Step 1 Preparing Your Shirt To Print With DTG
Think of Pretreatment like adding a primer before you paint. It helps the ink adhere better to the t-shirt or another garment, as well as to things like canvas, denim jeans, and more. We usually only use pretreatment on dark garments or non-textiles so the white ink bonds properly and lasts wash after wash. You CAN print without pretreatment, but it negatively impacts the vividness of the print and the wash-ability, so it’s almost never done.
Step2 Creating Your Graphics
All garment embellishments have to start somewhere. With direct to garment printing, the work generally begins at the computer. All DTG’s need good, clean artwork to produce the best prints on your garments. Good artwork starts with professional quality graphics software like CorelDRAW, Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator. Of course, the quality of the image you start with makes a big impact on the end result.
Step3 Printing on a DTG Printer
Direct to garment printers generally require a specialized software package called a Raster Image Processor (RIP) to print properly. Primarily, the RIP is simply a printing utility that translates the image you created into a format that allows you the most control over the end result.
Step4 Finishing your Garment
Once your printer is done printing the shirt you will need to cure the garment to set the inks to ensure maximum wash-ability.
Typical cure times range from 2-3 minutes at 340 degrees, some garments may allow you to cure at slightly higher temperatures for shorter periods of time – but you will need to test them individually – remember – the way a shirt washes will often impact future sales!
You will learn in your DTG training about different finishes you can get on your prints based on the type of curing sheet you use – Teflon, parchment, release sheets, even embroidery backing material will all give different results.
The key hardware decision in this part of the process in which heat press you select for your business.
WER-China can provide the whole printing solution for you, welcome to consult!