when working with complex designs and allows for tons of variation compared to screen printing (which dominated the customized t-shirt marketplace for decades). 

The artwork can illustrate even particle details and portray a tremendous array of colors that will attract children. The ink will soak into the garment itself and become an area of the shirt.

DTG Printing Industry In Bangladesh

It’s a long time since Bangladesh has been using DTG Printer since its invention. In 2008, Seiko Head Digital Solvent Inkjet Printing Machine was the first DTG Printer Machine introduced in Bangladesh. 

Right now, about Direct to Garment (DTG) printing process is covering 80% of the market portion of the digital textile printing market along 60 percent market in Bangladesh is covered with DTG Printer and its printing industry.

Bangladesh goes to value addition to achieve America’s $50bn exports target by 2021. Some ahead-looking Bangladeshi companies have started out making the digital makeover besides. 

Square, Liz group, Habil, Masco organization, Knit problem, Metro institution, Padma Textiles, and Mondol Group, are some of the huge-name producers and exporters interested in huge-scale digital printing. 

Digital printing is attractive to all ages of buyers. Because of its colorful design, it’s used almost in each program.

Printing Process For DTG Printing Machine

Pre-treatment

The pretreatment process is a must for textile materials before going printing. Here heat-pressed into the custom helps the fibers of the shirt to lay down. A liquid spray is also required to properly set the ink on the fabric.

This pretreatment process helps strengthen the bond between garment fibers and the pigmented inks as well as creates the best chemical reaction with the inks for drying and curing the fabric.

Fabrics to Use

DTG is water-based ink. That’s why natural fibers like cotton, bamboo, hemp, and linen fabrics are the best to use. 

Special Software

While printing on fabric except for white color, a white under-layer should be included in the artwork to allow the colors to pop more.

The printer needs special software for designing the artwork and to transfer in a compatible file. This artwork must be saved in at least 300 DPI for better results.

Setting Up Garment Flat

Before printing the garment, most vital to get it completely flat within the printer. This may help to avoid white spaces after printing because one wrinkle within the wrong place can ruin the whole process.

Now, the printing process is ready to print with desired artwork design.

Curing Process

As before the long print is finished, remove the printed T-shirt from the DTG printer delicately and load it onto the heat press platen.

A reusable Teflon protective cover sheet needs to use on top of the printed garment with the goal that the wet ink won’t move on the heat press machine and harm the print quality, before the heat press. After the pressing finishes on a garment, for a cautious measure, a soft finger tap on the printed artwork is expected to watch that the ink has cured completely.

Want To Step Up Your DTG PRINTER? You Need To Read This First

Direct-to-garment printers (DTG Printer) use micro-fine nozzles of inkjet print-head to print a special ink onto the garment. The DTG Ink is formed from water, pigment and polymeric compounds to make sure adhesion to the garment. So, it’s of great importance that one should remember the upkeep procedures of the printers to urge best out of them.

Environment controlling 

It is good to possess it during a controlled office-type environment. Ideally, the temperature should be between 20 to 25 ℃ with a ratio between 40-60% for DTG Printer.

As we want to avoid any coagulation print-head drawing those kinds of things. Keeping it away from anything that would cause dramatic temperature changes throughout the day is important.

Ink Flow

Ensure to shake the cartridges periodically. This will keep the ink blended and prevents the ink residue from settling down. Even if you’re not printing together with your Printer a day it’s important to power on the printer frequently.

Ideally, the ink tank for White ink should be with the agitator, which keeps stirring the inks periodically to stop settling heavier pigment particles. If it’s not there, shake the ink cartridges well at the beginning of the day.

Sample shirts will assist you to promote your business causing ink flow to stay maintained. Printing a few sample shirts daily will be maintained to avoid clogs.

The printer once turned on should be turned off only at the top of the day. Remember that ink purges ink whenever you switch on the printer.

Nozzle Checking

Perform a nozzle check a day albeit you’re not using the printer should be done on a daily basis before printing. This will help the printer giving the best performance that particular day.

A poor or missing nozzle has got to look out of immediately. Any clogs left unattended will become permanent blockages rendering the print-head unusable.

Maintain daily record of printer nozzles to make sure consistency of behavior. As it may be a good idea to use a magnifying glass to review the nozzle pattern.

Stray drops or unclear nozzles line shows the misfiring nozzles of ink deposition. Generally, this is often the drawing board of problem, once you should clean print-head and restore the nozzle pattern.

Capping Station

Preventing ink to dry, the Capping station will produce a vacuum pressure around the print head nozzle plate. Which will suck ink through using the pump inside the station to clear the nozzles.

DTG printer leaves frequent suction of inks behind solid particles on the surface of the capping station which may result in weak or insufficient cleaning action.

There are many special cleaning fluids for the capping station to clean. Besides, demineralized water can be used for capping station cleaning.

Wiper Blades

The DTG printer utilizes a Wiper blade to wipe the surface of the print-head clean which moves forward and backward to clean the nozzle plate by delicately scouring it. 

In case there are deposits of unwanted particles on the surface of the wiper blade it results in scratching or damaging the sensitive nozzle plate. Occasional cleaning and substitution of wiper blades are very fundamental. 

Flushing White Ink 

When you are very much aware of the sensitivity of white ink for the print head. On the off chance that your ink is causing frequent and persistent obstructing of nozzles (you need to put forth an impressive attempt toward the beginning of the day to recover white ink nozzles).

This strategy must be basically accomplished for the drawn-out closure of the printer like long ends of the week or vacations. While this is a safety interaction, due precautionary measures must be taken to guarantee smooth progress.

A cleaning solution is needed to keep your printer free from clogging. It is important to flush the printer when not in use as it removes the left ink residues from settling & clears the ink lines.

Warranty For DTG Printer Machine In Bangladesh

Usually, the warranty period for DTG Printer products is 12 months. The warranty does not cover normal wear and tear, scratching, abrasion, or cosmic damage. 

Is DTG Printer Eco-Friendly?

DTG is a more sustainable design plan of action than screen printing. Essentially in light of the fact that printing one-offs allow businesses to avoid overproduction and textile. 

On the off chance that the items screen-printed don’t get sold, they may wind up in landfills or get singed, adding to contamination. 

Screen printing uses a great deal of water and it’s often finished with plastisol inks that don’t biodegrade.

With 92 million tons of textile going to waste in the design business every year, a plan of action like this is a distinct advantage. Above all, DTG brings satisfaction on-demand with no upfront cost, while screen-printed products are ordered in mass production. 

The final cost for screen printing bulk requirement depends on the number of colors in your designs and the screens expected to print it. So screen printing can be monetarily difficult in case simply beginning or need to try different things with designs.

DTG Printing International and Bangladeshi Strong Market Growth

Bangladesh’s 86% of exports radiate from textile and textile products. In the field of digital printing, Bangladesh factories are doing fundamentally well. As indicated by the information of BTMA (Bangladesh Textile Mills Association), Bangladesh has 240 dyeing-printing-completing plants.

There’s a great deal to adore about DTG printing, including income projections for the not-so-distant future. 

As indicated by research and counseling firm Future Market Insights, the DTG printing industry was esteemed at $1.76 billion out of 2018, and that number is expected to increase to $2.31 billion by 2023.

Regardless of the pandemic that has placed a wrench during a ton of printing businesses out there, DTG (Direct to Garment) is partaking in an exceptionally solid development market. It likewise offers huge opportunities for businesses hoping to get into this explosive growth arena.

FAQ.

Q. What is the DTG Printer Machine price in Bangladesh?

Answer: Well, it depends on your requirement and the DTG Printer model. 

Q. How to save money with DTG PRINTER?

Answer: Well, DTG brings satisfaction on-demand with no upfront cost and you don’t need mass production.

Photo Collected from Getty Images

Written By:

Rahat Mostafa
Student at National Institute of Textile Engineering and Research, 
Bangladesh.